Is Your Liver Affecting Your Hormones?

Having balanced hormones is important in order to feel your best. Your hormones can affect your mood, energy level, weight, motivation and libido. When things go wrong with hormones, not enough people consider their liver. Your liver metabolizes and breaks down hormones. If your liver is sluggish, you are not only more likely to struggle with your weight, you are more likely to be moody and out of balance with life in general. This is because the liver will be unable to break down toxins and hormones efficiently.

The liver does not make many hormones itself, as these are mainly made in the many different glands in the body. However, the liver plays a significant role in hormonal imbalances because the liver breaks down or metabolizes the hormones once they have done their work in the body.

Some of the hormones your liver breaks down include –

• Aldosterone which controls the balance of the minerals sodium and potassium and water in the body
• The sex hormones which control your sex life, mood and body shape
• Cortisone which controls the immune system

If the liver is not efficient at breaking down these hormones, they can accumulate in the body and cause hormonal imbalances. If aldosterone is not broken down efficiently this can result in fluid retention and many women find this is a problem. Fluid retention can lead to uncomfortable puffiness, an aggravation of cellulite and weight gain. It can also raise blood pressure.

Hormonal problems specific to women

If the hormone estrogen is not broken down efficiently, excess estrogen can cause breast pain and lumpiness, heavy painful menstrual bleeding and weight gain around the hips, buttocks and thighs. This is very frustrating for women who are pear shaped as they may develop cellulite around the hips and thighs. If the male hormone testosterone is not broken down efficiently, this can lead to an excess of testosterone in the body which can result in weight gain in the upper part of the body on the trunk and abdomen. It can also cause greasy skin, facial hair and scalp hair loss at the front and sides.

Hormonal problems specific to men

If the liver is fatty and a man has type 2 diabetes, this often results in low testosterone, meaning low libido, reduced sexual performance, depression, lack of motivation and fatigue.

The solution to these problems is to improve the function of the liver and this will result in:

• Improved mental and emotional health
• Better libido
• Increased fat burning
• The correction of hormonal imbalances
• Less fluid retention
• Increased energy

 Solutions that work:

• Eat less carbohydrate: Poor diet is the leading cause of fatty liver disease.  The biggest offenders are sugar and foods made of white flour; they need to be avoided completely.  However, a high intake of carbohydrate rich foods in general can promote fatty liver, as the liver converts excess carbohydrate into fat.  Foods that need to be restricted include bread, pasta, rice, breakfast cereals, potatoes and any food made of flour.  See the Fatty Liver book  or Diabetes Type 2 – You can Reverse it Naturally for a low carbohydrate eating plan.
• Focus on protein, natural fats and vegetables: Raw vegetables are the most powerful liver healing foods. These raw foods help to cleanse and repair the liver filter, so that it can trap and remove more fat and toxins from the bloodstream. Eat an abundance of vegetables (cooked and raw salads).  Protein is important because it helps to keep the blood sugar level stable, helps with weight loss from the abdomen and reduces hunger and cravings.  Protein should be consumed with each meal.  Good sources of protein include eggs, poultry, seafood, meat, nuts, seeds, whey protein powder, legumes and dairy products. Most vegetable oil and margarines can worsen a fatty liver.  Healthy fats to include more of in your diet are found in olive oil, oily fish, pastured meat, coconut oil and raw nuts and seeds.
• Take a potent liver tonic: Choose a liver tonic that combines the clinically proven dose of St Mary’s thistle with B group vitamins, antioxidants and sulfur rich amino acids.  A good liver tonic can promote repair of damaged liver cells and facilitate the fat burning and detoxification abilities of the liver. Livatone Plus contains all of those ingredients.
• Enhance glutathione production: Glutathione is your liver’s most powerful detoxifier and it is strongly anti-inflammatory. If you have a fatty liver you need more of it. N-acetyl cysteine is a precursor of glutathione and is known to raise blood levels powerfully. Eating sulfur rich foods also helps with glutathione; examples include eggs, cabbage, broccoli and garlic.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.