Cirrhosis involves a harmful scarring of your liver, which is caused by chronic liver damage. Cirrhosis is often caused by hepatitis B or C infections, long-term alcoholism, some parasites, fatty liver disease, cystic fibrosis or certain conditions affecting the bile ducts. Only a few herbal remedies are effective in treating cirrhosis of the liver, all of which are rarely used alone to treat the disease.
Milk Thistle
If you have cirrhosis, taking milk thistle may help to protect your liver. In addition to cirrhosis of the liver, milk thistle is used in Europe to treat fatty liver, viral and alcoholic hepatitis and liver toxicity or poisoning, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Milk thistle contains the compound called silymarin, which has protective effects on the liver, says the University of Maryland Medical Center.
During a review of medical studies, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that milk thistle helped people with mild liver disease to improve their liver function. Milk thistle may not only improve your liver function if you have cirrhosis, but it may prolong your survival and reduce your risk of death from the disease, says the University of Michigan Health System.
For example, a double-blind study of 170 people with cirrhosis found that the participants who took milk thistle had a four-year survival rate of 58 percent. Also, a 2008 review of 19 clinical trials on milk thistle found that the herbal remedy was substantially more effective than placebo in decreasing death from cirrhosis of the liver, the University of Pittsburgh notes. The University of Maryland recommends taking a daily dose of 420 mg of milk thistle that's standardized to contain 70 to 80 percent silymarin.
Bupleurum
Taking bupleurum may help to reduce liver inflammation caused by cirrhosis, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. Bupleurum may also decrease your risks of liver cancer if you have cirrhosis. Bupleurum is the main herb in the Chinese formula called sho-saiko-to, which one preliminary study found to reduce liver cancer risks in cirrhosis patients when taken at a dosage of 2.5 grams, three times per day, notes the University of Michigan Health System.
Licorice
If you have hepatitis C and are at risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver, taking licorice may help. Preliminary studies in Japan have found that taking an intravenous formula of licorice root's glycyrrhizin, glycerine and cysteine helped to lower the risk of cirrhosis in people with hepatitis C, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. Licorice root taken orally is also used to treat liver diseases.
Peony
Another Chinese herbal formula called shakuyaku-kanzo-to may help to treat cirrhosis symptoms. This formula combines licorice root with white peony and is authorized for use in Japan by the country's Ministry of Health and Welfare to treat muscle cramps caused by liver cirrhosis, says the University of Michigan Health System.
