The liver is the vital and largest solid organ in your body; the weight of the liver is, on average, three pounds, and it roughly looks like a football. The liver is responsible for performing almost 500 functions, from filtering blood to producing bile for digestion. Humans cannot survive without a functioning liver; unfortunately, if your liver fails, then you will need liver transplantation to survive. The interesting fact about the liver is that it is the only organ of your body that can regenerate itself. But due to an unhealthy lifestyle, different types of liver disease can damage your liver, and it stops working properly. Moreover, some of these diseases are life-threatening. To treat liver diseases, the medical specialists called Hepatologists can help you cure these diseases. If you want to know interesting facts about the liver, then keep reading.

What Are The Functions Of the Liver?

The crucial responsibility of the liver is to filter harmful substances and waste from your blood. You will be surprised to know that your liver filters 250 gallons of blood every day. Not only that, your liver performs major duties including:

• Breaking down or converting substances
• It helps to balance energy metabolism by converting glycogen to glucose and storing extra glucose by converting it to glycogen.
• It makes cholesterol so your body can use it in different ways.
• The liver helps to produce certain hormones, protect your body cells and produce important ingredients for bile production.
• It breaks down toxins such as ammonia, alcohol, and germs and removes them from the bloodstream so they leave your body safely in your pee or poop.

Conditions That Can Affect the Liver?

1. Heavy alcohol addiction can lead to acute or chronic inflammation in your liver called induced alcohol hepatitis; if it is frequent or lasts a long time, then it causes liver failure.
2. Bile duct obstruction is a condition in which the flow of bile through the bile ducts is blocked, which can lead to a buildup and can cause damage to your liver.
3. Inherited metabolic disorders can cause toxic products to build up in your blood.
4. Liver lesions are abnormal growths in your liver, including liver cysts, but some abnormal growths can lead to liver cancer. 
5. Fatty liver disease is the condition when extra fat builds up in your liver.  
6. Viral hepatitis infections can become chronic, and that can cause chronic liver diseases such as hepatitis B or hepatitis C. 

Conclusion

The liver has the responsibility to handle many important functions in the human body, and it has an amazing capacity to regenerate itself. Without a liver, you cannot get energy from food and break down fats and protein in your daily diet. However, due to an unhealthy diet, many medical conditions can affect your liver’s functions, especially when the person is a heavy drinker. Alcohol can affect your liver function and lead to damage to your liver. You can protect your liver by taking care not to overload it with toxic substances. If you are struggling with liver disease or stuck in a situation where you have no other option but liver transplantation, then, you can visit a reputed and well-known Ameritus Hospital, where you can consult with Dr. Kartik Goyal, a top gastro doctor who can provide you with the best treatment. 

FAQs

What are the functions of bile produced by the liver?

Bile is a fluid, also known as bile juice, produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder that helps the small intestine break down and absorb fat.

What happens during jaundice disease?

Jaundice is a liver disease in which the skin and white part of the eyes turn yellowish colour, and this condition happens when excess amounts of yellow substances are present in the blood.