The liver, which is about half the size of a football, is the largest organ in the body and is surely one of the most important organs due to its numerous roles in metabolism and detoxification. The liver is responsible to the body for numerous life-sustaining functions. One of the primary functions of the liver is the responsibility of regulating what substances enter the bloodstream to ensure protection for the remainder of the body, which has earned the liver the title of "The Gatekeeper." While the liver allows familiar and other safe molecules to enter the bloodstream, it attempts to destroy alien and unsafe molecules to prevent them from entering the bloodstream. The liver also helps convert substances found in food into chemical compounds that the body can use. The liver also stores sugar in the form of glycogen, which it converts into glucose for release into the bloodstream for energy when the body's blood sugar level falls too low. The liver also helps maintain hormone balance, stores vitamins A and D, produces bile for the breakdown of dietary fats, oversees the transportation of fat, controls the production and excretion of cholesterol, and manufactures new body proteins. In short, within the human body, the liver is a jack of all trades and a master of them all. Unfortunately, the liver takes a real pounding with all of the extra work we put it through. Certain lifestyle risks and medical conditions create stress for the liver. We subject the liver to alcohol, which induces a free radical blitz that leads to destruction throughout the body.
