Did you know that children handle alcohol better than adults? Well, on an intake versus body weight anyway. The reason for this is that children have a relatively larger liver than adults. Mind you, I am not suggesting you try putting a single malt Scotch in your baby‘s bottle. And as aside, Scottish mothers would make pacifiers out of material soaked in whisky for babies that were fractious while teething. That was blended whiskey only, as single malts are reserved for better things.
One amazing thing about your liver is that it can regenerate itself as long as there is a functioning 10 percent left. I believe that makes it the outstanding organ (put that away, Johnny) in our bodies.
However, before you think your liver is invincible, you should also take on board the fact that liver disease is progressive. Once the rate of destruction exceeds the rate of repair, you are on the downward slopes!
The American Liver Foundation states that whether your liver is infected with a virus, injured by chemicals, or under attack from your own immune system, the basic danger is the same “ that your liver will become so damaged that it can no longer work to keep you alive.
So what is Fibrosis? This is the process where the damage becomes so great the liver starts to scar. Unfortunately scar tissue does not function like healthy liver tissue.
The only good news is that if your liver disease is diagnosed and treated successfully at this stage, there‘s still a chance that your liver can heal itself over time.
There is a new test to determine how much fibrosis is present in the liver, and is a development of Ultrasound techniques and is called Fibroscan. This is a non-invasive test which only takes a few minutes and is painless.
The testing can be arranged through the Gastrointestinal and Liver Center at the hospital.
And even more importantly, if you want a good single malt I suggest you try The Balvenie. From the Speyside area of Scotland, it sits on the other side of the Rabbie Dhu (Black Robert) river from Glenfiddich. They do their own peat floor malting which comes through with every sip.
But please make sure your liver is capable and ready!
