Re: 5 week liver regeneration myth

well, there is a grain of truth in this.

in rat or mouse, you can remove two-thirds of the liver, and within a 
fortnight, it has regrown to its original size. Something similar happens 
in human, but I am hesitant to put a time frame to it; though I would 
suspect that the 5 week time frame may be appropriate.

Having said that, your specific claim is more difficult. It assumes that 
the only source of ongoing liver damage is alcohol, for one thing. Let's 
assume that the only source of liver damage is alcohol.

It then depends on how much alcohol over how long. Beyond a certain 
point, the liver gets so damaged, that it sets up scarring, damaging the 
liver throughout. The scarring is permanent. Under these circumstances, 
the liver doesn't heal well, though obviously it can heal to some extent. 
If damage is sufficiently severe from scarring, you will see liver 
failure.

However, for small scale damage, the liver has the ability to repair 
itself.

hope this helps
yours
david