Liver health

 

 

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Liver

What may hurt:

GMO corn & soy

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)

Allopurinol

Alcohol

 

What may help:

Eating organic

Spirulina w/a vegetable

Milk thistle

N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC)

Acetyl glutathione, (lecithin) liposomal glutathione, intranasal glutathione

Probiotics

Coffee

Anti-inflammatories- alpha lipoic acid, turmeric (with a little black pepper), ginger, astaxanthin, boswellia, msm, PEA, resveratrol (red grapes/vinegar, cocoa)

Liposomal vitamin C (Mercola.com)

Brassica family (kale, broccoli, etc.)

Coconut oil/mct oil

Vitamin B complex

Zinc

Huaier granule

Carnitine

Adaptogens- Astragalus, Ashwaganda

Cordyceps mushroom (also organic medicinal mushroom mix)

Ginkgo

Roobios tea

Celery

dandelion leaves, rootd

yellow dock root

burdock root

Artichoke

basil

hibiscus tea

Aspirin

 

Liver functioning

What causes liver damage?

GMO corn & soy

GMO corn & soy is “Roundup Ready”, which means the herbicide glyphosate can be used on the plants in excess without killing them, only the weeds (until the weeds become resistant).  Glyphosate is a patented antibiotic (Patent No.: US 7771736), which may kill good bacteria in the gut, causing dysbiosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), & non-alcoholic steatohepatosis (NASH) even at ultra low doses in rats in one study.

Multiomics reveal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats following chronic exposure to an ultra-low dose of Roundup herbicide

Robin Mesnage, George Renney, Gilles-Eric Séralini, Malcolm Ward & Michael N. Antoniou

Scientific Reports 7, Article number: 39328 (2017)

doi:10.1038/srep39328

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/01/24/what-does-roundup-do-to-liver.aspx?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ms1&utm_campaign=20170205Z1&et_cid=DM133142&et_rid=1872629152

Killing the good bacteria in the gut also increases diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and cancer.  The World Health Organization (WHO) has judged glyphosate a probable carcinogen, the last step before naming it a definate cause of cancer.

New genetic research has found that GMO corn is substantially different from nonGMO corn, a finding that would have prevented it from being sold without extensive human testing and has caused the majority of countries around the world to ban it.

 

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)

HFCS, a sweetener found in processed foods, appears to significantly increase liver damage.  It is now hidden under other names for corn like dextrose & corn starch.

 

Allopurinol

Allopurinol for gout may damage the liver.

 

Green tea supplements

Taking 800mg or more of EGCG may increase liver damage risk.

EFSA Journal 4/18/18

 

What may help:

Organic

Eating organic is the only way to be safe, as studies are finding glyphosate in a large variety of nonorganic products as hundreds of crops are sprayed with it before harvest.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.fooddemocracynow.org/images/anresco_reports_food_testing_2016.pdf

http://www.ecowatch.com/monsanto-glyphosate-cheerios-2093130379.html

An integrated multi-omics analysis of the NK603 Roundup-tolerant GM maize reveals metabolism disturbances caused by the transformation process

Robin Mesnage, Sarah Z. Agapito-Tenfen, Vinicius Vilperte, George Renney, Malcolm Ward, Gilles-Eric Séralini, Rubens O. Nodari & Michael N. Antoniou

Scientific Reports 6, Article number: 37855 (2016)

doi:10.1038/srep37855

Cytotoxicity on human cells of Cry1Ab and

Cry1Ac Bt insecticidal toxins alone or with a glyphosate-based herbicide

R. Mesnage et al.

(wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI 10.1002/jat.2712

 

Spirulina- DHA & EPA omega 3 fatty acid

Fatty liver disease is often associated with obesity, alcohol and sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup and can cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis that can lead to liver damage and failure.  Treatments are to avoid alcohol and sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup and to lose weight, all of which have been shown to halt/reduce/reverse fatty liver disease.

DHA is an omega3 fatty acid found in fish (as is EPA) that eat the algae spirulina.   DHA has been shown in multiple studies on mice to prevent liver damage/hepatic steatosis (1,5,7,8,9), increase insulin sensitivity (5,8), and to significantly reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis in mice who had fatty liver disease (2).  DHA also prevented necroinflammatory liver injury in mice (3).  In human studies (adults (4) and children (6)) DHA & EPA reduced fatty liver fat (4,5) improved insulin sensitivity (6), and prevents liver damage (10) in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

The importance of this is significant, as many treatments for fatty liver disease rely on weight loss to reduce or reverse the fatty liver disease.  To find DHA stops the damage from fatty liver disease gives doctors a different way to help people protect themselves from further damage even if they can’t immediately lose enough weight to reverse the fatty liver disease.

DHA & EPA fatty acids have also been shown to work as strong as prescription antidepressants in improving mood, increase concentration/memory/test scores, and appear more than twice as effective against schizophrenia as prescription antipsychotics, and also help ADHD, autism, and bipolar disorder.  They appear to also lower LDL, blood pressure and high triglyceride levels in the blood and reduce inflammation in arthritis.

How to take

Organic spirulina is inexpensive in both powder or wafer (tablet) form.  I have found that it needs to be eaten in a meal with a vegetable in order to be fully usable.  DHA is also available as a spirulina extract, and in fish oil (much more expensive).

Depner CM, Traber MG, Bobe G, Kensicki E, Bohren KM, Milne G, et al. (2013) A Metabolomic Analysis of Omega-3 Fatty Acid-Mediated Attenuation of Western Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in LDLR-/- Mice. PLoS ONE 8(12): e83756. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0083756

J Nutr. 2013 Mar;143(3):315-23. doi: 10.3945/jn.112.171322. Epub 2013 Jan 9.

Docosahexaenoic acid attenuates hepatic inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis without decreasing hepatosteatosis in a Ldlr(-/-) mouse model of western diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Depner CM, Philbrick KA, Jump DB

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) blunts liver injury by conversion to protective lipid mediators: protectin D1 and 17S-hydroxy-DHA

Ana González-Périz et al.

The FASEB Journal December 2006 vol. 20 no. 14 2537-2539

doi: 10.1096/fj.06-6250fje

Hepatology. 2014 Oct;60(4):1211-21.

Effects of purified eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: results from the Welcome* study.

Scorletti E, Bhatia L, McCormick KG, Clough GF, Nash K, Hodson L, Moyses HE, Calder PC, Byrne CD; WELCOME Study.

Obesity-induced insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis are alleviated by ω-3 fatty acids: a role for resolvins and protectins

Ana González-Périz et al.

doi: 10.1096/fj.08-125674

The FASEB Journal June 2009 vol. 23 no. 6 1946-1957

Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation decreases liver fat content in children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: double-blind randomised controlled clinical trial

Valerio Nobili et al.

Arch Dis Child doi:10.1136/adc.2010.192401

 

ω-3 Fatty Acids Prevent Hepatic Steatosis, Independent of PPAR-α Activity, in a Murine Model of Parenteral Nutrition–Associated Liver Disease

Esther Prince, MD et al.

doi: 10.1177/0148607113491436

JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr July 2014 vol. 38 no. 5 608-616

Polyunsaturated fatty acids ameliorate hepatic steatosis in obese mice by SREBP-1 suppression

Motohiro Sekiya et al.

Hepatology Volume 38, Issue 6 December 2003 Pages 1529–1539

Pediatric Research (2005) 57, 445–452; doi:10.1203/01.PDR.0000153672.43030.75

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Prevents Hepatic Steatosis in a Murine Model of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Ian P J Alwayn et al.

P T. 2008 May; 33(5): 271–303.

PMCID: PMC2683599

Omega-3-acid Ethyl Esters (Lovaza) For Severe Hypertriglyceridemia

Renee R. Koski, PharmD, CACP

Prolonged n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation ameliorates hepatic steatosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a pilot study

M. CAPANNI et al.

Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Volume 23, Issue 8, pages 1143–1151, April 2006

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mnfr.200700399/abstract

http://journals.lww.com/jcge/Abstract/2008/04000/Highly_Purified_Eicosapentaenoic_Acid_Treatment.17.aspx

 

Probiotics & liver

Probiotics may help people with liver failure by reducing toxic byproducts from toxic bacteria & fungi.  Studies show the ones with the most types of probiotic bacteria are the most effective.

Your Health by Dr. Richard Becker and Cindy Becker

 

Milk thistle

Milk thistle appears to help heal & protect the liver, including against the toxic effects of chemotherapy & moderate blood sugar, lowers LDL cholesterol, and kill cancer cells, including ovarian cancer in studies.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959804903006245

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/107628003322256878?journalCode=act

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304383599002761

http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/v93/n2/abs/ajg1998644a.html

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/107555303765551633

 

Coffee

Coffee has been associated with lower liver cancer levels.  A 2007 meta-analysis found an increase in consumption of two cups of coffee per day was associated with a 43 percent reduced risk of liver cancer.  It also appears to slow down the progression of liver disease to cirrhosis, helps people with hepatitis C, and lowers the risk of death in people with cirrhosis.

Coffee Consumption and Risk of Liver Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Susanna C. Larssoncorrespondenceemail, Alicja Wolk

Division of Nutritional Epidemiology, The National Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Received: January 26, 2007; Accepted: March 8, 2007; Published Online: March 04, 2014

Article has an altmetric score of 131

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2007.03.044

Impact of coffee on liver diseases: a systematic review

Sammy Saab et al.

DOI: 10.1111/liv.12304

Liver International Volume 34, Issue 4, pages 495–504, April 2014

 

Vitamin B complex and carnitine

Vitamin B complex and the amino acid carnitine may help reduce liver inflammation.

Dr. Richard Becker and Cindy Becker on “Your Health” 01/12/17

 

Aspirin

Aspirin usage was associated with a 37% reduction in liver cancer for people with hepatitus B in one study.

American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). “Can an aspirin a day keep liver cancer away?.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 October 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171020093040.htm>.

 

Astragalus

Astragalus appears to help tissue in the liver recover from chronic infection and the heart in myocarditis.

http://ndnr.com/autoimmuneallergy-medicine/astragalus-use-of-the-herb-in-the-treatment-of-allergy-autoimmunity/

Chen H, Weng L. Comparison on efficacy in treating liver fibrosis of chronic hepatitis B between Astragalus Polygonum anti-fibrosis decoction and jinshuibao capsule. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2000;20(4):255-257.

Du X, Chen X, Zhao B, et al. Astragalus polysaccharides enhance the humoral and cellular immune responses of hepatitis B surface antigen vaccination through inhibiting the expression of transforming growth factor β and the frequency of regulatory T cells. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 2011;63(2):228-235.

Zheng J, Ma LT, Ren QY, et al. The influence of astragalus polysaccharide and ß-elemene on LX-2 cell growth, apoptosis and activation. BMC Gastroenterol. 2014;14(1):1196.

 

Huaier granule (Poria robiniophila extract) appears to improve survival in the treatment of liver cancer.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/897661

 

Prescription drug treatments

Immune checkpoint inhibitors and other medications & medical treatments appear to help increase survival in people with liver cancer:

lenvatinib (Lenvima)

cabozantinib (Cabometyx)

sorafenib (Nexavar)

nivolumab (Opdivo)

regorafinib (Stivarga)

Ramucirumab (Cyramza

transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)

Sorafenib (Nexavar) appears to work as well at lower dosages and with lower side effects than commonly used.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/881665

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/879283

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/874803

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/865648

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/885764

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/898412

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/891597

 

Immunotherapy

Cytokine-induced killer T-cells appears to siginficantly improve survival in liver cancer patients.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/895386

 

Other:

Cordyceps mushroom may help

Ginkgo may help prevent hepatitis from advancing to cancer

Roobios tea may increase cy450 production (enhancing liver function)

Liver supporting herbs (milk thistle, dandelion root, yellow dock root, burdock root, artichoke, basil)

 

Anti-inflammatory herbs appear to help liver recovery and stop liver damage:

Turmeric (with a little black pepper) may help stop jaundice, ginger, astaxanthin, boswellia, msm, PEA, resveratrol

kale, broccoli & other greens increase glutathione

N-acetyl-cysteine

Coconut oil/mct oil

Alpha lipoic acid

Medicinal mushroom mix (organic)

Ashwaganda

dandelion leaves, root

Liposomal vitamin C (Mercola.com)

hibiscus tea

 

A Promising All-Oral Regimen for HCV Infection Post–Liver Transplantation

Atif Zaman, MD, MPH Reviewing Kwo PY et al., N Engl J Med 2014 Nov 11;

A 24-week regimen of ombitasvir–ABT-450/r, dasabuvir, and ribavirin achieved sustained virologic response in 33 of 34 patients. Few serious adverse events occurred.

Susanna C. Larssoncorrespondenceemail, Alicja Wolk

Division of Nutritional Epidemiology, The National Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Received: January 26, 2007; Accepted: March 8, 2007; Published Online: March 04, 2014

Article has an altmetric score of 131

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2007.03.044

 

Surgery?

Radio frequency ablation (RFA) of a liver (or lung) tumor appears to significantly increase cancer survival vs other nonsurgical interventions, and is minimally invasive and repeatable as needed.

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1390475-overview?pa=QoxH3n%2F%2Fi%2FHINuRkP628sU1l%2FnZQe6hZcdHfzQ1XUjnmEyb2BMxIopFh1JBSC4kH43mU9jD%2B1DtnxY47OmyybA%3D%3D

 

About the author

MD has worked through severe lifelong developmental disabilities (and a brain injury) with much more success than the medical press suggests is possible. He is motivated to share his research and personal experiences with everyone who wants it, and doesn't solicit payment.