Guest guest Posted February 25, 2003 Report Share Posted February 25, 2003 Gettingwell , " ray coombs " <baronwarleggan@c...> wrote: > --- There is an extreeeeeemly interesting article on the liver in the Gettingwell files. > but you knew that anyway! > > Here is the article in the files section. Additional information is available by using the search function to search through 11,000+ messages in our archives section and by using some of the links in our links section. All available from our home page. The address is at the bottom of all emails. F. Gettingwell, " califpacific " <califpacific> wrote: > Can Cirrhosis Be Prevented? > By Marilyn Sterling, R.D. > > Intelligent lifestyle and nutrition choices may thwart the liver > disease long considered unstoppable > > The liver truly is remarkable—directly affected by nearly everything > a person eats, drinks and breathes, it is still durable and capable > of regeneration. Tucked away on the right side of the abdomen, the > liver is the human body's largest internal organ, serving as command > central for a variety of vital metabolic processes. Because of its > essential role, protecting the liver from the numerous lifestyle, > environmental and viral insults that can accumulate and destroy its > ability to function is paramount. Several types of liver disease can > result from the onslaught of life, including cancer, alcohol- related > liver disorders, viral hepatitis and cirrhosis. > > Cirrhosis of the liver is the fourth most common cause of death among > people between the ages of 30 and 50, and the eighth most common > killer overall. A liver affected with this chronic degenerative > disease becomes hardened and scarred and eventually so damaged it > can't function because normal blood flow through it is blocked. The > degeneration process dramatically affects the organ's metabolic > processes and detoxification abilities. > > The liver is the body's recycling center, where thousands of > compounds are taken apart and put together again as useful and > essential body chemicals. Its several detoxification techniques > include filtering large toxins from the blood, synthesizing and > secreting bile to carry many impurities out of the body, and > neutralizing unwanted chemical compounds in a two-step enzymatic > process generally referred to as Phase I and Phase II detoxification. > Toxins such as alcohol, urea from amino acid breakdown and > environmental invaders are turned into benign by-products that are > either used or excreted. Small wonder that when the liver fails, the > only effective treatment is a transplant. > > With all that at stake, it is important to understand and avoid the > risk factors that contribute to cirrhosis. Whether a person is trying > to prevent cirrhosis or manage the condition, understanding the roles > of alcohol consumption, hepatitis and toxic exposure is critical. > > Alcohol and cirrhosis are a roulette game—not all serious alcoholics > develop cirrhosis, though some social drinkers do. Women do not > process alcohol as efficiently as men and are thus more likely to > develop cirrhosis from drinking. Alcohol is a toxin that damages the > liver directly, and the two pathways for breaking down alcohol in the > liver also generate dangerous oxygen derivatives, or oxidants, that > lead to collagen scar-tissue formation. > > Chronic hepatitis, a viral liver disease, is gaining on alcohol as > the leading cause of cirrhosis. Although hepatitis A, spread through > contaminated water and food and excreted in stools, does not cause > cirrhosis, other forms are not so benign. If a hepatitis B or C > infection is not completely eradicated through treatment, the chronic > hepatitis that remains can eventually lead to cirrhosis. > > Hepatitis B, transferred through body fluids such as saliva and > blood, progresses to cirrhosis about 5 percent of the time. One in > every 250 people is a carrier of hepatitis B, and 30 to 40 percent of > them have no symptoms. It is estimated that one in every 20 people > will contract hepatitis B—one-third of them without symptoms. In > fact, A simple test can determine whether a person has hepatitis, > which is a good idea for those in doubt, because future problems are > just as likely even if no symptoms are present. The hepatitis B > vaccine is recommended for those at risk, including adolescents and > health care workers. > > Hepatitis C is harder to contract. It is usually transmitted via > contaminated needles or transfusions of infected blood, and in some > cases it has been transmitted sexually. Hepatitis C becomes chronic > in 80 to 85 percent of patients, and up to 30 percent of them develop > cirrhosis. It is estimated that 4 million people have hepatitis C, > many of them silent carriers, and the number is growing rapidly. The > usual treatment is a course of interferon alpha, which enables > invaded cells to be more readily recognized and killed by T > lymphocytes and inhibits virus production within infected cells. This > treatment is often unsuccessful, however, and has unpleasant side > effects including flulike symptoms. Even those patients whose liver > enzymes normalize completely after the interferon treatment, > indicating they are cured, often relapse, meaning the disease was > quiescent for a time. Other antiviral drugs, when combined with > interferon, offer hope for more successful eradication of hepatitis C. > > Toxic chemical exposure is yet another cause of cirrhosis. Many > commonly used chemicals and solvents are liver toxins. A seemingly > benign medication, if it triggers an allergic reaction, can also > cause cirrhosis. Although the liver is the primary site of > detoxification, the very process can poison it. Chemicals that cause > cirrhosis often do so by forming oxidants, which are by-products of > metabolic activity. > > Toxins, which include environmental and normal body chemicals, are > detoxified in the liver by chemical neutralization. Briefly, Phase I > enzymes directly neutralize many of the chemicals or convert them to > substances that are then processed by Phase II enzymes. Sometimes > these intermediate substances are more toxic or more chemically > active than they were before, further underscoring the importance of > a fully functional liver. Phase I detoxification involves a group of > enzymes called the cytochrome P450 system. These myriad enzymes > metabolize many of the same chemicals to ensure all are neutralized. > > Nourishing the Liver > Is there any way to prevent cirrhosis? Could nutrition help? With > hundreds of thousands of people at risk, these should be urgent > public health questions. The only " cure " for cirrhosis is a $400,000 > liver transplant, so finding a way to prevent cirrhosis could save > many lives, not to mention billions of dollars. Unfortunately, > society invests most of its health care dollars in treatment rather > than research on prevention. On the bright side, there are some > intriguing clues about the development of cirrhosis. People who > already have liver damage, however, have complicated metabolic issues > and need personalized diet therapy from a registered dietitian. Here > are some avenues that may help heavy alcohol drinkers or people with > chronic hepatitis avert cirrhosis development: > > Limit iron because hepatitis viruses thrive in iron-rich > environments. An iron surfeit impairs many aspects of immune function > including T lymphocyte proliferation and maturation. Also, iron > catalyzes damage by oxidants. While iron deficiency is common among > women who menstruate, older women and men often have an excess > because they don't excrete as much. Limiting iron intake weakens > hepatitis and increases the chance of successful interferon therapy.1 > Patients with hepatitis C might want to avoid iron-enriched cereals, > food cooked in iron pots, multivitamins containing iron, molasses, > and liver and limit their intake of meat—all of which contribute > excess iron. Vitamin C increases iron absorption, so supplements or > foods high in vitamin C should not be taken with meals. > > Supplement with choline, an amino acid that is part of the > phospholipid lecithin. Alcoholism causes a relative choline > deficiency in the liver by decreasing the enzyme methionine > synthetase, which is necessary for choline production. A choline > deficiency, which promotes liver damage, can be corrected with > lecithin supplements. Choline increases the activity of the enzyme > hepatic collagenase, which breaks down collagen, preventing > cirrhosis. In an experiment on primates, baboons were fed high- > alcohol diets for eight years. Most developed cirrhosis. However, no > members of a group provided with lecithin supplementation during the > experiment developed cirrhosis. Large-scale trials are now under way > to see if lecithin has the same protective effect in humans.2-5 > > Reduce fat intake because evidence from one study showed this helped > hepatitis C patients who drank alcohol. Those patients who ate high- > fat, low-protein and low-carbohydrate diets were more apt to progress > to cirrhosis.6 One reason could be that unsaturated fatty acids are > prone to oxidation, which is dangerous to a damaged liver. This might > also explain why one animal experiment found cirrhosis was reversed > in animals consuming saturated rather than unsaturated fats (i.e., > butter rather than sunflower oil). While intriguing because cirrhosis > is often considered irreversible, no research has been conducted in > humans in regard to cirrhosis and fat-type consumption. > > Limiting fat shouldn't be taken to extremes, however. People do need > to meet their intake requirement for essential fatty acids.7 In fact, > another experiment on monkeys showed that those with diets low in > essential fatty acids and low in antioxidants were more apt to > develop alcoholic cirrhosis.8 > > Vitamin E helps maintain high levels of glutathione in people with > hepatitis or with other liver problems.9,10 Glutathione (GSH), an > antioxidant present in the liver, is the body's key protector against > the oxidizing compounds that lead to cirrhosis. By maintaining GSH > levels, vitamin E supplementation may help protect against cirrhosis. > In one study, almost 50 percent of people with hepatitis C who did > not respond to interferon therapy improved dramatically with 800 IU > of vitamin E daily.11 > > Just because vitamin E helps protect the liver, however, does not > mean all antioxidants are equally helpful in liver-related problems. > Vitamin A, for example, can build to toxic levels in damaged livers.12 > > S-adenosyl-L-methionine and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) also help > maintain glutathione. Scientists are interested in these amino acids > because they may counter the altered biochemistry found in patients > with liver disease, such as the glutathione decrease caused by > alcohol and hepatitis. S-adenosyl-L-methionine prevented alcohol- > induced glutathione depletion in a baboon study.13 It is now being > tested on humans but is quite expensive. > > In a study of people with hepatitis C, 600 mg daily of NAC enhanced > the effectiveness of interferon therapy.14 However, another study did > not confirm this finding.15 Regardless, NAC protects against damaging > oxidant-producing immune factors called cytokines and chemokines > released in the liver in response to heavy-metal exposure.16 Some > researchers predict that future treatment of hepatitis C will depend > upon antioxidant therapies such as NAC.17 > > Eating cruciferous vegetables can enhance the liver's ability to > detoxify. Substances that harm the liver act synergistically. > Alcoholics, for example, are more susceptible than nonalcoholics to > other liver toxins, and people with hepatitis cannot tolerate > alcohol. Therefore, it is important for people who are at risk of > cirrhosis to avoid toxic chemicals and ensure their bodies' capacity > for detoxification is maximized. > > Here is where the cabbage family shines. The cruciferous vegetables > activate the liver's cytochrome P450 detoxification chain. Even more > exciting, researchers have recently found that brussels sprouts > stimulate the liver's Phase II enzymes—the first dietary component > shown to affect this important detoxification system. The cruciferous > vegetable family includes broccoli, cauliflower, kale, mustard > greens, radish, bok choy and brussels sprouts. > > Liver-Friendly Herbs > In addition to dietary modifications and nutritional supplements, > there are a variety of herbs with scientific evidence of liver- > supportive actions. > > Milk thistle (Silybum marianum), also called St. Mary's thistle or > mariana thistle, is the best-known liver tonic, having been described > in herbals since the late 1600s. Its most active constituent, > silymarin, is a powerful antioxidant that inhibits harmful oxidants > and prevents formation of leukotrienes, one type of dangerous oxidant > produced by the immune system. > > Silymarin not only prevents glutathione depletion but actually > increases quantities of it. As well, it has the ability to stimulate > protein synthesis in the liver.18-20 In recent experiments, silymarin > protected animals from radiation damage. A 100-mg/kg/day dose > protected rat livers from gamma radiation damage. Using 70 mg/kg > twice daily for two weeks or more repaired radiation damage.21 > Another study found that animals supplemented with silymarin did not > show damage from carbon tetrachloride, a substance commonly used to > induce liver destruction.22 > > However, a recent double-blind, controlled study of 200 alcoholic and > hepatitis C cirrhotics did not show a benefit from silymarin > supplementation. The subjects were given either 450 mg silymarin or > placebo daily for two years. Both groups had comparable numbers of > deaths during this time period—14 of those taking silymarin and 15 of > those taking placebo died—so it was determined that silymarin > supplementation did not influence survival.23 The study patients were > very ill to begin with, so perhaps silymarin would be more effective > in preventing than treating cirrhosis in those with existing liver > damage and in hepatitis patients who are not alcoholics.23 > > Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) leaves are another liver remedy. Recent > animal tests show supplementation with artichoke prevented a liver > toxin from causing oxidation, thus preventing glutathione > destruction.24 The active compound, cynarin, is found in highest > concentrations in the leaves. Chlorogenic acid and other antioxidants > are also present. > > Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), in the form of the injectable > active principle glycyrrhizin, a saponin glycoside, has been used for > liver problems in Japan for 20 years. Controlled trials have shown > that glycyrrhizin use in chronic hepatitis is associated with > improvement in liver enzymes. Liver biopsies confirmed that the liver > cells of those taking the compound vs. a placebo were healthier.25,26 > > Long-term supplementation with the Japanese glycyrrhizin medicine > Stronger Neo-Minophagen CTM (SNMC) has been found to prevent liver > cancer in people with hepatitis C. During a period of 10 years, the > control group had 2.5 times the liver-cancer rate as those treated > with the herb.27 Several mechanisms make glycyrrhizen efficacious > including stimulation of the cytochrome P450 system and disruption of > the hepatitis virus surface.28A similar compound called PotenliniTM, > used in China, is effective for cirrhosis caused by either hepatitis > or alcohol.29 The licorice extract is usually provided in an > injectable form, so it is not possible to compare these medicines > with oral licorice root consumption. Large amounts of licorice can > lead to hypertension and dangerous potassium depletion, so its use > should be supervised. > > For decades we have accepted that cirrhosis is not preventable, but > by putting together what we now know about the liver, there is hope. > One thing is certain: Relying on costly, unpleasant interferon and > antiviral therapy followed by exorbitantly expensive, often > unsuccessful liver transplants is not a rational way to approach the > current and growing cirrhosis epidemic. Health care practitioners > should encourage cost-effective nutrition therapies to slow or > prevent cirrhosis in the first place. > > Sidebars: > Diet For A Healthy Liver > > > > Marilyn Sterling, R.D., is a freelance writer, consultant and > practicing nutritionist in northern California. > > References > > 1. Hayashi H, et al. Improvement of serum aminotransferase levels > after phlebotomy in patients with chronic active hepatitis C and > excess hepatic iron. Am J Gastroenterol 1994;89:986-8. > > 2. Trotter JF, Brenner DA. Current and prospective therapies for > hepatic fibrosis. Compr Ther 1995 Jun;21(6):303-7. > > 3. Lieber CS. Alcohol and the liver: 1994 update. Gastroenterology > 1994 Apr;106(4):1085-105. > > 4. Chawla RK, et al. Biochemistry and pharmacology of S-adenosyl-L- > methionine and rationale for its use in liver disease. Drugs 1990;40 > (3 Suppl):98-110. > > 5. Cabre E, Gassull MA. Nutritional support in liver disease. Eur J > Gastroenterol Hepatol 1995;7(6):528-32. > > 6. Corrao G, Ferrari PA. Exploring the role of diet in modifying the > effect of known disease determinants: application to risk factors of > liver cirrhosis. Am J Epidemiol 1995 Dec 1;142(11):1136-46. > > 7. Nanji AA, et al. Dietary saturated fatty acids down-regulate > cyclooxygenase-2 and tumor necrosis factor alpha and reverse fibrosis > in alcohol-induced liver disease in the rat. Hepatology 1997 Dec;26 > (6):1538-45. > > 8. Pawlosky RJ, et al. The effects of low dietary levels of > polyunsaturates on alcohol-induced liver disease in rhesus monkeys. > Hepatology 1997 Dec;26(6):1386-92. > > 9. Comporti M, et al. Glutathione depletion: its effects on other > antioxidant systems and hepatocellular damage. Xenobiotica 1991 Aug;21 > (8):1067-76. > > 10. Houglum K, Venkataramani A. Pilot study of the effects of d- alpha- > tocopherol on hepatic stellate cell activation in chronic hepatitis > C. Gastroenterology 1997 Oct;113(4):1069-73. > > 11. von Herbay A, et al. Vitamin E improves the aminotransferase > status of patients suffering from viral hepatitis C: a randomized, > double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Free Radical Res 1997 Dec;27 > (6):599-605. > > 12. Russell RM. The impact of disease states as a modifying factor > for nutrition toxicity. Nutr Rev 1997 Feb;55(2):50-3. > > 13. Lieber CS. Susceptibility to alcohol-related liver injury. > Alcohol 1994;2 Suppl:315-26. > > 14. Beloqui 0, et al. N-acetyl cysteine enhances the response to > interferon-alpha in chronic hepatitis C: a pilot study. J Interferon > Res 1993;13:279-82. > > 15. Cimino L. Effect of N-acetyl-cysteine on lymphomonocyte > glutathione and response to interferon treatment in C-virus chronic > hepatitis. Italian J Gastroenterol Hepatol 1998 Apr;30(2):189-93. > > 16. Dong W, et al. Toxic metals stimulate inflammatory cytokines in > hepatocytes through oxidative stress mechanisms. Toxicol Appl > Pharmacol 1998 Aug;151(2):359-66. > > 17. Bonkovsky HL. Therapy of hepatitis C: other options. Hepatology > 1997 Sep;3(1 Suppl):143S-51S. > > 18. Flora K, et al. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) for the therapy > of liver disease. Am J Gastroenterol 1998 Feb;93(2):139-43. > > 19. Salmi HA, Sarna S. Effect of silymarin on chemical, functional > and morphological alteration of the liver: a double-blind controlled > study. Scandinavian J Gastroenterol 1982;17:417-21. > > 20. Boari C, et al. Occupational toxic liver diseases. Therapeutic > effects of silymarin. Min Med 1985;72(2):679-88. > > 21. Kropacova K, et al. Protective and therapeutic effect of > silymarin on the development of latent liver damage. Radiat Biol > Radioecol 1998 May;38(3):411-5. > > 22. Favari L, Perez-Alvarez V. Comparative effects of colchicine and > silymarin on CCl4-chronic liver damage in rats. Arch Med Res 1997;28 > (1):11-7. > > 23. Pares A, et al. Effects of silymarin in alcoholic patients with > cirrhosis of the liver: results of a controlled, double-blind, > randomized and multicenter trial. J Hepatol 1998 Apr;28(4):615-21. > > 24. Gebhardt R. Antioxidative and protective properties of extracts > from leaves of the artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) against > hydroperoxide-induced oxidative stress in cultured rat hepatocytes. > Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 1997 Jun;144(2):279-86. > > 25. van Rossum TG, et al. Review article: glycyrrhizin as a potential > treatment for chronic hepatitis C. Ailment Pharmacol Ther 1998 Mar;12 > (3):199-205. > > 26. Yamamura Y, et al. The relationship between pharmacokinetic > behaviour of glycyrrhizin and hepatic function in patients with acute > hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. Biopharm Drug Dispos 1995 Jan;16 (1):13- > 21. > > 27. Arase Y, et al. The long-term efficacy of glycyrrhizin in chronic > hepatitis C patients. Cancer 1997 Apr 15;79(8):1494-500. > > 28. Takahara T, et al. Effects of glycyrrhizin on hepatitis B surface > antigen: a biochemical and morphological study. J Hepatol 1994 Oct;21 > (4):601-9. > > 29. Wang JY, et al. Inhibitory effect of glycyrrhizin on NF-kappaB > binding activity in CCl4 plus ethanol-induced liver cirrhosis in > rats. Liver 1998 Jun;18(3):180-5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 20, 2004 Report Share Posted February 20, 2004 At 10:35 AM 2/20/2004, you wrote: >Do you have a link to the website u mentioned. >I will look in the meatime. >thanks everyone, Love & blessings,Morghana I presume you're using the heck out of Silymarin (Milk Thistle). I'm not earthstones, but I'll answer for him. http://www.herbalhealer.com/ Peace and Love, Byron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2004 Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 Thanks Byron, Yep you bet he is using Milk thistle & zinc to keep the ammonia levels down Also using selenium,vitamins C,E,B-complex,not eating meat to keep ammonia levels down-- Thanks for the link! Any crystal or gemstone reccomndations for liver? blessings,Morghana - In , Byron <byronksc@m...> wrote: > At 10:35 AM 2/20/2004, you wrote: > >Do you have a link to the website u mentioned. > >I will look in the meatime. > >thanks everyone, Love & blessings,Morghana > > > I presume you're using the heck out of Silymarin (Milk Thistle). > > I'm not earthstones, but I'll answer for him. > > http://www.herbalhealer.com/ > > Peace and Love, > Byron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2004 Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 Hi Morghana, >Any crystal or gemstone reccomndations for liver? I would think any stones that you would use for the Solar Plexus would be good for the liver. Here are some things I found for you: Liver-Carnelian, jacinth, topaz, citrine, golden beryl, malachite, rhodochrosite, emerald, yellow/brown jade, aquamarine Physically, peridot is said to release toxins and let them come to the surface, where they are neutralized by peridot's soothing energies. It can help your mental state by calling attention to problems so that you are able to deal with them. It is also said to benefit the heart, pancreas, spleen, liver, stomach, and the digestive tract. Peridot may also aid tissue regeneration. Brown Jasper is attuned to the energies of the Earth. This quality can help you find stability and balance. It is said to help your body cleanse itself from the negative effects of environmental pollutants and other toxins. This cleansing effect is said to improve the skin and also stimulate the cleansing organs such as the liver and kidneys. Bloodstone - Helps one to center and ground the heart to live in the " here and now " Assists in the access of, and communication with the ancestral spiritual realm Enhances the states of harmony, strength and adaptability Helps to instill unselfishness and idealism while enhancing creativity Works to purify the blood, kidneys, bladder and liver and aids in treating leukemia Flint - Assists in the transfer of thoughts, information, ideas and emotions Helps you to sever emotional ties which keep you bound to stressful situations Aids in viewing the " unknown " and provides insight to deal with contrary influences Can bring intellectual, psychological, rational and physical strength Used in treatment of kidney stones, calcium deposits and liver disorders Topaz is highly energizing and warming. It is used to stimulate the intellect; it aids abstract thinking and creativity from the mental level to concrete physical form. It is a stone of trust and protection; it draws out negativity, exhaustion, and tension. Place a Imperial Topaz in your home to protect against break-ins and fire. Physically, Imperial Topaz is said to increase blood circulation, aids liver and kidney diseases, and is for sexual dysfunction. It is also said to relieve the pain associated with arthritis and rheumatism. Blessings, - - - - - Janie Walk softly, Live gently ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Thoughts are Things, and They Create! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2004 Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 Reikiskhm wrote: >Hi Morghana, > > > >>Any crystal or gemstone reccomndations for liver? >> >> been a lot of good suggestions I have a stone that tells me its a stone for the liver I think its an agate in various shades of brown and red but I don't know the specific stone type . I'd also suggest if possible to include cantaloup and tea in the diet as well as milk Thistle I have a set of energies ( includes stone and milk thistle Shakti plus some others that chose to come in ) that has helped others in the past I've set up a trasmission and an attunement for these either or both of which can be called in and run fir self or others by intention just intend to get or run the P J'S liver shakti set 1 ( you can give it a new name if you choose too) Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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