Digestive Health

Jaundice is a condition where too much bilirubin is circulating in the blood. Bilirubin is produced from the breakdown of hemoglobin from the red blood cells. Too much bilirubin causes the...

Portal Hypertension (PHT) is a complaint often found in both pediatric and adult patients who suffer from various chronic liver diseases. The liver is an abdominal organ that secretes bile for...

The gallbladder is an organ that is just underneath the liver. It concentrates the bile that is made by the liver to digest fats. When you consume foods that are high in bad fats, the liver...

The liver is the second-largest organ of the human body. It performs many functions essential for life. When cells of the liver are damaged, they release enzymes into the blood circulation....

The gallbladder is a nonessential digestive organ that serves as a storage pouch for excess bile. When bile hardens and crystallizes, gallstones may form. These stones may cause painful...

In today's world, even the most health-conscious person is exposed to environmental pollution. Toxins are everywhere, and many of us unknowingly put toxins in our body when we eat, drink and...

The role of the liver in the human body is often underappreciated. It stores vitamins, minerals and glucose for later use. The liver creates bile to break food down and it processes complex...

Your liver is critical to your well being. Your liver has many functions, including processing all of the foods you eat, storing iron, vitamins and minerals, making bile to help digest food,...

A host of liver diseases exists. These include hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and cirrhosis. Liver diseases cannot be undone entirely. However, treatment can greatly reduce the symptoms and...

Maintaining the health of your liver is important. Your liver has several critical jobs, including transforming food into energy, cleaning alcohol and other poisons from your blood and making bile...

A liver transplant is a procedure to remove a diseased liver and replace it with a donor's healthy liver. Roughly 6,000 of these transplants are performed in the United States each year, according...

The human liver is the largest gland of the body and the only internal organ that regenerates itself if damaged. The liver filters your blood and works with your gallbladder, pancreas and...

According to Pureinsideout.com, the liver, kidney, colon and skin are the main organs responsible for cleansing the body. If the liver or the kidney is diseased or sluggish, it cannot function...

An enlarged liver---also known as hepatomegaly---is a sign of liver failure. While hepatomegaly itself is not a disease, an enlarged liver is a symptom of a disease that is affecting the liver...

The liver is one of the organs of the digestive system. Its main function is to filter out debris and toxins from the substances entering the body like food. Poor liver functioning impairs health...

Gallbladder sludge is comprised of a mixture of bile, small, sand-like crystals and mucus that occasionally forms within the gallbladder. Sludge may not trigger any symptoms. In these cases, the...

The Epsom salt and olive oil liver detox is an age-old home remedy for removing stones, toxins and pollutants from your liver and gallbladder over a five-day span. The first three days prepare...

Identified as a small, pear-shaped sac, the gallbladder resides below the liver in the right upper abdomen. It stores bile until the small intestine needs it for the digestion of fats. Bile forms...

Clay or pale white stools in children result from the lack of bile in the digestive tract. The liver produces bile to help break down fat in digested food, and bile colors stool brown....

The stigma of chronic liver disease is commonly seen aimed not only at the person with the disease but also at their families. People who have contracted liver diseases are often labeled in their...

Aciphex is a medication used in the treatment of gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD), duodenal ulcers, esophagitis and other similar intestinal problems. The medication works by suppressing the...

The bile ducts are responsible for emptying the liver of bile, a substance used in the process of digestion. Problems that occur in these ducts can originate in the gallbladder, pancreas or...

Gallstones are small, hardened pieces of bile that form a pebble-like substance in the gallbladder. In some cases, they may block the ducts leading out to other organs, including the liver,...

The human liver is an amazing organ. It has a long list of responsibilities, including filtering toxins, storing vitamins and minerals, producing cholesterol and breaking down fat. The liver can...

Cleansing the colon has become a popular natural remedy for a wide range of conditions, from constipation to skin blemishes. The Tiao He Cleanse is one particular colon cleanse that offers a...

If you have ever researched holistic and preventive medicine you have probably read that you should periodically detoxify your liver. Since the liver performs so many important functions to keep...

Chronic liver disease, marked by the gradual destruction of liver tissue, is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health. The main diseases...

Alkaline phosphatase, or ALP, are enzymes that are primarily made in the liver and in bones, though some are also made in the kidneys and intestines. Additionally, a pregnant woman's placenta will...

Fatty liver, excess fat within liver cells, is caused by a wide range of factors including alcohol consumption, obesity, diabetes, medications, or diseases that affect the metabolism of fat. If...

Fatty liver is caused by the build up of excess fat within your liver cells. If more than 10 percent of your liver's weight is comprised of fat, you meet the criteria for a fatty liver diagnosis....

The gallbladder has an important job to do: it creates bile. If you eat a lot of red meat, fried foods or processed foods, you might have a few gallbladder stones. According to Carrie L'Esperance...

Liver encephalopathy, also referred to as hepatic encephalopathy, is a potentially reversible neuropsychiatric dysfunction that stems from disorders affecting the liver such as cirrhosis or...

The largest organ in the human body, the liver weighs approximately three pounds and conducts about 200 different functions. From filtering blood of toxins and waste products, to assisting with...

The liver is the chemical center of the human body. It helps regulate blood glucose, digest fats, and convert waste and toxins into harmless substances. When the liver is damaged, the enzymes and...

Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by high levels of a pigment called bilirubin in the bloodstream. Bilirubin is a byproduct of broken-down old red blood cells.

Lipids are not water soluble, which means that they can't enter the blood stream in their natural state. Among other roles, lipoproteins have the job of carrying lipids through the blood. Their...

Second in organ size only to the skin, the liver performs many functions that are essential to life. It clears the blood of harmful substances, releases glucose so the body can have energy and...

Liver stones show up in the liver when there is excessive cholesterol in the body. This is not to be mistaken for gallstones, which are created in the bile. But liver stones will eventually make...

You've got Hepatitis C! Terrible thoughts race through your head as you try to catch your breath. Where did I get it from? Will I give it my family? Am I going to die? Despite hepatitis C being a...

Liver disease can generate a wide variety of symptoms. Many of these symptoms mimic those of a flu. Liver disease is diagnosed by using a blood test, a urine sample and an imaging test such as a...

Jaundice is a disease of the liver resulting in a yellowish discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Jaundice can be caused by different factors, but one of the main causes of...

While a cholecystectomy (gallbladder surgery) may help solve problems an individual has with recurring gallstones or other complications that arise due to the gallbladder, the removal of the...

The negative effects of smoking do not stop with your respiratory and cardiovascular system. Tobacco can have dangerous effects on the liver. The liver is your body's primary detoxification tool,...

Liver fat, fatty liver or fatty liver disease (FLD) is the buildup of excessive amount of fat (mostly triglycerides) inside your liver cells. Triglycerides are vital fats that circulate in your...

Cirrhosis is a condition of the liver caused by chronic liver disease. Damaged liver cells are replaced by scar tissue, weakening the function of the liver and causing serious medical...

Crestor is the brand name for rosuvastatin calcium, a statin drug, designed to lower cholesterol levels in the body. It's often prescribed to fight atherosclerosis, more commonly known as...

The liver is the most important organ in the body when it comes to removing the toxins from your body. It also produces red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the rest of your body. The liver's...

Fatty liver, also called fatty liver disease (FLD), is the accumulation of excessive amounts of fat (predominantly triglycerides) inside the liver cells. This is commonly caused by alcoholism,...

Your liver is an important organ that helps fight infection, makes protein, cleans your blood, stores energy and helps digest food. Cirrhosis of the liver is a scarring of the liver tissue due to...

Your liver is an important organ in your body located on the lower right side of your abdomen. The liver has many jobs to do in order to keep you healthy, including removing toxins in your blood,...