A healthy liver performs the following functions:

• It regulates the composition of blood, including the amounts of sugar (glucose), protein, and fat that enter the bloodstream.
• It removes bilirubin, ammonia, and other toxins from the blood. (Bilirubin is a by-product of the breakdown of hemoglobin from red blood cells.)
• It processes most of the nutrients absorbed by the intestines during digestion and converts those nutrients into forms that can be used by the body. The liver also stores some nutrients, such as vitamin A, iron, and other minerals.
• It produces cholesterol, substances that help blood clot, and certain important proteins, such as albumin.
• It produces clotting factors, chemicals needed to help blood clot.
• It breaks down (metabolizes) many drugs.

See an illustration of the liver and the other organs of the digestive system.