How Liver Problems Can Lead to Brain Disease

We tend to focus on the brain in psychology, but it's part of an entire system! Other organs, even your liver, play a big role in psychological health.
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Sources:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10...
link.springer.com/article/10....
emedicine.medscape.com/articl...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.nature.com/articles/nm.3420
www.hepatitis.va.gov/patient/...
www.nottingham.ac.uk/nmp/sone...
www.msdmanuals.com/en-gb/profe...
www.nps.org.au/australian-pre...
www.pharmgkb.org/pathway/PA14...
www.pharmacytimes.com/publicat...
www.hindawi.com/journals/cggr...
ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com...
www.eurekaselect.com/71837/art...
academic.oup.com/alcalc/artic...
sites.psu.edu/psych256fa15/201...
www.alz.org/dementia/wernicke...
link.springer.com/article/10....
jamanetwork.com/journals/jama...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6...

[@aliperry2521]

Hepatic encephalopathy is no joke, I'm a nurse on the neuro floor of a hospital, and we see these types of patients all the time. We treat high ammonia levels with a lovely little drug called lactulose, which binds the ammonia and excretes it in copious amounts of poop 💩 Be kind to your liver! Your future nurses will thank you 😂

[@zakidaddy]

Yeah, my dad got a brief HE for a night. My mum rushed him to the hospital. She said that when my father got HE, he doesnt recognize her. Thankfully my father recovered, but still fighting his liver disease

[@SachinSaini-vb1ib]

Hi I m from India My father have liver diseases Can you talk me

[@shanthala1345]

@@SachinSaini-vb1ib talk to doctor

[@hibafarooqui1352]

@@SachinSaini-vb1ib my father too since 2012 23 Dec 2020 suffered with HE now he is fine now

[@georginablackwell7122]

I had HE and am blessed to be alive. Thanks to incredible nurses like your self

[@seasong7655]

Brain can also affect your liver, when you decide to drink too much

[@Azrage]

seasong So what you're saying is brain failure can cause liver disease...

[@TheStriker0525]

how much is to much tho lol

[@CrimsonStigmata]

So it goes both ways. Woah mind blown.

[@360.Tapestry]

free will is an illusion

[@jericdev]

The video of briefly delved into ethyl alcohol for a reason, though most of the comments seem to make the unfortunate implication that HE is exclusively related to alcohol abuse. HE is a condition that can present when a patient has NAFLD, NASH, various liver cancers, and what my wife died of -- hemochromatosis based liver failure. None of those have to involve alcohol. Same with viral hepatitis. Many liver conditions are linked. For instance, NASH and NAFLD increase the risk of cancer. All lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatic failure if not successfully treated.

[@emoriotfreak13]

My dad just lost his battle with this a few months ago. It was really hard watching his mental health decline along with his physical health.

[@duffyduffy8682]

My dad is currently in hospital with liver cirrohosis and he has literally no memory.... I'm so sorry to hear about your dad.

[@kostaborojevic498]

Did he had amalgams?

[@rosedew7877]

My dad lost his battle too. He would lose his consciousness once the ammonia builds up. He would be talking with sense and all of a sudden he would talk something which will make no sense at all. He would be back to normal after a hospital visit. This went on for a year. He went for a walk and fell down and hit his head. Blood never stoped. We thought it was external. In a week's time he got stroke and blood was bleeding inside his skull. Dr dint have a clue on what to do. Because liver can't cooperate if they open the skull. Blood will not clot either way. His organs failed one by one . He had a slow death. He was non alcoholic. Non smoker. He was obese. He was a good dad.

[@JerrytheJ]

​@@rosedew7877 Sorry for your lost 😢

[@JerrytheJ]

Sorry for your loss 😢

[@katrinabradley7300]

thank you so much for this video. my father had this as a result of how damaged his liver was due to cirrhosis. it was terrifying watching him not only physically deteriorate due to his alcoholism but seeing him suddenly become a different person that could not put simple thoughts together which was not just upsetting for us but of course to himself. from the outside it looked at lot like dementia. i wish i had this knowledge at the time, but i think anyone would feel that way. to anyone that knows someone or is themselves dealing with this please know that it is a scary situation BUT with a strong support system that the emotional toll it takes can be relieved. of course no one could reverse the damage my father had done to his liver and to be honest i can't exactly remember what was done on the medical side of things (this was 8 or 9 yeas ago and happened around the time he passed away so my memory isn't great because all of hat was going on) but at least i know that with the basic understanding of what was happening to him, patience, an as cheesy as it sound...love and support my mom and i were able to help him through the darker emotional rough patches that NO ONE told us about. i guess that's why i'm on a bit of a tangent. it hard but you can do it, and can be even more effective with the kind of knowledge most only have on hindsight. going to step down off my soapbox now and really - the best of luck to anyone struggling.

[@duffyduffy8682]

Im so sorry to hear about your dad. My dad is currently in hospital with liver cirrohosis and I think he's going to die soon.... he has no memory and has lost so much weight.

[@grais3]

this is exactly what's happening to my grandpa (who raised me) and the only comfort i think ive gotten today is reading this comment..the way you described it is pretty much exactly how it is over here too.. its so.. scary.

[@user-up8jx3mt6j]

Thank you.

[@fullermoments]

A family member recenty was diagnosed with Stage 4 liver disease...Seeing this helps explain possible changes Im been seeing in him. So thankful you shared this....Knowledge is power.

[@matthewstewart5566]

Drinking > Liver Damage > Brain Damage > Sad > More drinking. This actually explains a lot lol

[@jericdev]

Delve but it does if you read it like a process flow

[@bytefu]

Based on comments above, I suggest using "=>" instead of ">" next time.

[@georginablackwell7122]

Having HE ( brain disease) which I have had does not make you “ sad “ and “ drink more” you’re basically in a coma. You couldn’t drink. It’ll kill you. It doesn’t make you want to drink more. It’s the one thing that’ll make you never EVER drink again.

[@user-be3lu6di6e]

Candy, treats, fast food > liver damage>liver damage> brain damage> more candy too tired to cook

[@agentwashingtub9167]

“When your heart stops working your brain has a bad time.” Yes, I believe death IS a bad time

[@mallardhead]

Thank you for the great information!

[@tropezando]

Sounds very similar to uremic encephalopathy, which happens to people with renal failure. Even has that same tasty ammonia side effect, too. Instead of acetaminophen, kidneys are affected by ibuprofen.

[@snakemont]

Thank you! This is such an important video!

[@Master_Therion]

Korsakoff syndrome is sometimes caused by Smirnoff syndrome.

[@TheFlipside]

Master Therion I don't think many people are gonna get this one

[@kaelaolsen9251]

Master Therion you always have the best puns!!!!!

[@smruthi3512]

Well, that is my favourite kind of green.Hank Green.

[@shanthala1345]

Creepy but yeah! We love Hank green❤️

[@DeathlyTired]

This is me. You did a good job in explaining it for the layperson. Thank you.

[@bryanpena7268]

I have a fatty liver. I never cared for it until one day I got salmonella and had to take antibiotics which worsened my liver. Once I was off the antibiotics at that point of my life I was 95 pounds overweight, I would get dizzy spells where out of the blue I felt dizzy, lightheaded, confused and sometimes lost. Lost as in I didnt know where I was at or where I was going it was briefly like for 5 seconds but nonetheless impairing. Somedays headaches and every other day what felt like some sharp drill/needle piercing my temporal lobes for 3 seconds of pain every hour. My abdomen would feel like it was being squished and with that came nausea and acid reflux everyday. My urine would somedays smell sulfuric and other days like ammonia. No I did not have a UTI. All these symptoms cleared up once I began to eat healthier, avoided drinking, amd began to workout. Fast foward a year to the present day, I still a form of liver disease but I feel much better in that year I lost 45 pounds. I still have half way to go but the difference in the way I look and feel is unreal. Almost like being reborn. During that year when I had all those crazy cognitive symptoms I lost half of my hair which to this day it never grew back but now that I am in a much better state of mind no more anxiety disorder and stress my hair is stronger than ever. Unfortunately I had to let myself get degraded to actually care. Dont be a Bryan like me and wait until problems arise to take care of your health. Be like new Bryan, who is taking care of himself to the best without heavy limitations. And yes I just referred myself in the third person and I will do so again, Bryan will no say farewell and best of luck to any who are struggling with liver issues and have noticed cognitive symptomatic concerns.

[@rohanshinde4327]

I'm 22, and I've a BMI of around 27.14 (I just calculated). My excess fat is around my belly. I'm trying to get rid of it since years, but no success. Luckily I don't suffer from any diseases, but that's probably because I'm still young. I feel I'm at risk but I'm still not caring enough. I eat and eat and eat. I eat even when I'm not hungry. I can't control.

[@MatthewDeaners]

@@rohanshinde4327 Have you researched the carnivore diet? It's an extreme elimination diet, so it basically removes anything that can damage your liver.

[@Ta3allamOnline]

Great job.

[@Thoran666]

Great video. I'm currently working on my alcohol addition and vids like these really help.

[@amartyasensei1129]

may you find success in your difficult resolution !

[@piteoswaldo]

If I were you I would change the operation to an alcohol division.

[@TheStriker0525]

how often do/did you drink and how much?

[@sandral.romero6125]

I hope that you're now enjoying a clean, sober, and healthy life. I've had family members struggle with addictions of all sorts, including my dad. He is now healed and the better for it. I consider him one of my greatest blessings. I wish you the same ♥ If you stumble and fall, remember to pick yourself up. "It's not always easy" is an understatement. My stepmother died from cirrhosis so I can empathize with your plight. Sending love and strength your way...

[@sgtaneja]

I reversed my HE, and NAFLD by attacking the following issues: 1. Improving Bile flow : Glycine, Taurine, Methylation (Methylated B vitamins), Methionine (SAMe,), Choline. 2. Detoxifying excess Ammonia - Glycine, Argenine, Lysine, Ornithine , reducing sugars, ivermectin & berberine (kills ammonia producing parasites & bacteria). 3. Fixing leaky blood brain barrier : vit C, vit A, Bioflavonoids, glycine, lysine, collagen, vit B6 , folate, B12, zinc, manganese , copper . Fix iron & heme metabolism. 4. Fix gut dysbyosis - reduce all sugars, refined carbs, seed oils, increase quality lean proteins & healthy fats .....some glutamine & zinc,....some soil based probiotics B.coaglans, B.subtilis in rotation . 5. Electrolyte imbalance : Add Potassium & Magnesium citrates.

[@rea.in.wonderland]

Watching Hank struggle to locate his liver makes me very confident in the accuracy of this video.

[@BrokebackBob]

Alcohol like many substances is a liver damaging poison which should be banned. This was a fascinating episode.

[@user-up8jx3mt6j]

Boy I sure would like to have dinner with you ; you sound like me. A truly mammoth ethical or dilemma, 'banning alcohol in some capacity' - very unfortunately, alcohol is only one soldier in the army of the true enemy of both physical as well as mental healthy or proper function. Prohibition ? - 🥲

[@avi12]

0:16 How did you edit the liver bubble like this, so it covers the arm until the elbow but not from the elbow to the hand? This is so cool!

[@celinak5062]

avi12 +

[@0mn1vore]

+

[@user-be3lu6di6e]

I love that he knows so much about his liver but not where it is. 😂😂😂😂👍👍👍 This man is a gift to humanity.

[@2cboats]

I lost my mother today 3/28/22 9:05 am… to maybe this. The doctors still dont understand why it happened so fast… she had a stroke a month before and she got 90% better when she got home. And then a week after she started having memory loss. But she was on alot of psych meds so we thought it was the side effect of that. She didnt have any signs of jaundice or swelling or pain nothing just one day woke up in the morning with jaundice and it just went south from there…

[@2cboats]

I love her so much…

[@sooooooooDark]

do a vid on leaky gut!

[@stevefrancischetti7675]

What your saying is true.I dont drink but have had an issue from a supplement from GNC.Almost died at John's Hopkins Hospital.People have died from supplements from GNC.I have problems breathing when over exertion. Really bad.I had Dr.Meheshwari as a hepatologist and he told me I had Gilbert's syndrome.I knew this was not true because both of your parents have to have the gene for me to have it.I let him know that the lab was wrong which it was .But he still insists I have it 100%.Trust me when I say this if you feel uncomfortable with a dr at anytime get a second opinion.I have this dr recorded from Mercy Hospital lawfully.Drs are about money.They dont care about you. Its get you in and get you out.What I've been through I fought and stayed on top of things.Look out for you.Your #1❣

[@jm6007]

I can't believe humans found all of that out..it's pretty cool that we know all that

[@laibadar6308]

Obessity and brain relation. Make video about this too.

[@uchihakenpachi6753]

Proverbs 20:1 KJV - Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

[@ratdude747]

My grandfather in-law suffers from this. Luckily he recently was approved to use a different (new) drug, which made a huge difference (he's mobile and active for the first time in many months). As it was, he was given weeks to live. Yay new medications...

[@bettyjhiggins]

What is the medication?

[@ratdude747]

@@bettyjhiggins I don't know, and not long after (several months) he passed. He got stuck in a nursing home and he lost the will to live it seems.

[@bettyjhiggins]

@@ratdude747 I'm sorry for your loss

[@lumpyfishgravy]

If you want to live, take care of your liver.

[@TheStriker0525]

watching video before a weekend of drinking lol few beers tomorrow and vodka on saturday ;)

[@metametodo]

Can you make a video on delta brainwaves, and its questionable use for sleeping better? Or maybe a video expaining the waves themselves.

[@tammymassey2269]

My mom is going through this now she's in hospice.

[@babyghany9991]

Does stress affect the liver?

[@elicarroll9978]

Love that. My doctor’s trying to diagnose what’s wrong with my liver rn. Y’all got me scared shitless for my ultrasound tomorrow yikes

[@dxxl-]

How did it go, 3 years later?

[@Norundithus]

​@@dxxl-And here I was, about to ask how it went 4 years later. Not sure if that answers our question. Life is a wild trip, gotta hang on to the good parts, sheesh.

[@fufubunnyiz1006]

Chubbyemu made a really interesting video, on this very subject.

[@fromscratchauntybindy9743]

Very interesting - my elderly Mum has liver issues and now has had a couple strokes (that effect organization of thought and memory), wondering if there is a connection?

[@dxxl-]

That's basically what H.E. does- mimicks strokes. I'm 29 & couldn't speak for two weeks correctly, but mine is due to a pregnancy complicated situation. I hope your mom is ok 4 years in the future.

[@christopherhereford2595]

Nice hair style. Is there something that is helps repair organs that have scar tissue?

[@seska1245]

“The good ol.... wherever it is.”

[@surajparameswaran568]

Hey Hank... very nice episode... I got a question though. You said here that "too much damage to the liver can cause a malfunction in neurotransmitters in Brain. In ADHD too, we have a malfunction in the neurotransmitters. I have been diagnosed with ADHD and also in my blood, I have been found deficient in Vit D, Vit B12 and also my serum bilirubin levels are slightly higher than the borderline normal. My doctors say that I might be running a risk of liver failure unless done a thorough check. Is it possible that the ADHD symptoms that I experience might have some connection with my liver?

[@yourhacked5603]

Suraj Parameswaran did you find out what was going on how you feeling now

[@georgetucker336]

Watched the video again. Took sharper notes. To bad it does not go into the Hepatic Encephalopathy conditions that start showing up with time. Medication such as Xifaxin is an antibiotic to help reduce the amount of ammonia released from the fluids passing into the brain. This drug is very expensive. I do not know if it is working. We will see.

[@jagdishkandhuri5568]

Hy , my mom is suffering with cirrhosis , recently made in MRI for brain, can you please help me with reports . Plz

[@gabriella6299]

4:35 this happened to me twice

[@noutram1000]

Thanks for the video, is telling about the link between alcohol, liver damage and (eventually) 'brain problems'. Liver damage can be caused by other things but judging by the comments alcohol is one of the main causes as its so much part of our society. Its ironic that what starts out as an enabler to be more sociable can end up robbing us of the ability to socialise.

[@rokokiso6575]

Am having Hallucinations....problem i can't sleep.... yes am a drinker ..i wish i had never started using this poison..don't know wat to do naw..😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@johnmejia2780]

Hey man, I'm only 31 and just happened to me. For now I can write but I feel like everything alien and I forget. I just got out of the hospital am hour ago after staying for a week.

[@JM-bn9bo]

@@johnmejia2780 hey brother hope your feeling better 31 here too.. what made you fall into the hospital

[@daisygraham9605]

Great timing I was researching liver conditions for a story I'm writing. Yeah HE wasn't what I was looking for but Budd-Chiari syndrome seems to say what I was writing could happen as they are almost the same thing just I don't think like in the story your immune system can cause artery or vein blockages. If the vein/artery blockage by an immune reaction thing can happen I'm interested to hear more as despite the 'illness' in the story being fictional I do want it to be realistic enough so they can find what it is in the end.

[@MFlaquer]

I think some kinds of vasculitis, vessel inflammation, are closer to what you seem to be looking for so... maybe go on a google dive with that term

[@daisygraham9605]

M F yeah will do. Budd-Chianti syndrome gives the symptoms I was looking for but yeah that may provide a closer example.

[@matthewposton3243]

ThE MiTOCHondr1a is THe pòwEr Hóúše Of ThE CeLl

[@alecwinner]

Does korsikoff's syndrome usually impact life expectancy? Like, if someone has it, but is receiving treatment, are they likely to live a shorter amount of time than if they didn't have the disease? (onset at 49 if that matters)

[@mikekuppen6256]

Judging by the Korsakoff patients I´ve seen: absolutely. It´s not not just memory that´s impacted.

[@georgetucker336]

Thanks. My wife is going through liver damage. I am doing all I and Doctors can do keep her stable. This is a slow and insidious disease. Very hard to deal with all of it 24/7. On top of all of that the Kidneys have to have dialysis. Two days a week are open, but those days are to get the other minor appointments scheduled to give her a quality of life.

[@danyaalasghar2744]

I pray your wife gets better. This too shall pass. ❤️❤️❤️

[@georgetucker336]

Since reading your post on liver disease. The Disease got more progressive and was in hospital many times to get her blood stabilized, to no avail. The blood toxins effected her brain to the point that she would and could not eat, plus caused her a lot uncontrollable body movements. A form of progressive Alzheimer disease. Very hard to have to see her in this state. A remarkable thing she had a clear mind and knew that she could not hold on much longer. My wife passed in September 2021, 1 year and over a half after diagnosis.

[@danyaalasghar2744]

@@georgetucker336 George Iam so sorry for your loss. Maybe it's better that she got relieved of the pain that this disease caused. Again sorry. Stay strong. I know life is tough. Sending prayers your way ❤️❤️

[@georgetucker336]

@@danyaalasghar2744 Thanks. Will work on it.

[@daansmets9902]

3:11 *falls asleep during biology class* *wakes up and tries to find the right page* "BRO, THERE IS NO PAGE 450!!!"

[@user-be3lu6di6e]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@NewMessage]

Thinking about my liver effecting my brain is making me feel all spleeny.

[@johnryan5911]

New Message i8

[@cyclenut]

So many young people NEED to know this stuff. I guess they will just have to learn the hard way.

[@elizabethdiaz6901]

My liver is like stop feeding me bad fat foods 🥺. I ate French fries and 3 pupusas 😖 and drank a bunch of water Fok my rib side is hurting I feel like they are broken 😭

[@shaadimubarak7894]

Namaste sir, mild hepatomegaly means

[@princesspinecone3884]

Thought this was Hank Green for a moment

[@seska1245]

Can my scabula cause brain disease?

[@lydhavet-music]

Well this video totally isnt going to give me anxiety ten years from now when my liver starts hurting.

[@bronwynecg]

Yeah thats what happened to Stepto... :( RIP

[@JerryOfAllTradesAries]

I'm beyond screwed then Ahahahaha

[@jawofajackass4047]

So is that the reason some people blackout after drinking too much alcohol and not being able to remember things later?

[@Duck-tm4bi]

Pass Gas I don't think so. Other sedatives that work on GABA without being as livertoxic as alcohol such as benzodiazapines can cause blackouts too, so the problem seems to lay in the GABAurgic activity that shuts down significant amounts of neural activity.

[@jawofajackass4047]

Duck Thanks for answering!

[@georginablackwell7122]

Noooo. This happens when the liver is already extremely damaged. Which leads to things like HE ( which I have, but am recovering amazingly from and over a year sober

[@celinak5062]

4:00

[@Zahri8Alang]

My live is on your hands.... liver. In our language, the liver also means 'heart'(not anatomically, but the contextually figurative 'heart's)

[@TheStriker0525]

i do like my vodka, but i only drink once a week so i think i'll be ok lol

[@starlighted8505]

lol! where ever it is

[@natescifi9682]

What about hepatitis instead of cirrhosis?

[@natescifi9682]

I had hepatitis as a kid and ever since I’ve had mood swings. It might not have anything to do but still, just checking...

[@jericdev]

What type? Remember, hepatitis just means inflammation of the liver. There are viral based and non-viral based hepatitis conditions. For instance, I mentioned nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (slightly different than nonalcoholic fatty liver disease since NAFLD doesn't have inflammation as a typical symptom). NASH is basically NAFLD with significantly dangerous inflammation and can actually lead to fibrosis (scarring) and eventually cirrhosis (severe fibrosis -- irreversible scarring). Basically, many liver conditions lead to cirrhosis.

[@rigrentals5297]

Very informative as i stopped smoking cannabis and picked up vodka-_-

[@Azrage]

john vidal Smoking vodka sounds... interesting.

[@0tterMom]

Definitely not a good choice for your health.. try edibles instead of smoking it, it's better for your stomach and doesn't hurt your lungs that way.

[@Shifty4L]

Science

[@xzor2101]

Where... where you at, liver. Where you at Love you liver. Wherever you at

[@erickposada6772]

How this guy knows so much.

[@emoriotfreak13]

Erick Posada restrepo research?

[@rohanshinde4327]

He's just reading what's written in front of him. He's just a presenter.

[@addictnits]

This video should be part of SciShow not SciShow Psych

[@blackstone1776]

Im drinking while watching, i guess I'll skip a can

[@kthekid488]

Farts aren't a cute cure?

[@HG-ov1cy]

1 im first

[@catbot3116]

First

[@EzeKry]

Catbot 31 or are u

[@sarahdowney6697]

When you have liver and kidney damage um 🤡

[@Kid_Legend_4_Life]

Oof

[@ElynevanOpzeeland]

Hank, how can you not know where the liver is in your body? Didn't you study biology?

[@barryp9828]

PLZ grow a beard again