Laura E. Matarese & Gerard E. Mullin 
Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease Nutrition Desk Reference [PDF ebook] 

While the gastrointestinal tract ingests, digests, and absorbs nutrients, the liver transforms nutrients, synthesizes plasma proteins, and detoxifies bacteria and toxins absorbed from the gut. It is therefore not surprising that gastrointestinal and hepatic diseases have a major impact on the nutritional state of the individual. Integrating nutriti