The True Function of the Liver
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ost of us have been taught and continue to believe that the primary role of the liver is to metabolize alcohol, drugs, and other harmful substances in our bodies. Much of what we understand about our body processes is theoretical, but does that sound like something prehistoric man needed? That seems a little crazy to me. I think its true function is much simpler and much more essential. I believe the liver’s most important job is to make fat. It makes fat out of amino acids and sugars that come from both plants and animals that we eat. Regardless of source, all foods break down into three macronutrients: amino acids, simple sugars, and fatty acids. When you eat fat, it does not go to the liver. It goes directly to the lymphatics to be distributed by tiny particles called chylomicrons that develop in the gut to carry fat and cholesterol from your intestines to the rest of your body through your blood. Think of chylomicrons as little delivery trucks that transport dietary fats to your muscles and other tissues for energy or storage. Amino acids and sugars go to the hepatic portal system where via insulin they are converted to fat. If you develop cirrhosis, a condition where the liver gets scarred and damaged over time making it difficult for the liver to perform its job, your body can
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no longer convert sugars into fat. This is called insulin resistance or impaired glucose tolerance. What this means is that someone with cirrhosis has difficulty regulating blood sugar due to their liver’s inability to properly process glucose. This can manifest as glucose intolerance or full-blown diabetes, sometimes referred to as hepatogenous diabetes.
HEPATOGENOUS DIABETES Hepatogenous diabetes is a condition where cirrhosis of the liver causes type 2 diabetes. The liver plays a crucial role in glucose metabolism, and liver problems can lead to impaired insulin clearance and pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, resulting in diabetes. Up to a third of patients with cirrhosis may develop hepatogenous diabetes. We talk about glucose monitoring being a solution to diabetes or pre-diabetes, but what if you just didn’t eat the plants and proteins and just focused on eating fat? That will give your liver time to regenerate and gives your body what it needs (fat!) in a form it can use right away. The key takeaway here is that the liver’s primary job is to make fat. If you can’t eat fat or make fat, you’ve got a problem.
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