The liver's job is to clean the body of toxins by processing drugs and detoxifying the blood. Hepatocytes or liver cells also provide necessary building blocks such as amino acids and glucose. Elevated liver enzyme blood tests indicate liver...
The normal function of the liver is to clear toxins, process drugs, make glucose and provide amino acids and other building blocks for the body. When toxins or disease affect the hepatocytes or liver cells, the damaged cells send enzymes into the...
Liver disease can result from many different causes, including alcohol abuse, hepatitis C virus infection, diabetes or obesity. The liver performs the vital function of removing toxins from the blood. Damage to the liver can reduce the ability of...
Kava kava, or Piper methysticum, is also called intoxicating pepper or simply kava. For thousands of years, the Pacific islanders of Tonga have made a nonalcoholic, socially bonding beverage by mashing kava roots. In 1999, a research report by the...
Harry Feldman, an anthropologist at the Australian National University, reported in a 1999 paper, that kava drinking in the Pacific island nation of Tonga can be viewed in two ways: private faikava, or kava-use, and the kalapu kava, or Tonga 'kava...
Azithromycin is an antibiotic sometimes prescribed for certain bacterial infections, including respiratory infections and certain sexually transmitted diseases. Although a small study of 20 subjects published in 1993 in the "Journal of...
The liver is a large organ located in the upper abdomen that helps remove waste products from your body, stores nutrients, produces bile for digestion and breaks down proteins. A healthy liver normally produces certain enzymes that aid in the...
The liver clears many toxins in the body as a normal daily function. The hepatocytes, or liver cells, do a great job of processing drugs, detoxifying the blood and providing necessary amino acids, glucose and other necessary building blocks for...
The liver serves many metabolic functions, including the production of enzymes, which are chemicals that help reactions occur in the body. Inflammation or other conditions that affect the liver can cause these enzymes to leak out into the...
A liver function test is a group of blood tests that physicians use to evaluate liver function. Some tests included in the liver function panel include albumin, ALP, AST, ALT, Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, prothrombin time, serum bilirubin, urine...
Your liver is the largest internal organ in your body. It carries out many important functions, such as regulating blood cholesterol, fighting infection, storing energy and cleaning your blood of toxins and other potentially harmful molecules....
Kava has been used for millennia by South Pacific island natives as a non-alcoholic, non-addictive socially-bonding and anxiety-relieving agent of tranquility, as reported in 1999 by Australian anthropologist Harry Feldman. Historically, barring...
Alkaline phosphatase, or ALP, is an enzyme that removes phosphate groups from other biological molecules. It is present in all of your cells, but it is found in particularly high concentrations in your liver, bones, kidneys and intestines. During...
Triglycerides are fat: the fats you eat are mostly triglycerides, and many of the fats in your body are triglycerides. Your liver turns some of this fat into cholesterol. Having a high level of triglycerides in your bloodstream can translate to...
Liver function tests are used to determine the state and function of a patient's liver. Several biochemical tests are used in this evaluation, some of which involve the detection of liver enzymes. Liver enzymes that are commonly detected include...
Proteins are tiny specialized structures used by the cells and the body for many functions. They can be strong and provide structural support, or form channels through which chemicals can flow through, for example. A specific type of protein is an...
Before you put your blinker on to turn into the drive-through, you should consider what fast food is really doing for your body. Sure, it might satisfy that immediate craving, but eating fast food on a regular basis can pack on the extra calories,...
Gamma-glutamyl transferase, or GGT for short, is a liver enzyme found throughout your body, especially your liver and kidneys. GGT helps transport amino acids and phosphates into your cells. Abnormal GGT levels can be observed in conditions such...
Testing levels of various substances in the blood can provide information about how the liver is functioning and whether it is currently sustaining damage. These blood tests are collectively referred to as liver function tests, or LFTs. LFTs can...
Alkaline phosphatase is an enzyme found in all of your tissues. It is produced in relatively large amounts by your liver, bones, intestine and kidneys, and by the placenta during pregnancy. Different tissues synthesize slightly different forms --...
Your liver is your largest internal organ, carrying out many essential functions to maintain your health. These include managing your energy stores, making proteins, cleaning your blood of toxins and helping digest fats. When your liver is injured...
When your liver is diseased or injured, your body releases tell-tale enzymes that your doctor can measure through tests. Many conditions unrelated to the liver can cause abnormal results, however. For example, some gallbladder treatments that...
