Normally, bile that is produced in the liver, is temporarily stored in the gallbladder. From here the bile is secreted into the duodenum (small intestine) during digestion. It is mainly secreted when there are fats in the gut, like after a fatty meal. Bile emulsifies fat globules, which means that it breaks it down into >> Read More ...
Gallbladder disease refers to a number of different diseases and disorders involving the gallbladder and bile ducts. The most common of these diseases is gallstones. Most of the time these stones pass out of the gallbladder and bile ducts without even being noticed. Only a small number of gallstone cases present with >> Read More ...
Hepatitis C is one of the more common types of viral hepatitis infections. There are around 30,000 new infections in the United States every year and it leads to about 8,000 to 10,000 deaths annually. Close to 4 million Americans are infected with the hepatitis C virus and about 2.7 million have a chronic infection. >> Read More ...
The gallbladder is a storage organ that lies under the liver and in close proximity to the pancreas. It receives bile produced by the liver and stores it until it is ready to be released. Bile contains the wastes and byproducts from the liver and is expelled into the small intestine. It also helps to emulsify fats in food >> Read More ...
Despite the liver being versatile and able to regenerate to some degree, it is not immune to all substances. Alcohol, drugs and even herbs can damage the liver along with other poisonous compounds that should be avoided. This damage is known as toxic hepatitis or is commonly referred to as liver toxicity. Depending on the >> Read More ...
Liver cancer is not among the most common cancers in the United States but it claims about 30,000 American lives annually. Over 40,000 new cases of liver cancer are diagnosed every year in he United States. It occurs more frequently in men. While most people associate liver cancer with viruses and excessive alcohol >> Read More ...
What is Bilirubin? Bilirubin is a byproduct of red blood cell destruction and are conjugated in the liver and excreted in bile. It is the main pigment which is responsible for the color of bile, feces and urine. If the bilirubin in the blood is too high (hyperbilirubinemia), it leads to jaundice or icterus, which is the >> Read More ...
What is Jaundice? Jaundice is the medical term for yellow discoloration of the skin, sclera (whites of the eye) and deeper tissues like the mucus membrane of the mouth usually as a result of high levels of bilirubin in the blood. The word ‘jaundice’ essentially means yellow color (Latin ~ glabinus, French ~ >> Read More ...
What is bile? Bile is a digestive juice that is secreted by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Excess substances that the body does not need, byproducts like bilirubin and wastes processed by the liver are passed out through the bile. It empties into the duodenum of the small intestine where it assists with the >> Read More ...
Your liver is one of the most versatile organs in your body. It is responsible for a number of different processes in the body that are essential for life. The liver is the only organ in the human body that is capable of natural regeneration if a portion of the liver is lost. Even if as much as 25% of the liver tissue is >> Read More ...
