I would like to learn more about the liver.
I've been through various cleanses, detoxification programs, supplements, etc. They have all brought some benefit over the years.
However, I am currently going through a comprehensive, itchy rash, the likes of which I've never seen.
I think it's a detox rash...a sign that my liver is finally getting healthier.I have battled eczema for the better part of my 34 years, and I think it's due to being placed on antibiotics at birth (e. coli meningitis), and then for various ear infections (I was not breastfed), which necessitated more antibiotics. Then came years of corticosteroidal creams...add to that, probably Candida and years of eating junk food with dyes, artificial whatevers, and sugars. So, behold:
Toxic YooperMama.
My 1st big clue was developing pre-eclampsia in '99 w/ my 1st child (after going through some painful constipation a year prior to that--imagine going to ER for the worst pain in your life and essentially being told, "You're full of cr*p.").
My body was trying to tell me something but I didn't get it, still, for awhile...not until I started getting healthier in '01 w/ PG #2. Read Dr. Gary Null and starting thinking about what I ate and how it affected me.
Anyway....after 5 1/2 years of transitioning to a more healthful, natural way of living, I have come to this rash and the LIVER.
I have recently done a Master Cleanse as well as a Liver Flush...that and oil pulling, seem to be helping my liver work better, thus THE RASH.
I've benefited so much from WTM threads on eczema, fungal-bacteria, cleanses, etc. Thank you to all who share their experiences, ideas, trials and victories!
Now I want to start sharing what we all know/find out about the liver.
Here's something from Dr. Sandra Cabot (The Liver Doctor) on her website:
http://www.liverdoctor.com/help/faq/category.asp?id=62Where is my liver?It is situated in the upper right abdominal and lower right thoracic area. This is known in medical terms as the right hypochondrium. The upper margin of the liver lies between the fifth and sixth ribs, and its lower margin can sometimes normally be felt below the right rib cage if you breath in deeply. In those with some forms of liver disease or fatty liver, the enlargement of the liver can easily be felt extending below the right rib cage. The liver is divided into a right and left section, which are called lobes. The liver is the largest and hardest working organ in the body. The liver is such an important organ that it has two sources of blood supply, namely the hepatic artery and the portal vein. The portal vein drains the blood from the gastrointestinal tract and spleen, back to the liver, which is why we can say that the liver is the gateway to the body.
http://www.liverdoctor.com/02_liverdetox.aspThe Liver and DetoxificationMore than ever before in the history of mankind, human beings need to have healthy livers to break down the chemicals that have crept into our environment. If you talk to radiologists and gastroenterologists who are looking at people's livers today they will tell you that the condition "Fatty Liver" affects more than 50% of people over the age of 50!
Common causes are incorrect diet, excessive alcohol intake, adverse reactions to drugs and toxic chemicals, and viral hepatitis. Dr. Cabot believes it is because modern-day medicine has become sidetracked into treating the symptoms of diseases and not the causes. Excess weight is a symptom of liver dysfunction and not solely due to the number of calories you consume.We have been attacking the symptoms of weight excess with fad diets, obsessional high impact aerobics, stomach stapling and toxic drugs, such as appetite suppressants, laxatives and diuretics. We have failed to consider the underlying cause of LIVER DYSFUNCTION and indeed we have virtually ignored the hardest-working organ in the body, with dire consequences. The liver is the gateway to the body and in this chemical age its detoxification systems are easily overloaded. Thousands of chemicals are added to food and over 700 have been identified in drinking water. Plants are sprayed with toxic chemicals, animals are injected with potent hormones and antibiotics and a significant amount of our food is genetically engineered, processed, refined, frozen and cooked. All this can lead to destruction of delicate vitamins and minerals, which are needed for the detoxification pathways in the liver. The liver must try to cope with every toxic chemical in our environment, as well as damaged fats that are present in processed and fried foods.
The Liver FilterThe liver is the cleanser and filter of the blood stream and is of vital importance. It is the largest organ in the body and has an enormous amount of blood flowing through it every minute of our lives. It is between 21 - 22.5 cm in its greatest diameter, 15 - 17.5cm in its greatest height and 10 - 12.5 cm in its depth, weighing around 1200 - 1600 gms
A Normal Healthy Liver What are the functions of the liver?
• It is responsible for the production of bile which is stored in the gallbladder and released when required for the digestion of fats.
• The liver stores glucose in the form of glycogen which is converted back to glucose again when needed for energy.
• It also plays an important role in the metabolism of protein and fats. It stores the vitamins A, D, K, B12 and folate and synthesizes blood clotting factors.
• Another important role is as a detoxifier, breaking down or transforming substances like ammonia, metabolic waste, drugs, alcohol and chemicals, so that they can be excreted. These may also be referred to as "xenobiotic" chemicals. If we examine the liver under a microscope, we will see rows of liver cells separated by spaces which act like a filter or sieve, through which the blood stream flows. The liver filter is designed to remove toxic matter such as dead cells, microorganisms, chemicals, drugs and particulate debris from the blood stream. The liver filter is called the sinusoidal system, and contains specialized cells known as Kupffer cells which ingest and breakdown toxic matter.
The liver filter can remove a wide range of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites from the blood stream, which is highly desirable, as we certainly do not want these dangerous things building up in the blood stream and invading the deeper parts of the body. Infections with parasites often come from the contaminated water supplies found in large cities, and indeed other dangerous organisms may find their way into your gut and blood stream from these sources. This can cause chronic infections and poor health, so it is important to protect your liver from overload with these microorganisms. The safest thing to do is boil your water for at least 5 minutes, or drink only bottled water that has been filtered and sterilized. High loads of unhealthy microorganisms can also come from eating foods that are prepared in conditions of poor hygiene by persons who are carrying bacteria, viruses or parasites on their skin. Foods, especially meats that are not fresh or are preserved, also contain a higher bacterial load, which will overwork the liver filter if they are eaten regularly.
Recently, it has become very fashionable for people to detoxify their bodies by various means, such as fasting or cleansing the bowels with fiber mixtures. Fasting can by its extreme nature, only be a temporary method of cleansing the body of waste products, and for many people causes an excessively rapid release of toxins which can cause unpleasant, acute symptoms. The liver filter, like any filter, needs to be cleansed regularly, and it is much easier and safer to do it everyday. This is easily and pleasantly achieved by adopting a daily eating pattern that maintains the liver filter in a healthy clean state. By following the methods and guidelines on this site, you will be able to keep the liver filter healthy and clean. Although it is important to keep the intestines moving regularly and to sweep their walls with high fiber and living foods, it is important to remember that the bowels are really a channel of elimination and not a cleansing organ per se. In other words the bowels cannot cleanse, filter or remove toxic wastes from the blood stream.It is only the liver that can purify the blood stream and we only have one liver.
http://www.liverdoctor.com/03_detoxpathways.aspThe Liver Detoxification PathwaysInside the liver cells there are sophisticated mechanisms that have evolved over millions of years to break down toxic substances. Every drug, artificial chemical, pesticide and hormone, is broken down (metabolized) by enzyme pathways inside the liver cells. Many of the toxic chemicals that enter the body are fat-soluble, which means they dissolve only in fatty or oily solutions and not in water. This makes them difficult for the body to excrete. Fat soluble chemicals have a high affinity for fat tissues and cell membranes, which are made of fatty substances. In these fatty parts of the body, toxins may be stored for years, being released during times of exercise, stress or fasting. During the release of these toxins, symptoms such as headaches, poor memory, stomach pain, nausea, fatigue, dizziness and palpitations may occur.
The body's primary defense against metabolic poisoning is carried out by the liver. The liver has two mechanisms designed to convert fat-soluble chemicals into water soluble chemicals so that they may then be easily excreted from the body via watery fluids such as bile and urine.
Toxic OverloadIf the phase one and two detoxification pathways become overloaded, there will be a build up of toxins in the body. Many of these toxins are fat soluble and incorporate themselves into fatty parts of the body where they may stay for years, if not for a lifetime. The brain and the endocrine (hormonal) glands are fatty organs, and are common sites for fat-soluble toxins to accumulate. This may result in symptoms of
brain dysfunction and hormonal imbalances, such as infertility, breast pain, menstrual disturbances, adrenal gland exhaustion and early menopause. Many of these chemicals (eg. pesticides, petrochemicals) are carcinogenic and have been implicated in the rising incidence of many cancers.
Rarely does anyone think about the liver, which seems incredible to me because it is such a powerful organ and is easily improved. Indeed the simplest and most effective way to cleanse the blood stream and thus take the load off the immune system is by improving liver function. 
