The liver provides vital services for the body and is the only organ in the body able to regenerate itself. The liver maintains the body's blood supply, handling about a pint of blood at a time during an ongoing process. The organ also helps in digestion and preserves energy levels among various activities to keep the body functioning properly.
Blood Cleaning
The liver cleans the blood of poisonous toxins and drugs, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Drugs become chemically altered by the liver to make them inactive and easily excreted from the body. Toxins may also exist in the body when it breaks down proteins in meats and nuts. The liver rids the body of poisons that enter the body by accident, such as swallowing something harmful. It breaks down substances and clears anything harmful out of the system.
Blood Protection
The liver processes vitamins and minerals from foods after they leave the intestine and head for the bloodstream. The liver takes helpful substances and replenishes blood with nutrients the body can use. It sends unnecessary substances back to the intestine and out of the body. It also helps clear the bloodstream by regulating blood clotting. The liver's vital functions in the bloodstream include producing immune substances to resist infection and removing unhealthy bacteria from the blood. The organ also regulates amino acids in the blood for vital proteins. The liver plays a part in the production of certain proteins needed for blood plasma, an important component for blood.
Cholesterol Production
Bile, which helps the body absorb fat into the bloodstream, is produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder until the body needs it to digest fats. The liver makes about half of the body's cholesterol, according to Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. Cholesterol helps produce estrogen, testosterone and adrenal hormones that the body needs. Excess cholesterol usually comes from certain foods people eat.
Cholesterol Cleaning
The bile that the liver produces helps carry away wastes and breaks down fats caused by too much cholesterol in the body. High-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol is known as the "good" cholesterol, which gathers up excess low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol and brings it to the liver, which flushes it away.
Energy Booster
The liver stores energy-boosting glycogen until the body needs fuel for energy when blood sugar levels drop below normal, according to the KidsHealth website. The liver breaks down glycogen and releases glucose into the bloodstream to increase blood sugar levels. Glucose becomes stored in the liver after the body breaks down carbohydrates from foods, such as breads and fruits, into glucose, which then turns into glycogen before it is released again by the liver as glucose.
