• Liver is the largest gland of our body. It weighs about 1.2- 1.5 kg in adults. It is located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen under the rib cage.
• It consists of a specialized tissue made up of hepatocytes. Hepatocytes play a very important in various biochemical reactions of the body.
• Liver helps in removing toxins from the body, thus it detoxifies body.
• It leads to synthesis of certain body proteins and hormones.
• It contains a small pouch like structure called gall bladder beneath its surface. Gall bladder helps in formation of bile juice. Bile juice helps in breakdown of fat molecules, thus helps in their digestion.
• There are various types of liver diseases. They can be acquired or inherited.
• Infection, alcohol usage and obesity can be the reasons for its dysfunction.

CAUSES OF LIVER DISEASES

Following are the causes of liver diseases:

• Excessive alcohol intake
• Fatty accumulation in liver
• Infection – Viruses and parasites cause infection of the liver. They can cause inflammation in the liver cells. They can spread from liver to other body parts via blood. Most common liver infections are:
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Genetics – Gene inheritance from parents can also cause liver diseases. Following are the genetic diseases of liver:
• Wilson’s disease
• Hemochromatosis
• Cancerous growths – The abnormal growth of cells leads to cancer. Various types of cancer related to liver are:
• Bile duct cancer
• Liver cancer
• Liver adenoma
• Certain medications

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF LIVER DISEASE

Following are the signs and symptoms of liver dysfunction:

• Abdominal pain
• Abdominal swelling
• Pallor
• Yellowish nails
• Itching
• Dark urine
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Nausea

FOODS THAT CAUSE DAMAGE THE LIVER

One should avoid the following types of food to avoid liver damage:   

• Fried food
• Excessive sugar intake
• Alcohol intake
• Finely processed wheat like maida
• Salty and spicy food
• Red meat
• Aerated drinks
• Baked food

FOODS THAT ARE BENEFICIAL FOR LIVER

The food and drinks which help in repairing liver are:

• Garlic
• Oats
• Coffee
• Green tea
• Blueberries
• Olive oils
• Bananas
• Watermelon
• Papaya

WAYS TO PREVENT LIVER DISEASE

By incorporating certain steps, one can avoid damage to its liver. These steps are:

• Doing regular exercise
• No intake of drugs or alcohol
• Eating a balanced diet
• Maintaining a proper weight
• Taking medications only when required

DIAGNOSIS OF LIVER DISEASE

• The doctor will take a thorough medical history of the patient.
• He will do his physical examination.
• He may also recommend some of the following screening tests:
• Blood tests
• Ultrasound
• CT scan
• MRI
• Liver biopsy

TREATMENT

The treatment of liver disease involves changing dietary patterns and doing lifestyle changes:

• Eating high fiber diet
• Exercising daily for 25-30min
• Say no to drugs and alcohol
• Not eating fatty foods
• Certain medications
• Vitamin A supplements

AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT OF LIVER DAMAGE

• In Ayurveda, our body is a unique balance of three doshas – vata, pitta and kapha. When any one of the doshas gets more or less than its normal value, it leads to manifestation of the disease.
• Liver is called Yakrit in Ayurveda. It is the site of pitta dosha. Most of the liver disorders are caused due to aggravation of pitta dosha. It occurs due to excessive production of bile. It then causes blockage.
• Due to this, agni is affected. It thus leads to metabolism imbalance.
• Ayurveda involves lifestyle and dietary changes for liver management. It further involves Shodhana chikitsa, Shamana chikitsa and kayakalp.

CHANDIGARH AYURVEDA CENTRE’S MEDICATIONS

Here are some of the medications of Chandigarh Ayurveda Centre for the treatment of liver disease:

1. DETOX PREMIUM POWDER

• This herbal powder helps in overall detoxification of the liver.
• This herbal powder contains ingredients such as giloy satv, shukta pishti, parval pishti, kamdudha ras, gandhak rasayan, etc.
• It reduces pain, swelling, abdominal pain, & abdominal swelling.
• Recommended Dosage: 1 sachet twice daily with normal water.

 2 . Liver Care Tablet

• Liver Care tablet helps in balancing Pitta dosha.
• These tablets stimulate the growth of new liver cells, promote functions of liver, and improve blood flow from the liver.
• It helps in the treatment of fatty liver, liver cirrhosis, Hepatitis, hepatomegaly, and obstructive Jaundice.
• Liver Care Tablets contains Ingredients like Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata), Kutaki(Picrorhiza kurroa), Bhumi amla( phyllanthus niruri), Giloy(Tinopora Cordifolia), Yavakshar( Hordeum vulgare), Imli Kshar( Tamarindus indica), Mukta Shukta pisti etc.
• It helps in removing fats from the liver cells & keeps your liver healthy.
• Recommended Dosage: Take 1 tablet twice daily with normal water.

       3. Panchsakar Churna

• As the name suggests five ingredients are used for the preparation of this herbal churna. The ingredients such as shunthi, shatapushpa, balaharitaki, saindhavan lavana, & swarnapatri are used for removing toxins from the body.
• The abdominal pain, swelling, loss of appetite, fatigue, etc related to fatty liver are treated.
• Recommended Dosage: 1 teaspoonful at bedtime with lukewarm water

4. Liver Care Syrup

• Liver Care Syrup is a herbo-mineral Syrup which is purely ayurvedic formulation.
• CAC Liver Care syrup helps in balancing Pitta dosha.
• This Syrup enhances regeneration of liver cells, promote functions of liver, and improve blood flow from the liver.
• It helps in the treatment of fatty liver, Liver cirrhosis, Hepatitis, hepatomegaly, and obstructive Jaundice.
• Recommended dosage: 2 tablespoon morning and evening after meal

     5. Kutki Capsules

• Kutki capsules are a pure herbal extract of Kutki herb whose main function is to balance Vata and pitta doshas.
• It helps in the removal of harmful toxins from the body.
• Kutki capsules of CAC show great results in the case of liver diseases, purify the blood, and treats respiratory disorders.
• It maintains the overall digestive system and useful in various diseases like abdominal distension, ascites, constipation, etc.
• It has anti-inflammatory properties, also reduces the stiffness of joints.
• Recommended Dosage: 1 capsule twice daily with plain water.