Everything you eat, drink, breathe and absorb through your skin eventually reaches your liver. It controls a process called metabolism, in which your liver breaks down nutrients into usable byproducts. These byproducts are delivered to the rest of your body by your bloodstream. Your liver also breaks down toxins into byproducts that can be safely eliminated. Your liver serves as a storage depot for sugar (glucose), which it releases when you need energy. Your liver also works as a chemical factory, producing many substances that perform vital tasks in your body. Examples include bile, a fluid that carries away waste and helps digest fat in the small intestine, and cholesterol, a substance needed by every cell in your body. Here are some signs of liver trouble:
- Yellow discoloration of the skin or eyes.
- Abdominal swelling or severe abdominal pain.
- Prolonged itching of the skin.
- Very dark urine or pale stools-, or the passage of bloody or tar-like stools.
- Chronic fatigue, nausea or loss of appetite.
