How To Improve Liver Function By Yoga

What May Cause A Damaged Liver

Our liver is a fairly forgiving organ, able to repair and regenerate cells up to a point.

;But, repeated abusing of the liver may lead to inflammation, scarring, and cirrhosis.;

These diseases may cause the liver to shrink, harden, and change the structure.

;;Preventing it from functioning up to its full potential.

A high intake of alcohol or toxins, a diet high in fat, and viral infections, such as hepatitis, can cause substantial damage to the liver.

;Liver disease doesnt usually come to the surface until the damage is fairly advanced.;

The alarming signals that your liver may be struggling with are fatigue and tiredness.

Can Twists Detox The Liver

• in Teaching tips·yoga for your body
• 15 Jul, 2015

Yoga teachers and yoga students like to be proactive when it comes to our health we have strong opinions about what we should put into the body, how to improve its functioning, and how to cleanse it of unwanted stuff. Unfortunately, in our quest for conscious living we sometimes make far-fetched assumptions.

Case in point a widely spread idea that twists help detox the liver. I believe the thinking goes like this: liver removes toxins from the body + twists squeeze the internal organs -> this increases circulation to the liver -> this makes the liver work better; = twisting helps remove toxins.

Intuitively it makes sense; its too bad that it doesnt work like that in real life. Lets explore this interesting equation one part at a time.

Statement 1: The liver removes toxins from the body. Yes, this is true. The liver is a remarkable organ that has many different functions One of those functions is toxin removal. The liver does it in two ways: the toxins that are water-soluble are removed from the blood stream and are either broken down or excreted in the bile and urine. The toxins that are lipid-soluble are absorbed by the liver and stored in lipid deposits, where they do not disrupt cellular functions. This means that it is your livers job to remove the toxins that are possible to remove, and store away the ones that cannot be removed so they dont cause harm. Any healthy liver will do that.

Yoga Promotes Insulin Production

Different parts of our body have fat cells or adipocytes. The purpose of these cells is to store fat. This process of fat storage is important because if not stored it will be released into the blood 2 which will later accumulate in the liver cells.

Yoga poses that stretch and squeezes the liver, stimulate the production of insulin. This insulin further stimulates the fat cells to store the available fat, thus prevent the liver to absorb fat.

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Yoga Helps Boosts Lipid Metabolism

Yoga poses and pranayama exercises boost lipid metabolism to help your body manage the fat consumed in your diet. Different yoga poses for the abdomen, collectively, will help you digest, absorb, transport, utilize and filter the fat. The successful processing of each of these lipid metabolic functions will prevent fat build-up in your liver cells.

The Seated Spinal Twist

The seated spinal twist yoga posture helps in revitalizing the health of the liver and get relief from bloating. The position requires you to sit on a flat surface, bend the right knee and place it on the left thigh. Place the left heel under the glute of the right leg. You have to turn to the right side and put the right hand behind the sacrum at the back. Lengthen the spine while profoundly inhaling. Twist, exhale, and use your left hand to press the thigh and the thigh pushing the arm. Hold the position for at least five breaths. Repeat the same on the other side. You can perform the entire act for at least 15 minutes.

The twist of the body to the side while exhaling and inhaling the breath improves the strength of the muscles around the liver.

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Causes Of Liver Damage

Because it has such widespread roles in the body, just about any form of metabolic, digestive, immune or hormonal disorder can impact liver health. In addition, your lifestyle can make or break the health of your liver.

Some of the major causes of damage to your liver can include:

• Too much alcohol
• Prescription medication or antibiotic use, including use of;over-the-counter or prescription pain medications, statins and antibiotics like amoxiciilin-clavulinic, nitrofurantoin or tetracycline
• Unprotected sex that spreads viruses/infections
• High stress levels and hormonal imbalances
• Air pollution;and environmental toxin exposure
• Autoimmune or inherited liver disease
• Exposure to chemically sprayed crops
• Using chemical household and beauty products
• Obesity, such as due to eating many packaged foods that;contain refined oils and high amounts of sugar

There are a number of risk factors that increase your chances of developing liver problems, some of which are:

• Gastric bypass surgery
• Underactive thyroid
• Underactive pituitary gland
• Being a man, especially over the age of 65 ;Aging is a major risk factor for most chronic diseases, including liver disease. In general, men are twice as likely to die from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis than are women.

The Best Yoga Poses For Liver Health

Your liver is an astounding organ, and after your skin,its your bodys largest organ. The liver puts up with a great deal of biological abuse. The way it works is nothing short of incredible.

Due to its size and connection to large blood vessels, your liver is well suited to collect whatever comes through your intestinal tract- the good, bad and the ugly.

It takes on bouncer like jobs and keeps toxins or unwanted items such as byproducts from pharmaceuticals or environmental carcinogens from getting into your bloodstream.

The;Kupffer cells which are specialized macrophages welcomes the blood that comes into your liver from the spleen and the gastrointestinal tract. They flush out toxins out of your system. Anything not flushed out here gets further broken down by enzymes produced by Hepatocytes that are sensitive to your blood sugar levels.

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Downward Dog Pose Or Adho Mukha Svanasana

Adho mukha svanasana or downward dog pose is your yoga for good liver function. This yoga asanas makes you energized and rejuvenates your whole body.

How to do Downward dog pose.

Start on your hands and knees. Align your wrists just below your shoulders and your knees just below your hips.;

Straighten your elbows and relax your upper back.

Spread your fingers wide apart and press firmly through your palms and knuckles. Distribute your weight evenly between your hands.

Exhale as you stick your toes and lift your knees off the floor. Reach for the ceiling with your pelvis, then pull your sit bones against the wall behind you. Gently start straightening your legs, but dont lock your knees. Bring your body into the shape of an A.;

Imagine that your hips and thighs are pulled back from the top of your thighs. Dont get any closer to your hands keep your whole body extended.

Push the floor away from you as you lift through your pelvis.;

As you lengthen your spine, you raise your sit bones toward the ceiling. Now push evenly through your heels and palms.

Tighten the outer muscles of your arms and press your index fingers into the floor. From the inner muscles of your arms, lift onto both shoulders.;

Pull your shoulder blades into your upper back ribs and towards your tailbone. Spread across your collarbones.

Rotate your arms outward so the folds of your elbows are facing your thumbs.

Yoga Poses To Help Detoxify The Liver

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How healthy is your liver?;Sitting;just to the right of the stomach, your liver is the bodys largest gland used for detoxification. It;is responsible for purifying blood and creating bile, which helps your body to digest fats. Without a properly functioning liver, you can become over-encumbered with toxins and pesticide residues that cannot find an exit, only to recirculate into your blood. The liver is also responsible for breaking down alcohol, drugs , and;hormones, as well as;converting stored sugar into glucose. It also stores some vitamins and iron for the bodys use.

The blood that comes into the liver from the spleen and gastrointestinal tract;is greeted by;Kupffer cells, a kind of macrophage . Theyre not picky and will, in plain English, eat the flotsam and jetsam;right out of your blood by digesting these undesirable particles. They do the first pass of toxin flushing, after which anything not caught here gets further broken down by enzymes produced by;Hepatocytes,;which are sensitive to blood sugar levels. The Guardian

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Bhujangasana Or Cobra Pose

With this stretch, you open up the chest and extend the abdominal muscles that sit over the kidneys. This is how its done: you lie face down on a mat and place your legs together then move your right palm next to your right shoulder and your left palm next to your left shoulder. Keeping your weight on your upper body at all times, slowly lift your chest towards the ceiling. Use your lower back to lift your body. Relax your head and neck back as you move into the stretch.

Conventional Treatment Of Liver Disease

Which types of doctors treat liver disease? Depending on the condition being treated, a patient might work with a gastroenterologist, hepatologist , interventional radiologist, surgeon, infectious disease specialist and/or oncologist.

What are liver function blood tests that doctors use to make a diagnosis? If your doctor suspects you have a problem with your liver function, they may choose to do a physical exam and run a number of different tests, including: blood tests to check levels of liver enzymes, a complete blood cell count , hepatitis virus screen, blood clotting tests, tests to check levels of bilirubin, albumin and ammonia, ultrasound and CT scan.

Blood tests can reveal if the liver is inflamed and not properly making proteins, which are needed for blood clotting. A physical exam, ultrasound and CT scan are also performed to assess the anatomy and structure of the liver and surrounding tissues, in order to check for shrinking, swelling, edema, etc.

What is a liver biopsy? Is it painful? A liver biopsy is done to check for liver problems that cant always; be detected from other blood or imaging tests, and to determine the severity of damage. A liver biopsy involves inserting a;thin needle into the liver to retrieve a small bit of tissue that is examined under a microscope. The procedure is usually done with use of a local anesthetic so its not very painful.;Pain after a liver biopsy is usually only mild and goes away within a week or so.

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Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana

• Stand in the mountain pose with your arms at your sides. Inhale as you reach your arms overhead. Bend your hips and come into a standing forward bend.
• Bring both your hands to the floor and straighten your legs. Avoid locking your knees.
• Slowly shift your weight onto your right foot, and equally across both hands. Slowly raise your left leg as high as you can behind you.
• Walk your hands in the direction of your standing heel, to deepen your stretch. Draw your torso close to your right leg. Tuck your shoulders and breathe deeply. Tuck your chin.
• Rotate your left thigh internally and move your hips towards the floor.
• Position your knee and the foot of your standing leg facing directly forward.
• Hold this pose for five breaths.
• Slowly lower your left leg to the ground and come back into Standing Forward Fold.
• Repeat the pose on the other side.

Uttanasana Or Standing Forward Bend

This yoga pose requires you to stand with your legs together and your body weight centered on the balls of your feet. You have to inhale and stretch both arms straight above your head. Keeping your legs straight, you exhale and bend forward at the waist. Reach down and grab the back of your legs. As you become comfortable with this pose, you can try different holds to get different stretches, including clasping your fingers around a big toe or sliding your palms and fingers under your feet. Remember to keep your head and neck relaxed. Hold the pose for several breaths. When you release the pose, bring your hands to your hips, lift your torso so that it is parallel to the floor, and stand straight on an inhale.

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Do You Need A Liver Detox

Ancient Ayurvedic physicians recognized the vital role of the liver, recommending various formulations and practices to help liver function. Cleansing and purification rituals or remedies to lower ama levels are in fact a major component of Ayurveda, but balanced eating with a focus on natural foods is what is emphasized above all else. Restrictive liver detox diets and juice cleanses are fads that are simply not consistent with Ayurveda. An Ayurvedic liver cleanse therefore involves;healthy dietary and lifestyle;modifications in combination with the use of herbs and formulas that support the natural cleansing process of the liver.

When it comes to liver detox pills, supplements, and diets, the scientific consensus closely echoes the recommendations of Ayurveda, with most experts opposing the use of restrictive diets and untested supplements. The liver is actually part of the bodys self cleansing mechanism and only requires the right balance of nutrition and physical activity to function efficiently. Some foods, herbs, and spices may aid this natural process, but no product can cleanse the liver if it is constantly subjected to abuse.

These Yoga Asanas Will Help You Keep Your Liver Healthy And Strong

The liver is an important organ that keeps waste, toxins, and carcinogens away from the body. Yoga is a great way to detox and stimulate your liver through specific postures. Asanas like childs pose and locust pose massage this vital organ bringing health and vitality to your system.

Yoga can be very helpful for those suffering from fatty liver disease. With yoga postures, you can stimulate, stretch, and strengthen the liver. They get rid of the fat deposits in the liver using them up as energy for the body.

In the meantime, breathing exercises known as pranayama can boost the health of your liver. If you suffer from conditions such as liver cirrhosis, jaundice, hepatitis and other diseases, practice kapalbhati pranayama, and anulom vilom regularly. Not only do they enhance liver health but also treat a variety of liver problems effectively.

Follow these following yogic techniques of asanas, pranayama and a special meditation routine to improve the functionality of the liver and the spleen:

1. Adomukhi svanasana

• Start on your fours, ensuring palms are under the shoulders and knees below hips.
• Lift the hips up, straighten the knees and elbows, and form an inverted V shape.
• Now keep the hands shoulders width apart. Fingers point ahead.
• Put pressure on your palms and open your shoulder blades.
• Try to push your heels to the floor.
• Keep your eye focused on your big toes.
• Hold for eight to ten breaths.

Also, watch:

3. Balasana

1. Anulom Vilom

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Ways To Promote Bile Production To Optimize Nutrition

Bile is a vital body fluid that plays an important role in the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine as well as flushing the liver of toxins. Bile is continuously produced in the liver by cholesterol oxidation and conjugated to glycine and taurine, and subsequently stored in the gallbladder. Bile also works as a signalling molecule both inside and outside of the liver.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine , the root cause of the majority of imbalances in the body is liver dysfunction. In TCM, the liver is known as the “master organ” as it is the causative factor in many of the bodys ailments. The liver helps with detoxification, enzyme production, bile production, hormone production, immune cell activation and the storage of vitamins and iron.

Foods That Will Boost Your Liver Function

A healthy liver plays a key role in relieving digestive issues, such as a sluggish metabolism, gas, bloating, and constipation. It regulates blood sugar levels, which, when out of balance, can cause sugar cravings, fatigue, and fuzzy thinking.

A toxic liver can lead to inflammatory diseases, such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, and autoimmune diseases. Without a healthy liver, you may suffer from hormonal imbalances that can cause headaches, mood swings, and depression. It’s time to nurture this amazing organ with foods that help it function optimally.

The article “The Best Foods For Your Liver” originally ran on RodaleWellness.com.

Editor’s note: The claims made in this slideshow are as published by our content partner and not endorsed by Microsoft News or Microsoft.

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Pranayama Techniques For Fatty Liver

Pranayama techniques are breathing exercises of yoga. In case of liver diseases or kidney conditions, some pranayamas could be equally beneficial as yoga poses. Two such pranayama techniques are Kapalbhati pranayama and Bhastrika pranayama.

In kapalbhati & bhastrika pranayama, the abdomen wall rapidly moves in and out while breathing through nostrils, which stimulates liver function. It helps get rid of fatty liver. After finishing 2 rounds of kapalbhati & bhastrika, practice anulom vilom pranayama to bring your body & mind in a calming state.

Tips To Boost Your Liver Health

Follow healthy diet.;You can improve your liver function naturally by eating an anti-inflammatory diet. A low toxin, a low sugar diet thats filled with high-fiber foods is essential for supporting your liver health. If you include high amounts of antioxidants and fiber, it can even reverse your liver damage and disease.

Some of the best anti-inflammatory foods are:

• Sour foods

They contain essential minerals that balance fluids and reduce heavy metals within your blood.

• Leafy greens
• Cruciferous veggies and grasses

Chlorella, wheat grass or barley contain a form of chlorophyll thats built into plant cells and helps escort damaging substances like dioxin out of the liver.

• Fresh herbs

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