Zinc is a trace mineral with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that prevents cell death and protects your liver from disease, according to research conducted in 2007 by scientists at the University of Athens Medical School in Greece. The study also suggested that a dietary deficiency of zinc and low blood levels of the mineral increase your risk of liver diseases. Consult your doctor for more information about zinc and liver disease.
Alcoholic Liver Disease
Alcoholic liver disease results from drinking too much alcohol. Stages of the disease include fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. Fatty liver and alcoholic hepatitis are acute conditions that are generally treatable, whereas cirrhosis involves more serious, irreversible damage. Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro found that exposure to alcohol interferes with zinc metabolism, increasing the risk of liver disease. Zinc supplementation normalizes the mineral levels and reduces liver damage from alcohol.
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis, also called hepatic fibrosis, is characterized by scarring of liver tissue that results from long-term conditions such as alcoholism or hepatitis. Scar tissue is unable to store energy, produce proteins, fight infections or clean the blood. If left untreated, cirrhosis can lead to liver cancer in about 5 percent of patients. Scientists at Dubrava University Hospital in Zagreb, Croatia, found blood levels of zinc were lower in patients with cirrhosis compared to controls.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C, also called HCV, is one of several types of hepatitis. It is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus, which spreads through blood or sex and scars the tissue. Blood levels of zinc are associated with clinical severity in patients with hepatitis C virus, according to scientists at Nihon University School of Medicine in Tokyo. The cumulative survival rate is lower among patients with low blood levels of zinc than it is for patients with high levels of zinc, the study showed.
Zinc as Treatment
Zinc is effective in treating hepatitis C and cirrhosis, according to the Nihon University study. According to research published in 2009, zinc supplementation improved the long-term outcome for patients with cirrhosis or hepatitis C. Individuals whose zinc levels increased after supplementation had a lower incidence of the hepatitis C virus, the study said.
References
- "Digestive Diseases and Sciences"; Zinc and the Liver: An Active Interaction; Ioannis Stamoulis, et al.; Jul 2007
- Cleveland Clinic; Alcoholic Liver Disease; Kyrsten D. Fairbanks; 2011
- "Digestive Diseases and Sciences"; Zinc and Alcoholic Liver Disease; Zhanxiang Zhou; 2010
- Medline Plus; Cirrhosis; Feb. 4, 2011
- "Collegium Antropologicum"; Serum Concentration of Zinc, Copper, Manganese and Magnesium in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis; Dario Rahelic, et al.; Sep 2006
- Medline Plus; Hepatitis C; March 23, 2011
