What does your liver actually do?
Your liver sits under the right ribs and works every minute you are alive. It filters blood from the gut, makes proteins, stores fuel, handles many drugs and drinks, and helps digestion with bile. Here are five jobs in plain English.
Job 1 — Filter and process what you absorb
Blood from the stomach and intestines goes to the liver first. Nutrients are sorted. Many toxins and byproducts are changed into forms the kidneys can clear. That is why swallowed medicines and alcohol hit the liver hard.
Job 2 — Make bile
Bile helps break up fats so you can absorb them. It is stored in the gallbladder and released when you eat. Fat-soluble vitamins ride along.
Job 3 — Store and release fuel
After a meal, the liver stores sugar as glycogen. Between meals, it releases sugar so the brain and muscles keep working. It can also make new sugar from other materials when needed.
Job 4 — Build blood proteins
The liver makes albumin (which keeps fluid in blood vessels) and clotting factors (which help stop bleeding). When the liver is badly damaged, bruising and swelling can follow — that is a medical problem, not a DIY project.
Job 5 — Handle hormones and waste packaging
Many hormones are broken down in the liver. Waste products like bilirubin are packaged for removal. Jaundice — yellow eyes or skin — can mean bilirubin is backing up and needs a doctor's eye.
Everyday care
Go easy on alcohol. Follow medicine labels. Keep hepatitis vaccines up to date when offered. Move and eat in ways that limit fatty liver risk — see Nutrition and Movement. For the wider organ map, see Organs.
This is general information. For your own health, talk to a doctor.