The liver is our largest organ. Located in the upper right portion abdominal cavity, the liver weighs approximately three to five pounds. The liver's primary function is to filter toxins out of the blood and break them down into harmless substances that can be eliminated from the body. At any given time, the liver contains about 300 milliliters of blood, which amounts to just under one and a half cups. The liver has many other important jobs in addition to its role as the body's blood filter. The liver metabolizes nutrients, stores blood glucose in the form of glycogen, and aids in the digestion of fat by producing bile, to name a few of its duties.

The liver is divided into four sections called "lobes." The right lobe is the largest, followed by the left lobe. The two remaining sections, the "caudate" and "quadrate" lobes, are smaller by comparison. The right and left lobes are partitioned into compartments called "lobules." A lobule is a cluster of liver cells surrounding a central vein. A network of blood vessels called a "sinusoid" nourishes the cells inside a lobule and separates the lobules from each other. The sinusoids are lined with specialized cells called "Kupffer cells." These cells perform the liver's filtration functions. Kupffer cells belong to a category of cells called "phagocytes," which literally means "big eaters." And indeed, Kupffer cells have a voracious appetite for foreign substances in the blood. Acting as garbage collectors for the body, Kupffer cells remove dead cells, bacteria, toxins, metabolic wastes, and any other unwanted material that may be circulating through the sinusoids.

When the liver is diseased, a number of important regulatory, metabolic, and storage functions are compromised. Because of the important and extensive roles of the liver, a diseased liver results in serious illness. Among its major functions, the liver:

• Produces bile salts
• Metabolizes hormones
• Metabolizes drugs
• Synthesizes glucose
• Forms lipoproteins
• Converts carbohydrates and proteins to fat
• Manufactures cholesterol
• Forms ketones from fatty acids
• Converts ammonia to urea
• Synthesizes plasma proteins
• Synthesizes clotting factors
• Stores glycogen
• Stores vitamins and minerals
• Filters and detoxifies blood
• Eliminates bilirubin- a waste byproduct produced when worn-out red blood cells are broken down.

Cirrhosis is one of the most serious of all liver diseases. Cirrhosis is a chronic degenerative condition characterized by progressive scarring and buildup of fibrous tissue in the liver. Liver function declines as the disease progresses. Cirrhosis is a leading cause of death among people aged 45-74 years. There are three types of cirrhosis: post-necrotic, biliary, and portal (alcoholic). Approximately 80 percent of cirrhosis cases are portal.(1) Although the major cause of portal cirrhosis is alcoholism, it can sometimes occur in non-alcohol drinkers. Since the majority of alcoholics do not develop cirrhosis, other factors clearly play a role in the development of the disease.

The liver undergoes several important alterations as cirrhosis worsens. At the beginning, fatty deposits begin to form. Alcohol displaces fat as an energy source. Fat that would normally be used as fuel then begins to accumulate. This fat buildup in the liver causes it to enlarge. This enlargement leads to alcoholic hepatitis, with inflammation and destruction of liver cells. Areas of damaged tissues called "lesions" develop in patches throughout the liver. Eventually, the liver becomes scarred and distorted by bands of fibrous tissue. Liver function is destroyed and blood flow to the liver is obstructed.

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis can result from chronic alcohol abuse, certain medications, trauma, o