Worshipping The Body Temple Indigenous Peoples Project |
The Liver, and Gall bladder 
The Liver, Gall Bladder and kiddneys are essential to the filtration of the blood and the body tissue. If any part of this group becomes sluggish or backs up, it can not only affect the other members of this group, it can affect the body. Improperly digested fat, excess minerals such as calcium and sodium, and simple body muscle tension, can all overwhelm the filtration capability of the liver and kidneys. When the body experiences a back-up, we will experience symptoms such as: 1) Pain under the ribs on the right side. The liver is the heaviest and largest gland of the body, weighing about 3 pounds. It is the second largest organ after the skin and has an enormous capacity for detoxification. It is found just below the rib cage on the right side of the body, opposite to the pancreas. The liver is divided into sections called lobes that are made up of specialized epithelial cells called hepatocytes, each arranged around a large central vein. Each day, hepatocytes secrete about 1 quart of bile, a liquid with a high pH consisting mostly of water and bile acids, salts, cholesterol and lecithin. The bile drains through the hepatic duct and is stored in the gallbladder. Bile is an amazing body chemical. It is an excretory product because it contains all of the waste material that the liver has filtered out of the blood and detoxified. But it is also a digestive secretion. Bile salts with lecithin can break down or emulsify large lipids and clean the liver and gall bladder of cholesterol plaque, preventing a condition of the liver known as a “fatty liver”. Bile also acts as a lubricant to the digestive tract, supporting normal bowel function. Instead of capillaries, the liver has larger spaces lined by filtration tissue through which blood passes. These areas are lined with phagocytic cells that destroy worn-out white and red blood cells, bacteria and other foreign matter in the blood that is brought from the gastrointestinal tract through the portal vein. In this way you may think of the liver as a doorway for all the material that is absorbed from digestion. So like the heart, it does work with the blood, but then has its own private blood supply through the hepatic artery. The Chinese have believed for thousands of years that the liver is the key to the body's health and regulating the flow of emotion and flexibility in the body. This may be supported by the fact that the liver is the only organ in the body that can almost fully regenerate itself from damage. It processes thoughts and feelings the same way it breaks down food molecules. In conjunction with its partner organ, the gall bladder, the liver acts as a decision-maker. In addition, the liver is associated with warmth and kindness on the positive end of the emotional spectrum and anger and hostility on the negative. When you are forced to cope with more emotional input than you can comfortably handle, the liver gets overworked. This will force the liver to back up with toxic waste, spilling poisonous wastes into the bloodstream and the digestive tract. Its mother organ, the kidney, will then come to the rescue. The energy that the kidney would normally use for filtration, libido and strength of character, is used instead for coping. The end result could be a sex drive stuck in neutral. Another important aspect of the liver is in the siphoning from the blood of excess hormone to help maintain glandular homeostasis. Many times, estrogen dominance in women is treated as a lack of progesterone or an overproduction of estrogen, when in fact both levels are actually normal and it is the liver that is causing the imbalance. If the liver is weak and is incapable of removing excess estrogen when not needed, large amounts will remain in the blood system causing estrogen dominance symptoms. This is one of the links between the liver and the thyroid, as both are involved in estrogen balance. The liver has a hand in carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism, provides sugar for low blood glucose periods, synthesizes cortisol and steroids, plasma proteins and blood clotting proteins. It detoxifies drugs and hormones and provides storage for countless minerals and fat-soluble vitamins. The liver acts along with the kidneys to produce vitamin D from precursor molecules synthesized in the skin. Along with the liver is the much-disregarded gall bladder . It is an unnoticed pickle-sized organ located in a depression on the posterior surface of the liver and just below it. When a meal is eaten, especially if it contains some fats, the gall bladder is stimulated to contract, ejecting its stored bile through the cystic duct into the small intestine. This will then emulsify fatty nutrients for proper absorption. As the bile is stored, it becomes more concentrated each time the body absorbs water and ionic minerals from recycled material in the colon. But this is also the gateway for the detoxification of the liver. If the cystic duct becomes blocked, the gall bladder becomes weak or there is precipitation of mineral salts and cholesterol crystals in the gall bladder, then stones can form and the liver can actually begin to back flush its waste material into the body's bloodstream. It also means that the liver's ability to detoxify and to act as a portal is compromised. Many people, even in their teens, living in our society today, fail to have a free, unobstructed flow of bile from the gall bladder. Many of the foods eaten, whether refined, processed or even fresh, are mineral deficient because they were grown in depleted, chemically treated soil. Lack of regular, vigorous exercise, stress, multiple distractions during meals, and many other unnatural aspects of today's lifestyle have combined to alter the chemistry of bile so that formation of solid particles from bile components is a commonplace occurrence among Americans. These solid particles remain in the gall bladder for years and become progressively harder and more compacted, leading to calcification. Long before this occurs, however, metabolic problems are underway. When a significant amount of solid bile particles accumulate, the free flow of the gall bladder contents is diminished, causing progressive stagnation and congestion of the liver. The body begins to suffer the effects of poor assimilation of fat-soluble nutrients and low bile levels which may play a role in the development of eczema, psoriasis, dry skin, falling hair, tendonitis, night blindness, constipation, accumulation of calcium in tissues and sometimes prostate enlargement in men. Hemorrhoids and varicose veins, which drain to the liver, are often the result of this congestion.
Liver and Gallbladder Solutions Inflammation, mineral deposition and calcification, cirrhosis and fatty deposits are all issues that the liver and gallbladder can experience. At ISIS, we highly recommend beginning with our LKG Cleanse for the Liver, Kidneys and Gallbladder. Once that has been completed, there are many natural formulas that can act as trophorestoratives enhancing normalized function and reducing biliary symptoms. Choleretics stimulate bile production by hepatocytes such as Dandelion Root, Milk Thistle and Globe Artichoke. Cholagogues are agents that stimulate the release of bile that has already been formed in the biliary system, clearing clogged pathways. Traditional cholagogues work primarily on the gallbladder and do not allow bile to adhere to the lining of the gallbladder producing mineral deposition. For this reason, many cholagogues are also excellent at preventing bacterial build-up in body tubules, such as the urinary tract. Some cholagogues are Fringe Tree, Peppermint and Greater Celandine, all of which work well with the beet tops in Betafood and AF Betafood. * Betafood and A F Betafood
- these formulas contain food derivatives of vitamins A and F,
for all gallbladder symptoms, liver-based hypertension, hypoglycemic
and hypercholesterol issues. This is also one instance where we
highly recommend organic coffee, as it stimulates bile flow, and
reduces the incidence of gall stones. * Choline - this body chemical helps to remove
fat from the liver and the vascular system, making it useful as
a synergist to Inositol and excellent as treatment for neuromuscular
degeneration, synaptic dysfunction and even some Alzheimer's Disease
symptoms. |
The Kidneys and The Urinary Tract It is not surprising that many people have urinary tract infections, bladder infections and kidney issues. In fact, it is miraculous that there aren't more, given the amount of bacteria and toxic substances that the kidneys must filter at the rate of 1200 ml per minute, which is essentially 20-25% of total cardiac output. The kidneys not only provide the back-up to the filtration functions of the liver, but they also dictate fluid balance, electrolyte mineral composition of the blood and tissues and the levels of acids that are left in tissue after metabolism. They help to regulate blood glucose levels and they release two hormones: calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D and erythropoietin, which stimulates production of red blood cells. But one of the biggest effects the kidneys have on the body is blood pressure. High blood pressure is almost always related to the kidneys. The kidneys work to filter and recycle essential substances from the blood and eliminate the remaining toxic or unnecessary substances into the urine for excretion. The flow of urine from the body is essential to maintain water balance and to eliminate toxins. Within the urine are large amounts of acids and bacteria, which if held too long within the system can damage the lining of the urinary tract or bladder, causing irritation, incontinence and pain. Diuretics are substances that slow renal reabsorption of water and bring about an elevated urine flow rate. Naturally occurring diuretics include caffeine and alcohol. It is also possible that water can be forced through the kidneys in large amounts this way, causing dehydration of body tissues and particularly within the intestinal tract. Paying attention to proper hydration and water balance issues is crucial to proper kidney function and to reduce bacterial accumulation. Without sufficient hydration, urine becomes highly concentrated, blood becomes thicker, intestinal material moves more slowly and every cell becomes less flexible. With aging, the kidneys shrink in size, have lowered blood flow and filter less blood. Because the sensation of thirst diminishes with age, older individuals are susceptible to dehydration. Also urinary tract infections are more common among the elderly, as is excessive urine production, urination at night, painful urination and blood in the urine. Prostate issues also affect urine release and the build-up of bacteria and toxins within the urinary system. Occasionally the crystals of salts present in urine precipitate and solidify into insoluble kidney stones. These crystals are most often calcium salts, which have not been absorbed by the body tissues, forcing them through the kidneys for excretion. Chronic infection, holding back of urination or calcium deposition can weaken the muscles of the urinary tract, causing incontinence and bladder issues. Once you have completed a comprehensive cleanse for the kidneys, the formulas we provide at ISIS will help to restore normal bacterial levels and reduce chronic urinary issues: * A-C Carbamide - adding
Arginex to this formula will increase the kidneys' ability to filter
excess water and aid the diuretic action. But alone, this strong
combination of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and carbamide powder helps
to eliminate fluid retention, excessive perspiration, acidosis
symptoms and kidney-bladder filtration issues. Liver and Gallbladder Solutions continued * Globe Artichoke - Globe Artichoke moves sluggish cholesterol
out of the liver and gallbladder stimulating liver bile production and flow.
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