The liver is considered the most important metabolic organ. It performs an incredible array of tasks critical to our survival, and is the only human organ capable of regenerating itself -- a whole lobe of the liver cut away in an operation can renew itself in a few weeks!

The liver make new chemicals from food nutrients for use throughout the body, and neutralizes body waste byproducts. All your blood (carrying nutrients from your intestines) passes through your liver. Your liver is key to maintaining your energy level, and is a storehouse for all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes in your body, releasing them into your bloodstream as needed. It helps maintain blood glucose levels and regulates hormone levels. It also detoxifies substances such as alcohol and drugs.

The liver also manufactures bile, which is sent to your gall bladder (a sac-like organ attached to the liver). When required, the gall bladder discharges bile into your intestines to help break down fats into more easily used components. Your body cannot metabolize fats well if your liver is not working properly, and this can make weight loss especially difficult.

Your liver's health can be supported with a nutritionally sound diet and/or nutritional supplements.

Many people have sluggish livers. Common causes of this problem are excess toxins of any kind (alcohol, drugs, environmental pollutants), general poor nutrition over a long period, and/or a diet high in refined foods and sugar. For example, eating a typical fast food meal once a day plus a few cups of coffee and a drink or two daily will almost surely take its toll on your liver, in time.

A high score indicates that there may not be enough bile getting into the small intestine. Bile is needed to break down fats into tiny particles so that pancreatic digestive enzymes can work on them. Without enough bile you will be likely to be constipated, have gas and get nauseous or headachy after eating fatty foods. As well, eating onions, cabbage, radishes or cucumbers will likely give you gas.

Correcting nutritional deficiencies and maintaining a healthy diet is the best way to revitalize and protect your liver. Try to eat 5-6 servings (half cup each) of fresh vegetables daily (especially broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, winter squash and leafy greens like kale, collards, beet greens and salad greens) -- steamed, raw, stir-fried and in soups, casseroles, pastas, etc. Eat brown rice often, as well as whole grain pastas, breads, cereals and legumes. These foods are, in a sense, fat-burning foods since they burn almost a quarter of their calories before storing them as fat, unlike fatty and sugary foods which burn only about 2% of their calories.

Diets that are high in refined carbohydrates (sweets, white breads, white baked goods, white pasta) and low in fibre lead to a reduction in the manufacture of bile. Excess sugar is especially bad. A diet high in fresh fruits, vegetables and oatmeal will give you the water soluble fibre you need. However, if you need a fibre supplement, powdered psyllium husks (from your health food store) would be a good choice. It is a gentle, lubricating, cleansing herbal fibre which adds bulk to the stool. Drink plenty of water when taking any fibre supplement.

Cut back on animal protein and dairy products (except yogurt). Eat more fish and vegetable protein (tofu and other soy foods, lentils, beans, nuts and seeds and brown rice). Drink plenty of water and eliminate or cut way back on alcohol.

In addition to following the general recommendations for strengthening the liver, you might like to try a more thorough liver cleanse. Drinking a glass of water with two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (add a tsp. or so of unpasteurized honey if you like), as soon as you get up in the morning is one easy way to help cleanse the liver. Be sure to cut out all saturated fat and margarine at least for a few weeks while your liver is getting back into fighting shape. Also, there are a number of herbal liver detoxifiers available which are very good.

A green food powdered supplement that is dissolved in water or diluted juice would be an excellent supplement for you and would complement the cleanse, above, very well. It would give you a quick green boost (minerals) and, since it is a food-source supplement, it is easily absorbed. Wheat grass, barley grass, sometimes alfalfa, spirulina and chlorella are the main ingredients. They supply an extra boost of vegetable protein, minerals, a wide range of vitamins and chlorophyl (good for your liver). Wakunaga Kyo-Green would be a good one to try (it's not too expensive) but there are others available if you can't find it. Green superfoods are really good fatigue fighters, too -- and can help prevent food cravings when taken between meals.

Foods rich in potassium, chlorophyll (sea vegetables) and sulfur (onion and garlic) are also liver nourishers.

Eat fruit first thing in the morning and wait 20 to 30 minutes before eating the rest of your breakfast. If you eat fruit (raw) during the day, eat it only between meals or on an empty stomach -- never with or right after a meal, as it interferes with digestion.

Try to take in most of your calories earlier in the day, and keep your evening meal light. It's best not to eat after about 8 in the evening.

Since your liver can't function well without oxygen, exercise and spending time in the fresh air are also very important.

You can sometimes relieve the symptoms of indigestion by taking a digestive enzyme supplement (one that contains both bile and pancreatin) with any meal containing fat. For some meals you may need more than one capsule, depending on the amount of fat in the meal. After following the dietary recommendations for a month, try leaving out the digestive enzyme supplement and see if the symptoms get worse. Continue with the enzyme supplements if you need them, however if symptoms persist please talk to your doctor.

The quiz is not designed to identify liver disease or a gallstone problem. Note that it is possible to have gallstones without realizing it. You should check with your physician if you think gallstones may be a possibility. However, the dietary recommendations above are excellent gallstone prevention measures.