“Liver, liver, liver. No matter how many times I
say it, it doesn’t sound exciting or sexy. As I’ve said before, it
is the most ignored and one of the most important organs. It is the
only organ in your body that receives blood from the heart and another
organ-your intestines. When I talk about the liver, do people think
I said kidney? I wonder this a lot. It is probably
because it is so complex and involved in so many bodily functions that most
people get lost in the minutia.”
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| Albu what??!!?? |
MORE ABOUT PROTEINS
In the previous blog, we were talking about proteins
that the liver produces. It got so complicated that I decided to
break it down a bit more. So, today I’ll be talking to you about the
most important and the most abundant of the proteins:
ALBUMIN
Albumin is the major protein in plasma. Plasma is
the liquid component of blood, where the red blood cells, white blood cells,
and platelets are suspended. Plasma constitutes more than half of
the blood’s volume and consists mostly of water that contains dissolved salts
(electrolytes) and proteins. Albumin
performs many function including helping to keep the fluid portion of your
blood within the blood vessels, and helping to transport drugs and other
substances by way of the bloodstream. Albumin plays an indispensable role in
maintaining the delicate chemical balance of the nourishing interstitial fluids
that surround and support the trillions of cells in your body. Interstitial
fluid is a thin layer of fluid that surrounds your body’s cells.
It acts as a kind of fueling station in terms of nutrients for our cells. Interstitial fluid contains glucose, salt, fatty acids and minerals such as magnesium and potassium. This fluid can also hold waste products that result from metabolism. If these fluids are healthy, your cells will flourish. But if the fluids become polluted, or depleted of certain substances, your cells cannot help but fall ill, and disease will sweep through the body
It acts as a kind of fueling station in terms of nutrients for our cells. Interstitial fluid contains glucose, salt, fatty acids and minerals such as magnesium and potassium. This fluid can also hold waste products that result from metabolism. If these fluids are healthy, your cells will flourish. But if the fluids become polluted, or depleted of certain substances, your cells cannot help but fall ill, and disease will sweep through the body
Albumin has been described as a "portable liver"
because your liver is your body's chief mechanism for disarming toxins and
other dangerous substances. Albumin, which is made in your liver, does the same
throughout the body. It's as if your liver has sent millions of tiny pieces of
itself to every single little cell, to round up and destroy harmful substances
and organisms. Albumin is like a filter
that removes toxins from water, like the net that scoops debris out of a
swimming pool, or the dispenser that squirts vitamin D into milk. It ensures that bodily fluids are clean,
filled with nutrients, and properly balanced. And when you're filled with
health-giving fluid, you cannot help but be healthy.
THE BODY INVADERS
The battle against what Morgan refers to as “body invaders”
is protein based. The immune system utilizes many protein-based
substances to fight off the invasion by rapidly producing more protein-based
substances to defend the body. But, there can only be a certain
concentration of all proteins in the body. When the concentration of
immune system proteins goes up, the concentration of other proteins must fall.
One of the proteins that decreases when the immune system is
engaged in battle is albumin, and that’s where the trouble
lies. Temporary drops in albumin levels are necessary and not a
problem. The problem comes when you are continually battling
invaders and your albumin runs low for months on end. When the level
of albumin in your blood is low, it is a good indication that your liver is not
working properly. The normal level of albumin is between 3.5-5 grams
per deciliter (g/dl).
Albumin levels drop when the immune system engages in a
battle with invading bacteria, viruses, fungi, inhaled toxins, dangerous
substances you eat or drink or, that get in through your skin, respiratory system,
and “other” ports of entry. But, there
are some things that can artificially, or temporarily, lower your albumin level
such as the level of hydration in your body, dehydration will cause fluctuation
in albumin. Also, malnutrition-not
getting enough protein in your diet.
Albumin’s many important duties:
· Protecting
easily damaged tissues from the free radicals (we’ll go into these a bit more
at a later time) that can destroy your cells and cause cancer by altering your
cellular DNA
· Guarding
against heart disease by transporting the antioxidant vitamins that help keep
your coronary arteries clean, binding up fatty acids that tend to clog your
arteries, and stabilizing the ratio between HDL (good
cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol).
· Binds
up waste products, toxins, and dangerous drugs that would otherwise damage your
body and encourage disease. It also detoxifies the interstitial
fluid surrounding cells.
· Protects
your biological terrain by buffering your blood against pH changes (pH is a
measure of acidity).
· It
helps keep your blood flowing smoothly by preventing red blood cells and other
substances from clumping together.
· It is
essential for transporting vitamins, magnesium, copper, zinc, bilirubin, uric
acid, sex hormones, thyroid hormones, other hormones, and fatty acids
throughout your body.
· It
regulates the movement of nutrients between your blood and your body’s cells.
· Stabilizes
your red blood cells and growth hormones.
· Plays
a major role in controlling the precise amount of water in various bodily
tissues.
· Plays
an important role in transporting and circulating reservoirs of thyroid
hormones.
· Purifies
the cerebrospinal fluid, nourishes brain cells, and maintains your blood-brain
barrier.
· Binds
and transports the “stress hormone” cortisol, reducing stress-induced damage to
the thymus gland, brain, and connective tissues.
“The reason I’ve gone into this crazy discussion about
albumin is because of how important it is to your body and mostly, because when
your doctor orders blood work, one of the many things you will see is ALB-albumin. I
want you to know how to interpret it. Be aware, that just because
your albumin level is in the normal range doesn’t necessarily mean that your
liver is healthy and happy. In some instances, your albumin can remain
in the normal range until your liver is severely damaged-perhaps beyond
repair. So, as I always say LOVE YOUR LIVER!”
Morgan
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