The liver, the largest organ inside the body, detoxifies nearly everything you ingest. In the process of detoxifying potentially harmful substances like alcohol and medications, the liver itself can become damaged. Viruses such as hepatitis C can also infect and damage the liver. Supplements intended to keep the liver healthy may have some benefit, although none has been proved completely effective. Some supplements can harm the liver; do not take any supplements if you have liver disease without getting clearance from your medical practitioner.
Commonly Used Supplements
Alternative practitioners use supplements to treat the liver. Some, like milk thistle and SAMe, have shown benefit in some studies but not others. Others, such as green tea, show promise as a liver tonic, but clinical studies vary too much in their design and methods to draw definite conclusions, Chinese researchers reported in the August 2008 issue of "Liver International." However, green tea may also have liver toxic effects, despite its potential benefits, NYU Langone Medical Center cautions.
Milk Thistle Evidence
A number of studies have been done on milk thistle, one of the most-used herbs to treat or prevent liver disease. Researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine reported in the February 2010 issue of "Gastroenterology" that milk thistle appeared to have antiviral effects in laboratory studies that might benefit people with hepatitis C. Large intravenous doses of milk thistle, also called silymarin, may slow the hepatitis C virus, Leonard Seeff, retired science officer of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases told the "Los Angeles Times" in March 2010. However, milk thistle taken orally in supplements for hepatitis C may not have the same effect. When researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tested large oral doses of milk thistle, blood levels did not rise to those found in people taking the herb intravenously, and liver function tests did not show improvement, according to the report published in the April 2010 issue of "Journal of Clinical Pharmacology."
SAMe Evidence
SAMe, which stands for S-Adenosylmethionine, is manufactured in adequate amounts by the body. A Spanish study published in the June 1999 issue of the "Journal of Hepatology" reported on the effects of SAMe given over a two-year period to 62 patients with cirrhosis. Another 61 received a placebo. When patients in the sickest group, Child classification C were excluded, those who received SAMe had significant reduction in mortality and need for liver transplantation, 12 percent, compared to 29 percent in the placebo group. However, other evidence has been inconsistent, NYU's Langone Center reports.
Risks
Herbal supplements that may have some benefit can be contaminated with toxins during the manufacturing process, Langone warns. If taking milk thistle, Seeff recommends taking pure milk thistle rather than milk thistle mixed with other ingredients. While there is still no proof that supplements will help liver disease, there are many cases of damage to the liver caused by dietary supplements, he adds. Do not take any herbal preparation, whether marketed as beneficial for liver health nor not, if you have existing liver disease without your doctor's approval.
References
- NYU Langone Medical Center: Liver Disease
- "Los Angeles Times;" Liver Supplements Don't Seeem to Offer Much Benefit; Chris Woolston; March 2010
- "Gastroenterology;"Silymarin Inhibits In Vitro T-cell Proliferation and Cytokine Production in Hepatitis C Virus Infection; C. Morishima, et al.; February 2010
- "Journal of Clinical Pharmacology;" Silymarin Ascending Multiple Oral Dosing Phase I Study in Noncirrhotic Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C; R. Hawke, et al.; April 2010
- "Liver International;"Green Tea Consumption and Liver Disease: A Systematic Review; X Jin, et al.; August 2008
- NYU Langone Medical Center: SAMEe (S-Adenosylmethionine)
