Just like machines, our bodies will accumulate toxins from the air we breathe, as well as chemicals in our foods and water. Although our bodies are capable of removing some of these toxins, there is a limit on the amount that can be removed. Once that harmful stuff starts to accumulate, our organs, especially the liver, will not be able to function efficiently. Consequently, if the liver malfunctions and cannot break down fats, it will result in weight gain. Other possible symptoms of a sluggish liver are high cholesterol, fatigue, difficulty in losing weight, immune system dysfunction and excessive gas and bloating.What is the function of your liver, and how does it affect your weight loss efforts? Well, the liver is the second largest and the hardest working organ in your body. It filters, eliminates and cleans out substances that can harm our bodies. To accomplish this, the liver produces a greenish (sometimes yellowish-brown) liquid called "bile", which it uses to clean the organs and blood. Bile fluids are stored in the gall bladder and re-circulated throughout our bodies many times a day. Primarily, bile helps to break down and digest fats. The liver also dumps toxins into the bile in order to remove them from our bodies. If your liver becomes dysfunctional in any way, the amount of toxins dumped into the bile increases. This clogs the bile and makes it inefficient in breaking down fats. Thus, for you to lose weight, the overall composition of your bile should be low in toxins and fats.The liver also controls the processing and excretion of our bodies' hormones, which can affect our bodily functions like metabolic rate and blood sugar levels. As we all know, metabolic rate or metabolism is linked to weight loss. The thyroid gland, upon receiving signals from the liver, secretes hormones to regulate our metabolism. With optimal metabolism, your body will be able to lose calories fast! The liver also moderates our blood sugar levels between meals. After a exercise or long period without food, our blood sugar concentrations will drop. The liver will then act to increase blood sugar levels. On the other hand, if blood sugar levels are too high after a meal, the liver will convert glucose to glycogen, causing body cells to absorb blood sugar and thus lowering the levels.These are just the tip of the iceberg of what our livers can do. It is evident that if the liver is overworked and inefficient, an assortment of complications can arise, affecting bodily functions like digestion, energy levels, etc., and leading to difficulty in achieving your ideal weight. Therefore, having a healthy liver that functions optimally will definitely help you to lose calories fast and lead a healthier, fulfilling life!
