Masters of Health Magazine August 2022 | Page 88

and organs. The liver accounts for about 20% of resting total body oxygen consumption.

Bilirubin is a red-orange compound.  In the normal catabolic pathway, it breaks down heme.  This necessary process clears waste products produced from the destruction of aged or abnormal red blood cells.  Heme removed from the hemoglobin molecule is excreted through bile and urine.  Stercobilin, a breakdown by-product, creates the brown color of feces. Urobilin is another breakdown by-product that produces the straw-yellow color in urine. 

 The yellow color of healing bruises and skin in jaundice is from a high amount of bilirubin.  Jaundice indicates abnormal heme metabolism, liver dysfunction, or biliary-tract obstruction.  While it is rare in adults, it is common in newborn babies.  I believe a vitamin E deficiency created from iron in prenatal supplements causes this type of jaundice because iron interferes with vitamin E absorption.  This type of jaundice quickly clears up by applying natural vitamin E oil (from a vitamin capsule) to the mother’s nipple before nursing the baby.  Also, it is best to avoid supplements with synthetic iron ingredients. 

According to the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins, signs of liver disease include:

•    Yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)

•    Abdominal pain and swelling

•    Fluid builds up in the belly (ascites)

•    Swelling (edema) in the legs, ankles, and feet (edema and ascites may also result from the inability of the liver to make enough of specific blood proteins, such as albumin)

•    Kidney failure

•    Gallstones

•    Itchy skin

•    Dark urine color

•    Pale stool color

•    Chronic fatigue and weakness

•    Nausea or vomiting

•    Vomiting blood from bleeding blood vessels in the esophagus

•    Loss of appetite

•    Tendency to bruise easily

•    Muscle and weight loss

•  Type-two diabetes/insulin resistance (with cirrhosis or fatty liver, the body cannot use insulin properly, the pancreas cannot keep up with the need for insulin, blood sugar/glucose builds up and causes type-2 diabetes)

•    Redness in the palms of the hands

•For women, cessation of periods that are unrelated to post-menopause.

•For men, loss of sex drive, breast enlargement (gynecomastia), or testicular atrophy

•Confusion, drowsiness, and slurred speech (hepatic encephalopathy)

Liver diseases include:

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), hepatitis, liver cancer, and cirrhosis. NAFLD is the most common liver disorder worldwide and is present in approximately 25% of the world's population.

 The principal causes of cirrhosis are:

•    Hepatitis B, C, and D

•    Alcohol

•Nonalcoholic fatty-liver disease (from consumption of damaged fats/oils and toxic chemicals)

•Medication including methotrexate or isoniazid

•    Drugs