Thoracic 5 - Liver
Located under your right lower rib, the liver is the largest internal organ in the body. It has numerous functions that are essential to life: Liver functions include synthesis, storage, detoxification and secretion.

The liver makes:
• Albumin, which maintains proper oncotic pressure in the blood and acts as a carrier protein for other molecules. 
• Bile, stored in the gall bladder. 
• Enzymes 
• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST; formerly called SGOT). Not specific to the liver. 
• Alanine aminotransferase (ALT; formerly called SPGT). ALT is more specific to the liver than is AST, but it, too, is found in other tissues. An elevated level of ALT in the blood is a sensitive indicator that liver cells have been damaged (thus releasing their internal stores of the enzyme). Both AST and ALT are enzymes that are important in the metabolism of proteins.
• Blood clotting factors, including Factors II, VII, IX, and X 
• Lipids, including some components of bile 
• Cholesterol
• Phospholipids
• Triglycerides 

The liver stores:
• Glycogen, a form of stored sugar which is stored when glucose is present in excess.
• Vitamin A 

The liver detoxifies:
• Drugs, which can be metabolized to less toxic forms, to water-soluble forms, or even to more active forms. 
• Poisons, such as alcohol or other chemicals 
• Internal toxins that are produced within the body, such as excess estrogens, are converted to less damaging substances that can be safely excreted through the bile or urine. 

The liver secretes:
• Bile, which is also made by the liver 

The nerve supply to the liver comes for the region of the fifth thoracic vertebra. It is common when there is liver or gall bladder disease to have pain between the shoulder blades.

The liver is subject to many diseases including hepatitis (viral infection, most commonly A, B and C in the U.S.), cirrhosis (diffuse scarring of the liver due to hepatitis, alcoholism or chemical damage), tumors (mostly metastatic or the result of hepatitis).

Nutritional Therapy
An excellent detoxification program for the liver, lymphatic system, urinary tract or other detoxification systems is SP Cleanse. For liver problems we also use AF Betafood, Antronex, Betacol, Choline, Disodium Phosphate,Hepatrophin PMG, Livaplex and other Standard Process™ whole food supplements.

Light colored stool - need more bile salts (Cholacol).

Emotional
Anger is the dominant emotion associated with the liver.