# Can the liver benefit from a "rest"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2014, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583 "2014-09-26T01:32:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/1 "2014-09-26T01:32:31Z")
Apparently the liver can remove toxins. Is it true that it is good to give it a rest sometimes - perhaps by a short water fast or only eating certain foods such as fresh vegetables? ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/2 "2014-09-26T01:38:20Z")
BTW by “rest” I mean like how muscles can rest - they are still used a bit but not being stressed too much. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/3 "2014-09-26T02:41:46Z")
> [@JohnClay](#): > > BTW by “rest” I mean like how muscles can rest - they are still used a bit but not being stressed too much. “Not being stressed too much” meaning what exactly? If it means not drinking to excess or excessive use of certain medications that are hard on the liver (certain pain medications, acetaminophen, steroids, etc.) then yes, it can be good to give the liver a “rest”. But if it means avoiding certain _foods_ that supposedly “irritate” or “inflame” the liver, then no, giving the liver a “rest” is stupid and won’t do you any good. IMnoneprofessionalO. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/4 "2014-09-26T03:08:32Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > “Not being stressed too much” meaning what exactly? I was talking about muscles - it means that muscles shouldn’t be doing heavy lifting non-stop for days at a time… instead they could rest. During rest they’d still be used a bit - e.g. for walking or rolling over in bed. > [@](#): > > If it means not drinking to excess or excessive use of certain medications that are hard on the liver (certain pain medications, acetaminophen, steroids, etc.) then yes, it can be good to give the liver a “rest”. So then in at least some cases the liver should be given a rest. > [@](#): > > But if it means avoiding certain _foods_ that supposedly “irritate” or “inflame” the liver, then no, giving the liver a “rest” is stupid and won’t do you any good. IMnoneprofessionalO. So a drink (alcohol) is a problem but there are absolutely no foods that are hard on the liver? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/5 "2014-09-26T03:25:24Z")
The liver’s not a muscle. But as long as you’re not eating actually toxic foods…if you’re not eating poisonous mushrooms or overdosing yourself on iron or something, then no. If you eat a normal diet, you really don’t have to worry about hurting your liver. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/6 "2014-09-26T03:39:08Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > …If you eat a normal diet, you really don’t have to worry about hurting your liver. Some sites say the liver is the “body’s main fat burning organ” (“regulating fat metabolism and carrying fat out of the body via bile.”). They say if it is overworked then it compromises the ability of the body to burn fat… That is the kind of benefit I’m talking about - how good it is at burning fat depending on how overworked it is… If it is untrue I wonder where those ideas came from… ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/7 "2014-09-26T03:44:19Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/8 "2014-09-26T04:11:09Z")
What are toxins, and how does the liver remove them? ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/9 "2014-09-26T04:20:18Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > What are toxins, and how does the liver remove them? Toxins are things that are bad for some reason and need to be removed from the blood. I think the liver puts them in bile. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/10 "2014-09-26T04:24:13Z")
And what is an “overworked” liver? Is it determined by blood tests? Or is it some nebulous, vague term without any concrete definition? How does someone determine if they have an overworked liver? If most people have overworked livers, that must mean liver _function_ blood tests, which are very very common, are not capable of determining this. Let’s take me, for instance. I’ve never fasted and I have blood tests every six months (as part of a migraine prevention program) which includes liver enzyme levels. They’ve never been elevated or at unhealthy levels. How do you explain this? Can a person’s liver be both overworked and fully functional? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/11 "2014-09-26T04:51:49Z")
Ambivalid: Apparently the liver has over 500 different functions… > **[What Does The Liver Do?](http://www.healingedge.net/store/article_liver_functions.html)** > > The liver is responsible for hundreds of functions in the body. Learn about some of those functions and how they impact your overall health. Just because it is working in some ways it might not necessarily be “fully functional”… i.e. working to 100.0% capacity… ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/12 "2014-09-26T05:03:06Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > …Can a person’s liver be both overworked and fully functional? 😕 Maybe in the short term like how some people work more than 100 hours a week but they might be more likely to burn out. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/13 "2014-09-26T05:09:40Z")
I’ve had several family members with viral hepatitis, and it’s one of my areas of professional focus. The number one recommendation for supporting your liver is not to drink any alcohol. That’s been consistent, and stood alone as the only consistent recommendation, in both my family’s experience and the literature on and best practices in viral hepatitis management. “Should I take milk thistle?” both family members asked. “Couldn’t hurt, but probably won’t help” was the reply by hepatologists widely separated in time and space. “Don’t drink at all,” both added. I suppose, if pressed, they’d tell you not to eat poison as well. Here’s from Mayo Clinic re: fatty liver in Type II Diabetes: > [@](#): > > Your best defense against fatty liver disease includes these strategies: > > ``` > Work with your health care team to achieve good control of your blood sugar. > Lose weight if you need to, and try to maintain a healthy weight. > Take steps to reduce high blood pressure. > Keep your low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol and triglycerides — a type of blood fat — within recommended limits. > Don't drink too much alcohol. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/14 "2014-09-26T05:32:33Z")
> [@JohnClay](#): > > Toxins are things that are bad for some reason and need to be removed from the blood. I think the liver puts them in bile. Oh, you’re gonna have to do better than that. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/15 "2014-09-26T05:44:32Z")
**JohnClay** , the questions people are asking you are the sorts of questions that a site giving you advice on “resting” your liver would also have answers for, if it were a responsible site. So far, the websites you’ve looked at apparently haven’t provided any evidence for the proposition that resting your liver is beneficial, you haven’t provided any evidence for the claim, and no one here has identified any evidence for it, including a couple people who - while possibly not experts - would be likely to have heard if there were any evidence for it. It is certainly possible that there are benefits to resting your liver that are currently unknown to medical science (or at least the SDMB). It is also possible that there are risks associated with a water fast or other method of “resting” the liver that are currently unknown to medical science (or at least the SDMB). I’m not an expert, but I certainly wouldn’t take medical advice from any cite on the internet (or any book or magazine article) that didn’t include references to widely accepted scientific evidence for whatever they are promoting or claiming. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/16 "2014-09-26T05:54:50Z")
> **[Eating fast food regularly has the same impact on the liver as hepatitis,...](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2279860/Eating-fast-food-regularly-impact-liver-hepatitis-study-finds.html)** > > A new study shows that regularly eating fast food isn't just bad for your waistline, it can also damage your liver in ways that are surprisingly similar to hepatitis. The results were revealed on the television program, 'The Doctors.' “Eating fast food regularly has the same impact on the liver as hepatitis, study finds” Eating fast food regularly could be considered a “normal” diet since it is quite common for a lot of people… And having a rest from that diet (fast food) would be beneficial to the liver I think… ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/17 "2014-09-26T07:11:35Z")
> [@JohnClay](#): > > [Eating fast food regularly has the same impact on the liver as hepatitis, study finds | Daily Mail Online](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2279860/Eating-fast-food-regularly-impact-liver-hepatitis-study-finds.html) > > “Eating fast food regularly has the same impact on the liver as hepatitis, study finds” > > Eating fast food regularly could be considered a “normal” diet since it is quite common for a lot of people… > > And having a rest from that diet (fast food) would be beneficial to the liver I think… There you go! Now we have some evidence, and we can evaluate it. As far as I can determine, this study was done by one doctor who “published” the results on a TV talk show while promoting his new book, and was reported by the Daily Mail, a British tabloid that regularly publishes stories that make the staff of the National Enquirer shake their heads and wonder how a country can get by with such low journalistic standards. Of course, it is entirely possible that despite their best efforts, the Daily Mail has accidentally published something both true and genuinely newsworthy, and avoiding fast food is already known to have several positive health effects. But I wouldn’t base any major lifestyle changes on this particular article alone. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/18 "2014-09-26T07:31:26Z")
> [@susan](#): > > I’ve had several family members with viral hepatitis, and it’s one of my areas of professional focus. The number one recommendation for supporting your liver is not to drink any alcohol. That’s been consistent, and stood alone as the only consistent recommendation, in both my family’s experience and the literature on and best practices in viral hepatitis management. “Should I take milk thistle?” both family members asked. “Couldn’t hurt, but probably won’t help” was the reply by hepatologists widely separated in time and space. “Don’t drink at all,” both added. I suppose, if pressed, they’d tell you not to eat poison as well. > > Here’s from Mayo Clinic re: fatty liver in Type II Diabetes: I thought the active substance in milk thistle seed silymarin is actually used as a pharmaceutical in cases of liver damage or poisoning? I remember it being one of the few herbs that actually has evidence to back it up. > **[Silibinin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silibinin)** > > Silibinin (INN), also known as silybin (both from Silybum, the generic name of the plant from which it is extracted), is the major active constituent of silymarin, a standardized extract of the milk thistle, containing a mixture of flavonolignans consisting of silibinin, isosilibinin, silychristin, silidianin, and others. Silibinin itself is a mixture of two diastereomers, silybin A and silybin B, in approximately equimolar ratio. Silibinin is used in pure forms as a medication, and more fre > [@](#): > > Chemically modified silibinin, silibinin dihydrogen disuccinate disodium (trade name Legalon SIL), a solution for injection, is currently being tested as a treatment of severe intoxications with hepatotoxic substances, such as death cap (Amanita phalloides) poisoning.[8] There is also clinical evidence for the use of silibinin as a supportive element in alcoholic and child grade ‘A’ liver cirrhosis.[9] And removing metabolic toxins is one of the liver’s primary functions, but your liver is not going to be stressed by eating food, and it doesn’t need a rest. You can of course stress your liver by drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or other toxic substances. The alternative medical concept of “detox” is woo and nonsense, but the liver along with the kidneys does process and remove toxins from your body. > **[Liver](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver)** > > The liver is a major metabolic organ exclusively found in vertebrate animals, which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and various other biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it is located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, below the diaphragm and mostly shielded by the lower right rib cage. Its other metabolic roles include carbohydrate metabolism, the production of hormones, c The live... One fact I’ve always found cool about the liver is that: > [@](#): > > The liver is the only human internal organ capable of natural regeneration of lost tissue; as little as 25% of a liver can regenerate into a whole liver.[10] Regeneration is very rapid. The liver will return to a normal size in one to two weeks following the removal of greater than 50% of the liver by mass. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/19 "2014-09-26T10:20:10Z")
Your liver is always at work detoxifying and eliminating the poisons your own body makes as a matter of routine simply by being alive. On top of that, it’s also always busy making zillions of critical substances ranging from blood clotting factors to transport proteins for hormones, and from the key blood protein albumin to the essential fuel glucose. In short, the only way to ‘rest’ your liver is to be dead. ETA: Ever notice that there’s kidney dialysis, artificial hearts, extracorporeal oxygenation (i.e. artificial breathing), but nothing along those lines for the liver? ---
**Author:** ![iljitsch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@iljitsch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iljitsch)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583/20 "2014-09-26T11:11:09Z")
There’s also tons of muscles in your body that work 24/7. Not everything needs rest. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-liver-benefit-from-a-rest/699583.md?page=2)