Dr. med. Jurgen Hennecke, Aachen
1. INTRODUCTION
The liver is the largest accessory gland in our digestive system with blood flowing through it at around half a litre per minute. Acting as a large "waste treatment plant" for the body, it is involved in more than 500 different metabolic processes (see Tab. 1).
Table 1: Function of the live

Production of gall (fat digestion)
Fat metabolism (cholesterol, triglycerides)
Carbohydrate metabolism (glycogen storage)
Protein metabolism (carbamide formation)
Metabolisation of the body's own hormones
Inactivation and metabolisation of medication and toxins.

The increasing number of environmental stresses, viral disorders, metabolic and immune system disorders represent an ever-increasing challenge for our patients' liver/gall systems (see Tab. 2).
Table 2: Cause of liver complaints

Metabolic disorders
— Diabetes mellitus
— Storage disorders (e. g. iron, copper)
Toxins
— Alcohol
— Medication
— Environmental toxins (e. g. halogenated hy...