Your Liver Healthcare Handbook

Which organs are necessary for digestion? You might be quick to say the stomach or the small intestine. Maybe you even thought of the pancreas, but we’d venture to say that you didn’t think of the liver. Why not? As it turns out, this three-pound, reddish-brown, cone-shaped organ is one of the most important parts of your body, yet its crucial role in maintaining proper health is often forgotten.

The liver is involved with nearly every organ system in the human body (1). With over 500 unique functions, its main responsibilities include regulating chemical levels in the blood and excreting bile to help rid the body of waste. But perhaps what the liver is most well-known for is its ability to metabolize alcohol (1).

Whatever the case, the liver is one of the most important organs in the body, yet it's often overlooked. Oftentimes, we spend much more time and energy tending to our brain, heart, or lungs than we do our liver. In addition to supporting the health of these essential organs, we at The Plug also strive to bring attention to the complex and crucial organ that is our liver and tell you the most useful methods on how to boost its health and function.

A Short History of the Liver

Before we can understand how to take care of our liver, we need to be mindful of its anatomy and physiology. The liver is the largest solid organ in the body, second in size only to the skin (2). Weighing in at over three pounds, it can hold up to one pint of blood at a time, or about 13% of the body’s total supply of blood (3). 

Due to its variety of functions, the liver can be understood as the body’s multi-purpose cleaner. Following digestion, the nutritious (or not-so-nutritious) makeup of everything that we eat and consume is sent into the blood to be filtered by the liver (3). In other words, one of the liver’s main functions is to facilitate the further breakdown of food, medicine, and harmful toxins such as alcohol. 

Another key responsibility of our liver is the careful regulation of the chemicals within our bloodstream. All the blood that leaves our stomach and intestines has to pass through the liver to be analyzed, filtered, and balanced before re-entering our bloodstream (3). 

After performing this filtration, the liver helps the body eliminate harmful waste through the production of bile. This fluid plays a supplemental role to the kidneys, as it excretes additional material to assist in the breakdown of lipids (1). Without bile, hazardous materials would remain unattended in our bodies, causing illnesses and possibly even death.

Keep in mind that these are just a few of the 500 unique functions of the liver. Knowing this, it’s no wonder that we at The Plug are so focused on liver health and maintenance!

Life Without a Liver

Without a strong and healthy liver, an array of body functions begin to deteriorate. Most notably, our metabolism, immunity, digestion, detoxification, and ability to store vitamins are gravely affected. Without proper treatment, these ailments can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This malady greatly impairs liver function, and is recognizable by a variety of symptoms (4):

- Chronic fatigue

- Nausea

- Loss of appetite

- Dark urine color

- Pale stool color

- Abdominal pain and swelling

- Swelling in the legs and ankles

- Itchy skin

- Tendency to bruise easily

- Skin and eyes that appear yellowish (jaundice)

If you or anyone you know are experiencing any of these symptoms or suspect having liver disease, it is imperative to see a licensed physician. 

Maintaining a Healthy Liver

Although liver disease can be a frightening subject, it can be easily prevented through a number of simple lifestyle choices. Thankfully, the liver is also an incredibly resilient organ. Due to its importance in the body, the liver is capable of regenerating itself; as long as 25% of its tissue remains, the liver can completely recreate itself and return to normal function (5).

That being said, it’s still in your best interest to take intentional care of your liver’s well-being. According to Columbia Surgery, the best way to prevent liver disease is to be diligent about building a healthy and sustainable lifestyle (2). A liver-conscious life includes regular exercise, eating a well-balanced diet, drinking alcohol in moderation, abstaining from illicit drug use, vaccinating against liver-harming diseases such as hepatitis, and practicing safe sex to avoid sexually transmitted infections that can severely damage liver health and function.

These lifestyle recommendations are all proven methods to keep your liver functioning correctly. Although having a liver-healthy lifestyle is not always the easiest, doing so is a remarkable investment in your long-term health and quality of life.

Liver Health and The Plug

So, where does The Plug fit into all of this? The Plug is a liver supplement brand with a drink and pill specifically engineered to support healthy liver function. Our plant-based ingredients were handpicked with the intention of providing you with a plentiful dose of nutrients and herbal remedies that have a long history of treating liver-related issues. 

Some of our more notable ingredients include oriental raisin tree, which utilizes dihydromyricetin (DHM) to counteract alcohol intoxication and dependence (6); dandelion, which has a myriad of health benefits including the potential for preventive treatment of severe liver inflammation (7); and licorice root, known for its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties and its success in preventing alcoholic fatty liver disease (8).

At the end of the day, our mission at The Plug is to take care of our customers’ health. We understand the difficulty of maintaining a perfectly healthy lifestyle and having a well-balanced diet day in and day out. That’s why we’ve created products that give you and your liver a much-needed boost and to help you stay ahead of the curve when it comes to making smart choices for your long-term health.

There’s no stress about a strict routine with The Plug; your liver’s sidekick can be called on at any time of day. Enjoy The Plug in the morning as a daily liver supplement, in the afternoon as midday boost, or in the evening for recovery at the end of a long day. Certainly, The Plug is a versatile product with many functions – much like the liver itself! 

We hope this information helps you in your own health journey. The next time you wonder about how to take better care of your long-term health, don’t forget about your liver! And always remember that The Plug is here to help.

Bibliography

1. Kalra A, Yetiskul E, Wehrle CJ, Tuma F. Physiology, Liver. StatPearls [Internet]. Updated 2023 May 1. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535438/

2. Columbia Surgery. The Liver and Its Functions [Internet]. Columbia Surgery. Available from: https://columbiasurgery.org/liver/liver-and-its-functions

3. Wisely, Rene. What Does the Liver Do, and How Do I Keep Mine Healthy? [Internet]. Michigan Medicine: University of Michigan. 2017 Nov 6. Available from: https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/what-does-the-liver-do.  

4. Mayo Clinic. Liver disease [Internet]. Mayo Clinic. 2024 Feb 13. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/liver-problems/symptoms-causes/syc-20374502

5. Newman, Tim. What does the liver do? [Internet]. Medical News Today. Updated 2023 Nov 15. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/305075#functions

6. Shen Y, Lindemeyer AK, Gonzalez C, Shao XM, Spigelman I, Olsen RW, et al. Dihydromyricetin As a Novel Anti-Alcohol Intoxication Medication. The Journal of Neuroscience [Internet]. 2012 Jan 4;32(1):390–401. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3292407/ 

7. Pfingstgraf IO, Taulescu M, Pop RM, Orăsan R, Vlase L, Uifalean A, et al. Protective Effects of Taraxacum officinale L. (Dandelion) Root Extract in Experimental Acute on Chronic Liver Failure. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) [Internet]. 2021 Mar 24;10(4):504. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33804908/

8. Jung JC, Lee YH, Kim SH, Kim KJ, Kim KM, Oh S, Jung YS. Hepatoprotective effect of licorice, the root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer, in alcohol-induced fatty liver disease. BMC Complement Altern Med [Internet]. 2016 Jan 22;16:19. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4722619/