The Arizona Department of Health Services reports that some 4.1 million people are infected with hepatitis C in the United States. The good news from the Centers for Disease Control is that the number of newly diagnosed hepatitis C cases went down by more than 90 percent between 1982 and 2010. Interferon is the standard medication used to treat hepatitis infections, but this drug carries a plethora of very serious side effects. Natural products that cleanse the liver can also aid in the rejuvenation of this vital organ.
Herbs
The herb milk thistle has long been known to cleanse the liver and as a catalyst for liver regeneration. The liver is one of the unique organs in the body that is capable of "growing back." Bill Gottlieb, former editor-in-chief of "Prevention Magazine" and author of "Alternative Cures," recommends 900mg in divided doses per day of standardized milk thistle which includes 70 to 80 percent of the active ingredient, silymarin. If milk thistle is not available, a multi-herb supplement containing standardized silymarin of 10 to 50 percent, blended with other "liver-protecting herbs of turmeric, artichoke leaf, gentian and ginger" is sufficient. Follow label dosing directions.
Garlic, either in pill form or as a food, is a powerful anti-infective. Gottlieb recommends a daily dose of two to three capsules containing allicin, or 6,000 to 12,000mcg total, taken in divided doses. Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C., in her book, "Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing," recommends fumitory, a herb which stimulates bile production and liver strengthening. Check with a physician before using fumitory as this powerful herb has been shown to be toxic in large doses.
Diet
The liver functions principally as the body's toxin eliminator. When afflicted with hepatitis C, the liver performs at less than optimal levels and needs more natural foods free of toxins and chemicals. Balch and Gottlieb both recommend raw fruits and vegetables as the building blocks of a liver-strengthening diet. Animal protein, alcohol, caffeine, tap water, junk food, sugary foods and artificial sweeteners must be avoided until the liver begins to heal. Plant proteins, steam-distilled water and the plant-based sweetener stevia are good substitutes. Whole grains (breads, bulgur wheat, quinoa, barley and rice) loaded with vitamin B complex vitamins fortify the liver and help wash toxins out of the body.
Supplements
To protect and detoxify the liver of potent hepatotoxins, Balch states that 500mg twice daily of glutathione with an amino acid complex of L-arginine, L-cysteine and L-methionine should be taken with water. If 50mg of vitamin B6 and 100mg of Vitamin C are taken simultaneously, the glutathione is better absorbed.
References
- Arizona Department of Health Services: Hepatitis Program
- Centers for Disease Control: Statistics and Surveillance
- "Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch; 2000
- "Alternative Cures"; Bill Gottlieb; 2008
- "PDR Nurse's Drug Handbook 2010"; Thomson Reuters and Alexander Ivy; 2009
