The Spiritual Root of Liver Disease

What is the spiritual meaning of liver disease?

Introduction

Weighing about 1.8 kg in males and 1.3 kg in females, the liver is the largest internal organ in the human body.

It is situated on top of the intestines and below the diaphragm, right to the stomach and kidney, in the upper-right portion of the abdominal cavity.

The liver helps the human body to absorb nutrients, digest food, and eliminate toxic substances.

It has an important role in filtering the blood coming from the digestive tract, producing proteins, and storing energy.

When the liver disease develops, this organ’s capacity to perform its detoxification, metabolic, and storage functions are considerably impaired. When these important processes are not working properly, the entire human body is affected.

Different types of liver disorders include cirrhosis, hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, hemochromatosis, Wilson disease, liver tumors, and liver abscesses, just to name a few.

Causes

Alcohol

Alcohol is broken down by the liver. Nevertheless, if the amount of alcohol intake is too high, the liver will be overworked, and liver cells can become damaged.

Overall, alcohol-related liver disease accounts for more than one-third of liver disease deaths.

Genetics

An abnormal gene inherited from one of your parents can cause a few substances to build up in your liver, which ultimately leads to liver damage.

Prescription medicines

The side effects of certain drugs, such as – steroids, aspirin, tetracycline, and tamoxifen, may result in liver damage.

Obesity

A build-up of fat within liver cells generally occurs in overweight or obese people.

Autoimmune disorders

It may happen when your body’s immune system turns against liver cells.

A high-protein diet

When you consume too much protein (like – meat, dairy products, eggs, or supplements), your liver breaks it down so it can be excreted.

During the process of breaking down the amino acids, ammonia forms.

High amounts of ammonia in the body affect the liver as well as the brain, which results in brain damage, confusion, and death.

Viral hepatitis

It can be caused by viruses that attack the liver.

The most common form of viral hepatitis is hepatitis A, B, and C.

Symptoms

Note – a liver disease very rarely exhibits visible signs and symptoms until the condition has progressed to a severe stage. Some patients may experience the following symptoms:

• loss of appetite;
• significant weight loss;
• enlarged spleen;
• abdominal discomfort;
• shrunken testes and enlarged breasts, in men;
• a decreased number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets;
• nausea;
• overheating of the body, particularly the torso and face;
• the ends of fingers become wider or thicker;
• a tendency to bruise easily;
• mood changes, like -irritability and anger;
• fatigue;
• swelling in your abdomen because of a build-up of fluid known as ascites. Moreover, a swollen abdomen can point to ascites, a condition where liver malfunction may cause an imbalance of proteins, as well as fluid builds up in the tissues.
• jaundice – it is indicated by the whites of the eyes. These symptoms are caused by the damaged liver failing to adequately process bilirubin, a yellow compound that occurs when old red blood cells are broken down.

Spiritual Meaning of Liver Disease

The liver is an expression of life and is associated with religion, the recognition of the source of life (according to Dethlefsen). If you have liver problems, you should take a look at the area of your life and try to become aware of your actions and see whether they are good for you or if they are poisonous.

Do you tend to judge or be ignorant of many things, and you are complaining about them?

Are your ideals too high?

What do you say about your relationship with the Self?

Truth is simplicity, so get rid of everything that’s too much for you, and find freedom, understanding, love, and trust in yourself.

Prevention

Don’t Consume Alcoholic Beverages

In addition to not drinking alcoholic beverages, never combine prescription medicines and alcohol since this combination can lead to liver failure.

Meditation

The liver plays a critical role in detoxifying the body by filtering out harmful substances and converting them into less toxic compounds. Accumulation of toxins can lead to liver damage and, eventually, liver disease. Meditation can support liver detoxification by enhancing the body’s natural ability to cleanse itself.

Exercise

Exercise helps improve blood flow throughout the body, which helps keep your organs functioning properly, including your liver.

A Low Sodium Diet

A low sodium intake may be crucial in advanced liver failure since, when affected, the liver has problems excreting the excess fluid in the human body on a regular basis.

ALSO READ: Gastric Burns – Spiritual Meaning

Nutrition

In general, the diet for liver disease includes high-fiber plants, such as – whole grains, legumes, and fresh vegetables and fruits with no trans-fats (usually found in processed foods) and vegetable oils.

Also, a damaged liver is having serious problems when breaking down the amino acids produced in the body from consuming animal-based foods. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Moreover, a few recent studies concluded that vitamin E helps with fatty liver disease.

Foods rich in vitamin E include – nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, pecans, pistachios, pine nuts), seeds (sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds), fruits (apples, mangoes, avocados, olives, cranberries, mamey sapote, blackberries), legumes (chickpeas, peas), peanuts, vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, sweet potatoes, potatoes, parsley, carrots, taro, spinach, turnip greens, yams, collards, Swiss chard, mustard greens, asparagus, watercress), grains (oat bran, wheat bran, quinoa, millet, amaranth), and turmeric.

Image source – Shutterstock

ALSO READ: Spiritual Meaning of Appendicitis

References

https://www.bmj.com/content/362/bmj.k2817
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0187033