Category Archives: Liver

The Fructose Fat Connection

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Robert Barrington

Chemically fructose is a hexose monosaccharide. This means is a six carbon sugar (hexose) and is not bonded to any other sugar (monosaccharide). Fructose is absorbed in the small intestine like most other sugars, and from here it passes to … Continue reading →

Posted in de Novo Lipogenesis, Fructose, Glycogen, Liver, Triglycerides / Triacylglycerols | Comments Off on The Fructose Fat Connection

L-Glutamine and Glycogen Synthesis

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Glutamine is an non-essential amino acid produced in all tissues of the body. However the liver and skeletal muscles are the most important sites of synthesis quantitatively. The role of glutamine in physiological regulation of both skeletal muscle protein and … Continue reading →

Posted in Carbohydrate, Glycogen, L-glutamine, Liver, Skeletal Muscle | Comments Off on L-Glutamine and Glycogen Synthesis

Inositol: The Forgotten B Vitamin

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Robert Barrington

Choline and inositol are members of the B vitamin group. Both get neglected in nutrition, inositol perhaps more than choline. Both choline and inositol function closely together in human metabolism because both form structural components of cell membranes. In this … Continue reading →

Posted in Brain, Diabetes, Inositol, Insulin, Insulin Resistance, Liver, Vitamin B | Comments Off on Inositol: The Forgotten B Vitamin

Milk Thistle For Liver Health

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Robert Barrington
Posted in Liver, Milk Thistle | Comments Off on Milk Thistle For Liver Health

Dandelion: Diuretic and Liver Tonic

Posted on December 6, 2014 by Robert Barrington

The name dandelion comes from the French for lions tooth (dent de lion). This is in reference to the jagged tooth like leaves that characterise the dandelion plant (Taracum officinale). Generally, gardeners think of dandelion as a weed on account … Continue reading →

Posted in Caffeic Acid, Chlorogenic Acid, Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), Digestion and Absorption, Liver, Potassium, Sterols and Stanols, Terpenes | Comments Off on Dandelion: Diuretic and Liver Tonic

Protect Your Liver: Milk Thistle

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Robert Barrington

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a three foot high thistle that grows in rocky parts of Western Europe. The reddish purple flowers and shiny prickly leaves give it an easily recognisable appearance. Milk thistle is interesting nutritionally because it contains … Continue reading →

Posted in Antioxidant, Liver, Milk Thistle, Oxidative Stress, Silibum Marianum (milk thistle), Silymarin | Comments Off on Protect Your Liver: Milk Thistle

Is Fructose a Liver Toxin?

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Robert Barrington

The damage that excessive alcohol consumption can cause to the liver is well understood. The ectopic stenosis that drives the liver damage associated with excessive alcohol consumption is caused by aberrations to the metabolism of fats and also to the … Continue reading →

Posted in de Novo Lipogenesis, Fructose, Inflammation, Liver, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease | Comments Off on Is Fructose a Liver Toxin?

Sudden Infant Death And GLA

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Robert Barrington

Sudden infant death syndrome SIDS is not fully understood. A number of theories have been presented to explain this unfortunate and devastating event, some of which involve nutritional mechanisms. In 1980, a theory was presented by Johnson and his coworkers … Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal Obesity, Arachidonic Acid, Breastfeeding, de Novo Lipogenesis, Delta 5-desaturase, Dihomo Gamma Linolenic Acid, Eicosanoids, Essential Fatty Acids, Gamma Linolenic Acid, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Linoleic Acid, Liver, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Pregnancy | Comments Off on Sudden Infant Death And GLA

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver: Fructose Again

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Robert Barrington

Nonalcoholic fatty liver is a condition characterised by lipid deposits in and around hepatic tissue. In this respect it shows similarity to alcoholic fatty liver which is caused by excessive long term alcohol intake. Fructose overconsumption is implicated in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal Obesity, Liver, Metabolic Syndrome, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Syndrome X | Comments Off on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver: Fructose Again

Increased Meal Frequency and the Liver

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Research suggests that increased meal frequency may contribute towards improved body composition. For example, researchers1 used a ten year longitudinal study to investigate the meal frequency of girls aged 9 to 19 years, and determined the association with body mass … Continue reading →

Posted in Body Mass Index (BMI), Insulin Resistance, Liver, Obesity, Weight Loss | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Increased Meal Frequency and the Liver