The liver and the pancreas - How they affect each other

Close to where the liver is located, there is an organ that receives much less recognition than it deserves – and that is the pancreas.

Because of the close proximity of the two organs, the liver and the pancreas share similar roles in many of our bodily functions. While it is not surprising to find that the health of one affects the other, how exactly does a malfunctioning liver influence the pancreas? And what is the significance of poor liver and pancreatic function on our overall health?

What does the pancreas do?

The pancreas is an organ that is located right behind our stomach, surrounded by organs like the liver, the small intestine, and the spleen.

Similar to part of the liver’s duties, the pancreas’ main function is to aid digestion with enzymes and create hormones to help maintain blood glucose level.

Common pancreatic disorders like pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer are notorious for their complete absence of symptoms until very late stages, which makes early diagnosis and treatment extra difficult.

How are the liver and the pancreas connected?

Structurally, the liver and the pancreas are ‘linked’ together by the common bile duct. Through the common bile duct, the liver carries bile and the pancreas carries pancreatic juices to the duodenum to aid in digesting fats, carbohydrates, and protein.

In terms of regulating blood sugar level, the liver produces, stores, and releases glucose based on the body’s needs for glucose, which is indicated by the hormones insulin and glucagon that are produced by the pancreas and the liver respectively. Both organs work together to maintain our blood glucose level within the healthy range.

Consequences of poor liver and pancreas health

Liver diseases like fatty liver and cirrhosis often cause insulin resistance, a condition in which the liver, fat cells, and muscle fail to use insulin effectively, causing an abnormal rise of blood sugar level.

Under this circumstance, the pancreas has to make more insulin to bring down the blood glucose level. Over time, the pancreas tries to keep up with the demand for insulin by producing more, leading to the development of type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is a common risk factor and symptom of pancreatic cancer, which is known for its exceptionally low 5-year survival rate, hovering at around 9%.

Also, there has been an increasing number of research showing the correlation between liver diseases and chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), which could lead to complications like fat malabsorption, bone disease, and eventually pancreatic cancer.

Liver protection couldn’t be more important

All this information delivers one clear message: poor liver health does not only affect the liver itself, but it also affects the pancreas, and ultimately our overall health and wellbeing.

The ways to better protect our liver (and also our pancreas)? Stay away from high-fat diet, alcohol, and cigarettes. Eat healthily, and get enough rest and exercise. If you want more comprehensive protection, you may want to discover our liver supplement YHK Therapy.

Apart from offering amazing liver protection, research finds that YHK Therapy also has beneficial effects against the progression of inflammation in the pancreas. Want to find out more? Take a look at our research here https://www.kyotsujigyo.net/document/yhk/06.pdf

Do you have questions about liver and pancreas protection? Send them to us at support@kyotsujigyo.net!