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During 2008, floods did serious damage in many areas of the United States. People in the devastated areas had to deal with the loss of property and livelihood, and went without utility services for weeks on end. Flooding can be particularly hard on the supply of fresh water, and it may become next to impossible to get water to drink or cook with. There are four things that could be in unpurified water that anyone forced into a situation such as this needs to be aware of: bacteria, viruses, parasites, and poisonous chemicals. During times like these you need to employ emergency water filters in order to clean up the water you use.

You probably already know that drinking water loaded with these pollutants could be hazardous to your health. We’ve all seen pictures of people in third world countries drinking from filthy water sources and heard the sordid stories about the disease epidemics that occur as a result. The people just don’t understand what they’re causing to happen to themselves. Here in the U.S., though, we should all be aware of what we may be doing to our bodies if we ingest contaminated water and know that if water doesn’t look clean, it needs to be filtered before we drink it.

The human body contains a large amount of water, and that water has to be replenished all the time. Thirst is Mother Nature’s way of reminding us we need to have a drink of water. However, if a disaster contaminates the drinking water, there must be some sort of emergency water purification plan on hand to help get everyone through. Purification may consist of boiling the water, filtering it, adding chemicals, or all three.

A lot of people think that adding common household bleach to contaminated water will rid it of contaminants and make it safe to drink and cook with. To some extent, this is partially true, because the chlorine in the bleach destroys the microorganisms that can make us get diseases. Sadly, though, it can also kill the good bacteria that our bodies need in order to function as they should. Due to this, it is recommended that iodine be used to chemically treat water. Iodine is a good portable water purification system to make use of for emergency water purification processes. Adding 3 drops to a quart of clear water or 6 drops to a quart of murky water will destroy the bacteria and other pathogens making the water safe for human ingestion.

Liver is the biggest and the most complex organ in the body with more than 500 functions. The liver is an “incredible chemical factory,” producing many vital chemical compounds needed to survive, such as bile, albumin, blood clotting factors, cholesterol, Vitamin E. It converts amino acids (proteins) and lipids into glucose, a complex procedure catalyzed by a series of enzymes. It plays a chief role in maintaining normal blood sugar levels, an important source of energy for the brain, heart and muscles. This gland performs numerous other functions such as regulating lipids or metabolizing prescribed and over the counter drugs, alcohol, and many other ingested chemicals such as caffeine, etc. Liver helps to digest the food we eat and assists in ridding our body of many toxins. It eliminates various harmful chemicals from the body. It treats about 1,300ml of blood per minute, thereby acting as the body’s garbage removal.

Himalaya Liver Care is a exclusive, all-natural, complex multi-ingredient formula. It is safe and efficient in protecting the liver against harmful toxins from drugs, alcohol, food and water. It helps regulate levels of enzymes and optimizes assimilation. Liver Care has also been found to be connected with an increase in serum albumin, which is another indication of the liver protection it provides. Current work shows that Liver Care has cholesterol-regulating action. Clinically, it helps keep healthy levels of serum cholesterol, lipoproteins, phospholipids and triglycerides.

There are some specialties having Himalaya Liver Care. Himlaya Liver Care is the world’s top selling liver formula. Liver Care improves the functional efficiency of the liver. It controls levels of liver enzymes and optimizes assimilation. This formula detoxifies and protects against damaging toxins from food, water, air, prescription medications, etc. Liver Care ensures optimum liver function. Liver Care is clinically proven to be extremely beneficial to the liver in serious liver diseases.

Himalaya Liver Care has been accepted as an herbal drug for liver in Switzerland by its FDA equivalent. It is believed to be the first multi-herb remedy granted regulatory approval as a drug, which is an outstanding feat for an herbal product. American Botanical Council, Herbal Gram, publishes research review on Liver Care’s valuable effect in Liver Cirrhosis. Himalaya’s Liver Care has been scientifically validated by many clinical studies. Its formula has been subjected to the modern scrutiny of clinical testing to prove its benefits in gently addressing your health concerns, and its quality is controlled by the most sophisticated chromatographic “fingerprinting” techniques.

Himalaya LiverCare simply ensures optimum liver function. Through the protection of the hepatic parenchyma, by way of its potent antioxidant properties, the product acts as a powerful detoxification agent. It neutralizes all kinds of toxins or poisons from food, water, air, etc. Counteracting these poisons and thereby protecting one of the body’s most important organs, Livercare has enormous health benefits for everyone.

LiverCare supports generally functioning liver cells; it has the antioxidant properties that support liver cell integrity and is a formula which assists in preserving existing liver strength when dealing with occasional overwhelming challenges. You must keep in mind that the liver is the main internal organ and it is important the liver is functioning on a normal level when performing more then 500 different functions.

LiverCare has also been found to be associated with an increase in serum albumin, which is another indication of the liver protection it provides. Recent work shows that LiverCare has cholesterol-regulating function. Clinically, it helps maintain healthy levels of serum cholesterol, lipoproteins, phospholipids and triglycerides. First introduced in 1955 by The Himalaya Drug Company, Liv.52 (LiverCare) is a blend of lot of botanicals proven to protect the liver against harmful toxins found in food, water and air. It also protects the liver besides possible damage caused by hepatotoxic medications.

LiverCare Liv52 tablets can help in the prevention and treatment of viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, pre-cirrhotic conditions and early cirrhosis, protein energy malnutrition, loss of appetite, radiation and chemotherapy-induced liver damage, as an adjuvant with hepatotoxic drugs, a valuable adjuvant during convalescence and prolonged illness.

The other main benefits of Liver Formula are follows. It enhances the functional efficiency of the liver, helps in detoxification and protection from harmful food and medication toxins and very beneficial in cirrhotic and pre-cirrhotic cases. It maintains levels of liver enzymes. The key ingredients such as Capers or Himsra (Capparis spinosa), Wild chicory (Cichorium intybus), Ferric Oxide Calx (Mandur Bhasma), Black Nightshade / Kakamachi (Solanum nigrum), Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna), Negro coffee / Kasamarda (Cassia occidentalis), Yarrow / Biranjasipha (Achillea millefolium), Tamarisk / Jhavuka (Tamarix gallica), processed in Bhringaraja,Bhumyaamlaki, Punarnava, Guduchi, Daruhardra, Mulaka, Amalaki, Chitraka,Vidanga,Haritaki & Parpata etc. are very much appropriate for the liver associated function.

Himalaya LiverCare also helps people taking necessary allopathic medications who want to protect themselves against the damaging hepatotoxic side effects of those medications. There is no side effects were reported by using Himalaya LiverCare.

Alcoholic beverages have become almost as “American” as baseball and apple pie. Whether it’s Budweiser, Guinness or Sam Adams, drinking alcohol has become a social pastime for millions of Americans. However, on the downside, it has also become the #1 cause of automobile accidents, as people continually fail to follow the legal limits. Chasing that perfect buzz can be tricky, given all of the factors that influence how the body absorbs alcohol content, and there seems to be this fascination with drunken antics that pushes attention-seekers to the brinks of alcohol poisoning.

The alcoholic liver hardly resembles a healthy liver. Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages often causes liver cirrhosis, fatty liver (steatosis) and chronic hepatitis — all of which are part of alcoholic liver disease. The accumulation of fat within hepatocytes can lead to inflammation and scarring. Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by over-consumption and causes the degeneration of hepatocytes, inflammation with neutrophils and even aggregations of abnormal proteins. These inner failures can manifest themselves as severe liver dysfunction — in addition to jaundice, neurological dysfunction like hepatic encephalopathy, fluid accumulation in the abdomen (ascites), bleeding of the esophagus, blood clotting and comas. Cirrhosis can lead to liver disease death, blood coagulation, jaundice, ascites, edema, bleeding esophagus and a whole host of abnormalities. Alcohol–damaged liver cells allow excess amounts of harmful byproducts to enter the brain, which is why hepatic encephalopathy is linked to binge drinking. Alcohol abusers who typically consume alcohol without eating suffer an increased risk of liver damage.

A new study revealed that roughly 50% of pregnant women in France are uneducated about the dangers of consuming alcoholic beverages while carrying an unborn baby. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most preventable prenatal disorder. Characteristics include facial abnormalities and decreased brain cell count, as well as learning and behavioral problems that can last life-long. While some people speculate that a glass of wine here and there won’t do any damage, most doctors recommend to avoid any alcoholic drink altogether when pregnant, to avoid the chance.

Drinking alcohol can cause other problems that may not be as life threatening as some already discussed but never the less can be quite discomforting. Alcohol is a known cause for snoring of an evening. Another problem aggravated by alcohol is acid reflux. If you are a sufferer and have to use an acid reflux remedy it’s wise to keep off alcohol while on the treatment as advised by health blog online.

By Willie Jones

The liver is a reddish brown organ weighing in at about 3 to 5 lbs., resides under the diaphragm on the right hand side of the body, and has many functions. It has two large arteries, the heptic artery, which has the job of carrying oxygen rich blood from the heart into the liver, and the portal vein that carry’s out the blood with digested foods.

The liver is one of the hardest working organs in the body, and excellent liver health means well being, an overstressed liver however, means ill health and potential poor quality of life.

Its functions are:

- Filters harmful toxins, chemicals, preservatives, alcohol etc. The liver is the main line of defense against poisons entering and damaging our system.
- Turns glucose into glycogen which is fuel for your body. Some glycogen is used immediately and the rest may be stored in fat to be used at a later date. It processes protein and fats from digested foods and makes it available for transportation through the blood, which also includes proteins used to make beneficial clotting (such as for cuts and scrapes).
- The liver also produces bile which further enhances the digestive process and waste products are carried away.
- The liver also is a place of storage for vitamins such as B, A, D and K for use as needed.
- It is the major producer of cholesterol and triglycerides which are necessary for all then tissues of the body. Most cholesterol we get is from consuming animal fats but when we do not receive dietary cholesterol; our liver makes it and then distributes it to the bloodstream for transportation throughout the body.
- The liver also produces immune factors for the body that assist in removing bacteria from the blood, enhancing our resistance to infections.

Symptoms of a sluggish liver:

- chronic fatigue
- jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
- frequent headaches
- sleep disorders, nightmares
- dizziness
- hot flashes
- hormonal imbalances
- bloating of the stomach
- smelly diarrhea
- chronic constipation
- gallstones
- skin problems
- weak eye sight

There are many reasons a liver can become over burdened. We live in a world today where toxins are everywhere. There are literally hundreds of FDA approved chemicals, pesticides, fungicides, preservatives, MSG and now genetically modified foods. Processed food is so prevalent in north America’s daily diet that there is absolutely no wonder why we have such an obesity problem.

We are also bombarded with petro chemicals every single time a car, truck or bus etc., passes by us. Living in any city makes it impossible to get away from inhalation of these toxins.

Then there is industrial smoke that plumes out on a daily basis. Anyone living near one of these huge stacks will tell you that when the wind blows in their direction, the smell is definitely present.

Our water sources are also cause for some of the toxins our bodies absorb with chlorine and in some places, fluoride. In some states, they have to deal with toxins reaching underground water (the aquifer) from chemicals used on golf courses etc. It may look pretty but the environmental effects are very evident.

The point is, we live in a toxic environment and unless you are eating organic and live in the wilderness far away from mainstream life, you can benefit from periodic detoxing, especially the hardworking liver.

Some things you can do to unburden the liver are:

- Reduce stress in your environment
- Start your day with lemon juice in warm water, then eat fruit and drink non sugary juices.
- Make sure you eat salads and veggies at lunch.
- Drink a lot of water throughout the day. You can also get some of your water intake through herbal teas. They have beneficial anti-oxidants and depending on what kind you get, some have calming properties, detox properties etc.
- Get enough fiber in your diet. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of fiber.
- Get at least 15 minutes of sunshine per day.
- Get yourself more exposure to negative ions. These are present in nature, in forests, at the beach, and in the country. In short, get out of the city whenever you can. If you cannot get out of the city, consider getting an ion generator of some kind. Negative ion therapy is great for helping one detox and rebalance the body, plus negative ions gives you that feeling of well being.

Help your body detox by addressing the liver and just see if you don’t feel better!

This article was written for information purposes only and does not suggest a cure for any disease.

Willie is a freelance writer and researcher whose own health problems prompted her to search for as much information on health as possible and share that knowledge with others. She’s co-owner of http://www.cleanbodydetox.com a site that focuses on health and detox through ionic foot baths.