In the human body, there are a number of organs that are
arranged in systems in order to provide the body with
different abilities. For example, the lungs and the
trachea and nostrils all work together to allow for
breathing as well as to transport oxygen to the blood. The
nervous system is a setup of nerves that lead directly to
the brain in order to relay messages to and front different
parts of the body. The role of the liver is to help in the
processing of different foods and toxins that accumulate in
the body. While this might not sound as glamorous as other
organs, without proper liver function, the body can
experience fatal ramifications.
What is Liver Disease?
Liver disease occurs when the liver is not functioning
properly. There are a number of reasons why this can
happen: disease, cirrhosis, and physical damage.
Sicknesses that begin to eat away at the cellular function
in the body, like cancer, can begin to make it difficult
for the liver to process things like cholesterol and toxins
that a person might ingest. Liver cancer is one of the
more lethal cancers that occur because the liver is such an
important order. Cirrhosis of the liver that occurs
because of disease or from years of heavy drinking causes
the liver to harden and causes it to not be able to
function properly as well. In the case of physical damage
to the liver, it is sometimes not a permanent change in the
liver function, but it can certainly cause troubles. The
liver is, thankfully, the one organ that can regenerate
itself, but it takes time to do so and can only happen when
the patient is healthy.
When liver disease occurs, the body can begin to fill with
toxins, much in the same way that kidney disease does the
same thing. If the liver is unable to process cholesterol,
the body's cholesterol levels will be very high and this
can lead to damage for the heart and circulatory system.
What are the Treatments for Liver Disease?
Depending on the severity of the liver disease case, there
are several treatment options that are available to
patients. One of the first possibilities is to remove the
diseased portion of the liver and to allow a new liver to
grow back in its place. This kind of surgery sounds easy,
but it still carries the same risks that other surgeries
carry – i.e. risk of infection, death, complications,
etc. In a healthy individual, this can be a permanent fix
for the liver disease, however. Another option is to
perform a liver transplant. This is when a liver from a
donor is inserted in the patient after the diseased liver
is removed. This is another risky surgery that can cause
problems for both the donor and the recipient. The patient
that receives the liver will need to change their life
dramatically in order to ensure that they don't do any
damage to their new liver. The patient will also need to
be on anti-rejection drugs, possibly for life. These drugs
can render their immune system weak and can lead to other
problems.
Liver disease can sometimes be treated with drug therapies
when the illness or cancer is too advanced, but these
treatments are often just used as palliative care in
terminal cases.
The best form of treatment for liver disease is prevention.
Limiting the consumption of cholesterol, eating an overall
balanced diet with produce, as well as drinking plenty of
water to aid in digestion are all easy habits to start and
to maintain. Another consideration is to limit the
consumption of alcohol in order to prevent cirrhosis.
How Can Fish Oil Help Liver Disease?
In recent years, the usefulness of fish oil supplementation
has been researched more fully. Because the fish oil
supplement has already been linked with a reduction in
inflammation in the body, it's no surprise that the
supplement might also be able to help the body in the case
of liver disease. By helping the liver to reduce the
inflammation of the cells during disease, this can aid in
the healing of the liver.
Studies in the UK as well as through the University of
Pittsburgh in the United States are both giving promising
results, though a larger sampling will need to be done in
the future. These studies have shown that in cases of
liver cancer where the patients have been given fish oil
supplements, the growth of the liver cancer has been slowed
in contrast with the control group. What's most
fascinating about these studies is that results were seem
within 48 hours of the administration of the fish oil.
Conclusion
Fish oil seems to be a good preventative measure in terms
of dealing with current liver problems as well as
preventing new ones. By taking fish oil supplements or
adding two servings of fish a week to the diet, it's simple
to ensure that the liver is still performing its duties.
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Dave McEvoy is an expert in omega 3 fish oil EPA with over
20 years experience; for more information about fish oil
and how it can help come and visit.
http://www.mind1st.co.uk/blog_comments.asp?id=18
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