Dr. Andrew Weil on health: what the evidence says · JRE #1213

What the evidence says 01 / RECORD

Weil claimed that removing half the liver allows it to regenerate within 36 hours. The liver does have a well-documented capacity to regenerate after partial removal, and cellular proliferation (DNA synthesis) does begin quickly, with hepatocyte DNA synthesis peaking around postoperative days 7-10 in humans. However, restoration of liver mass and volume is a much slower process: complete liver mass recovery after partial hepatectomy typically takes up to about 3 months, while full functional recovery can extend to 90-180 days. Clinical data on living liver donors similarly show the remnant liver grows back to full size within about two to three months, not within a day and a half. The claim conflates the onset of cellular regenerative activity with completed regeneration of the organ, which the evidence shows takes weeks to months rather than 36 hours.