What is the function of the liver?

The primary functions of the liver are to process nutrients from food, produce bile to aid in digesting food, filter toxins and waste from the bloodstream, and produce proteins. The liver is the heaviest organ in the body and one of the largest.

After food is broken down in the digestive system, nutrients travel by blood through the liver where it is either turned into stored energy for quick use or made into chemicals the body needs. Bile is made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. It helps digest particularly fatty food. The liver also removes old cells, drugs and hormones from the bloodstream. Among the proteins the liver produces, it manufactures several responsible for blood clotting.