Artisan Body Sculpt^®

Liver Facts

As one of the largest organs in the body, the liver performs many complex functions that are important to your overall health and essential to life. As the body's internal chemical power plant, everything we eat, breathe, and absorb through our skin must be processed, refined, and detoxified by the liver. In addition to converting the food we eat into stored energy, and storing and releasing that energy in the form of sugars, fats, vitamins, and other nutrients, the liver acts as a filter to remove and break down toxic substances from the blood so that they can be excreted from the body. The liver also manufactures vital chemicals, such as bile, that are used by the body to help digest food. There are many kinds of liver disease. Cirrhosis, or "scarring of the liver," often results by drinking too much alcohol. Scarring can also be caused by viruses which attack the liver, causing inflammation or swelling. Three of the most common viruses that attack the liver are the Hepatitis A Virus, which is usually transmitted through dirty food or water; the Hepatitis B Virus, which is primarily passed on through sexual contact; and the Hepatitis C Virus, which is mainly spread by sharing infected needles. Like many other body organs, the liver can also get cancer.