Specific liver supplements such herbs, vitamins, minerals and amino acids may be safe and helpful adjuncts to medical advice and treatment from your physician. In evaluating the safety of liver supplements, much depends on your medical condition. In general, selenium, vitamin E, branched-chain amino acids and herbs such as boldo leaf and milk thistle are often recommended as effective liver supports.
Vitamin E and Selenium
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, a substance that stops free radical molecules from inflicting damage on your cells. If you have liver disease it can become difficult to metabolize fat, including necessary fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamin E, according to A. S. Henkel, M.D. writing on the Medscape web site. Vitamin E supplements can therefore be useful if your liver is stressed. Selenium is a mineral that activates white blood cells and improves immune system response. Supplementation with selenium has been shown to reduce the incident of viral hepatitis in people that are deficient in this mineral.
Amino Acids
Leucin, isoleucine and valine are branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs. Theses amino acids are critical to maintain human life. If you have severe liver disease, you may be deficient in BCAAs. According to the Healthnotes web site, some liver cirrhosis patients showed improvement with BCAA supplementation. Do not use BCAA supple,ments before talking with a qualified health practitioner. Those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, should avoid BCAA supplements.
Herbs
Milk thistle, baical skullcap, reishi and boldo are herbs that support the liver. Milk thistle has been the subject of numerous research studies. It acts to restore injured liver tissue, increases bile or digestive juice production, and lowers inflammation. Baical skullcap is native to China, Manchuria and Siberia and is a traditional Chinese medical herb. The root can protect liver tissue, cool inflammation, kills bacteria and viruses, and stimulate bile manufacture. Boldo leaf, a Central and South American plant, also acts as a liver protectant and tonic, and has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, according to Stephen Buhner Harrod, a clinical herbalist and author of "Herbs for Hepatitis C and the Liver" published in 2000.
Cautions
Do not use boldo or baical skullcap if you have obstructed bile ducts, according to Harrod. The University of Maryland Medical Center cautions against using milk thistle if you are on anti-psychotic, anti-anxiety, blood-thinning, allergy and high blood pressure medications. Other drugs that can interact adversely with milk thistle include acetaminophen, halothane and phenytoin. Some supplements, such as germander, black cohosh, gotu kola, germanium and nicotinic acid are toxic to the liver in general, according to a 2009 article in "Current Gastroenterology Reports."
References
- "Current Gastroenterology Reports"; Hepatotoxic Herbs: Will Injury Mechanisms Guide Treatment Strategies?; Thomas A. Frazier, M.D, et al.; August 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Possible Interactions with Milk Thistle
- Medscape; Nutritional Support in Chronic Liver Disease: Etiologies; A.S. Henkel, M.D.
- "Herbs for Hepatitis C and the Liver"; Stephen Harrod Buhner; 2000
- Healthnotes: Liver Cirrhosis
- Healthnotes: Branch-chained Amino Acids
