Love Your Liver

Summer is coming to an end. Those fiery sunlit days filled with road-trips, picnics, cool dips in the river and endless afternoons are becoming shorter as each sun sets. As the fire of summer slowly yields to the cooling winds of autumn, doshic imbalance and accumulation of toxins/ama can begin to surface more dramatically. If we don’t prepare our bodies for the season to come we put ourselves at the mercy of the elements, which however benevolent can only act upon us in accord with their own nature. For those following an Ayurvedic lifestyle, this junction of seasons is a special time of cleansing and renewal.
One organ deserving of extra attention at this time of year is the liver. As a Pitta organ, the liver has the task of interrogating everything that makes it past the first stages of digestion. It is an organ of sharp metabolic discrimination, ridding the body of the harmful environmental toxins found in every aspect of modern living: preservatives, synthetic chemicals, pesticides, hormones and other pathogens. Alcohol, tobacco, and drugs (both recreational and pharmaceutical) can place a heavy burden on the liver as well. The liver is a powerhouse organ that purifies the blood, stores vitamins, produces bile, stores glycogen, and synthesizes protein.

It is also the main hub of fat metabolism in the body. If you are familiar with the film Supersize Me, you may recall the part of the film when Morgan Spurlock’s doctor refers to his fast-food-abused liver as paté! This film highlights just how important the liver is to our overall health as well as showing the damage we can incur by eating a diet filled with molecularly damaged fats, hormone-laced meats, and sugar-filled everything (a Pitta, Kapha & ama nightmare!)

Since ancient times traditional healing systems such as Ayurveda have understood the importance of a well-functioning liver to good health. Special attention to keeping the liver cleansed and cool is essential for those who are Pitta predominant and those with a Kapha constitution may also want to purify the liver of any excess congestion on a regular basis.

Ayurvedic wisdom suggests that every aspect of our lifestyle either supports or destroys health. In fact, Ayurvedic sages even went so far as to say that the primary cause of disease is pradnyaparada or crimes against our own inner wisdom. This bold statement acknowledges the inherent wisdom within each human being and the opportunity we have to choose a path to health or disease. Keeping the liver healthy, just as in keeping the body healthy, first requires simple inner-wisdom: eating whole foods in harmony with our constitution, drinking hydrating amounts of water, and learning how to process our emotions. Anger and frustration in particular are considered closely related to the imbalanced fiery aspects of the liver. The Yoga tradition offers many tools and techniques for processing and dissipating negative emotions in healthy ways. Regular yoga practice, when approached with healing intent, can recalibrate all the systems of the body; a well rounded and especially a Pitta-pacifying practice can have beneficial effects on all aspects of digestion and metabolism including liver health. A few asanas that directly affect the liver are janu shirshasana or head-to-knee pose, and ardha matsyendrasana- seated spinal twist. A Yoga and Ayurveda Therapist can help you to tailor a unique lifestyle program that integrates these two synergistic disciplines.

Most profoundly and luckily for those who are already imbalanced, there are Ayurvedic herbs that clinical studies have shown to be amazing liver tonics and regenerators. Two of these are offered in pure form by Nature’s Formulary: Phyllanthus and Picrorrhiza (commonly known as Kutki/Katuka). Phyllanthus is regarded by many Ayurvedic physicians as one of the best herbs for the liver and has shown promise in dramatic liver regeneration even among those with Hepatitis B. Picrorrhiza is also an Ayurvedic bitter tonic that reduces Pitta and Kapha, aids in detoxification, counters inflammation, and restores healthy liver function. When used in combination these healing herbs have a synergistic effect that lays a strong foundation for liver health, and thus overall health of the body and mind.

*Published in Ayurvedic Insight Fall 2007