Why does the liver process nutrients?
Short answer
The liver processes nutrients absorbed from food so the body can use them in a suitable form and at the right time. It also stores some nutrients and sends them where they are needed.
How it works
Digestion breaks food into smaller nutrients in the digestive tract. The small intestine absorbs most of them; simple sugars, amino acids, glycerol, and some vitamins and salts travel through the blood to the liver.
The liver processes these nutrients, stores some for later, and delivers them to the rest of the body when needed. The body can then use or store nutrients according to its current needs.
The liver also makes bile. Bile travels through the bile ducts to the small intestine and helps digest fats and some vitamins. This is one reason the liver is involved in digestion as well as nutrient processing.
Key point
The liver is not simply a storage tank. It acts more like a processing and distribution center for absorbed nutrients, although this analogy does not describe every function of the liver.