Liver Disorders Treatment

The Facts on Liver Disorders

The liver is the largest internal organ in the body. Its main functions are to:

• metabolize most of the nutrients that are absorbed by the intestine
• store nutrients
• produce proteins
• detoxify blood by removing medications, alcohol, and potentially harmful chemicals from the bloodstream and treating them chemically so they can be excreted by digestive or urinary systems

Because the liver comes in close contact with many harmful substances, it is protected against disease in two main ways. First, it can regenerate itself by repairing or replacing injured tissue. Second, the liver has many cell units responsible for the same task. Therefore, if one area is injured, other cells will perform the functions of the injured section indefinitely or until the damage has been repaired.

Different types of liver disorders include hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver tumours, and liver abscess (collection of pus), just to name a few. The focus here will be the two most common forms: hepatitis and cirrhosis.

There is more than one type of hepatitis, and although they have similar symptoms, they're contracted in very different ways.

• Hepatitis A is the most common and the most infectious, spreading easily from person to person like most other viruses. It affects millions around the world and is responsible for more than 2 million deaths a year.
• Hepatitis B is acquired through exposure to infected blood, vaginal fluids, or semen. It's estimated that about 0.5% to 1% of Canadians have hepatitis B.
• Hepatitis C affects about 3.5 million North Americans. About 15% of those with hepatitis C may have been exposed to infected blood products before widespread blood testing began.
• Hepatitis D is unique because it can only affect those that already have hepatitis B.

The second type of liver disorder is called cirrhosis. It's a major cause of death in Canadian men aged 25 to 64. It is twice as common in men as in women and 30 times as common among heavy drinkers.

Causes of Liver Disorders

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can be caused by a virus, by inherited disorders, and sometimes by certain medications or toxins such as alcohol and drugs. Scientists have identified four main types of viral hepatitis: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and hepatitis D. A fifth type, hepatitis E, is generally not found in North America.

• Hepatitis A is waterborne and spread mainly via sewage and contaminated food and water.
• Hepatitis B is transmitted by contact with infected semen, blood, or vaginal secretions, and from mother to newborn. Hepatitis B is most commonly spread by unprotected sex and by sharing of infected needles (including those used for tattooing, acupuncture, and ear piercing).
• Hepatitis C spreads via direct blood-to-blood contact.
• Hepatitis D is spread by infected needles and blood transfusions.

Improved screening of donated blood has greatly reduced the risk of catching hepatitis B or C from blood transfusions. Both hepatitis B and C can be spread through sharing of razors, toothbrushes, and nail clippers.

The main cause of cirrhosis is chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus.Other causes include:

• long-term, excessive alcohol consumption
• chronic infection with hepatitis B virus
• inherited disorders of iron and copper metabolism
• severe reactions to certain medications
• fatty liver caused by obesity
• infections from bacteria and parasites usually found in the tropics
• repeated episodes of heart failure with liver congestion and bile-duct obstruction

With cirrhosis, the liver tissue is irreversibly and progressively destroyed as a result of infection, poison, or some other disease. Normal liver tissue is replaced by scars and areas of regenerating liver cells.

Symptoms and Complications of Liver Disorders

Both hepatitis and cirrhosis show few warning signs. In the acute phase of most forms of hepatitis, there are flu-like symptoms such as tiredness, fever, nausea, loss of appetite, and pain (usually under the ribs on the right side of the abdomen). There may also be some jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes.)

Following the acute stage, hepatitis A will be cleared from the body and lifelong immunity develops. In hepatitis B and C, viral particles may linger in the body producing a chronic infection that lasts for years. This can eventually lead to liver cirrhosis and, in some cases, liver cancer.

Signs and symptoms of cirrhosis include:

• abdominal pain
• general fatigue
• intestinal bleeding
• itching
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
• loss of interest in sex
• nausea and vomiting
• small red, spider-like blood vessels under the skin or easy bruising
• swelling in the abdomen and legs caused by fluid accumulation
• weakness
• weight loss

 Ayurvedic Herbs/ Ayurvedic Medicine for Treating Liver Disease:

Hepatitis A virus can be taken care of very easily with herbs. Many of the Ayurvedic herbs have shown remarkable results in clinical trials and studies. Some of these are Eclipta Alba (Bhringaraj), others are Boerhavia diffusa (Punarnava) , and Picrorhiza kurroa (Katuki). We can supply Concentrated Extracts in Tablet form of all these Herbs

It is recommend that people take these herbs on a prophylactic basis when travelling to parts of the world where hepatitis infection is a risk.

Ayurvedic Treatment for Hepatitis B / Hepatitis C :

HBV and HCV are more serious infections. We must be careful how we use Ayurvedic herbs for prevention of HBV and HCV. The herbs mentioned earlier have shown a protective action in HBV, and using them on a regular basis may be a good way to prevent HBV.

Ayurvedic medicines play a significant role in protecting the liver from cirrhosis and from liver cancer. Animal and clinical studies done with Phyllanthus Amarus, Phyllanthus Niruri, and Eclipta Alba have proven their ability to reverse HBV infections in approximately 60% to 70% of patients. More significantly, with these herbs we are able to stop the process, which leads to cirrhosis and cancer of the liver.

This means that even if we are not able to make some patients negative for HBV and HCV, we can still protect them from cirrhosis of the liver, in which the liver stops functioning, and liver cancer.

Take very good care of your health. To protect your liver, avoid alcohol and caffeine. Drink green tea, exercise, reduce stress, and use the herbs mentioned above. Give this hard-working and essential part of your body a rest and a tune-up, and you will be rewarded with better health, more energy and higher disease resistance.

Research work on Hepatoprotective Plants -

Andrographis paniculata (kalmegh):

Andrographolide, the active constituent isolated from the plant Andrographis paniculata, showed a significant dose dependent (0.75 - 12 mg/kg p.o. x7) protective activity against paracetamol-induced toxicity on ex vivo preparation of isolated rat hepatocytes. It significantly increased the percent viability of the hepatocytes as tested by trypan blue exclusion and oxygen uptake tests. It completely antagonized the toxic effects of paracetamol on certain enzymes (GOT, GPT and alkaline phosphatase) in serum as well as in isolated hepatic cells. Andrographolide was found to be more potent than silymarin, a standard hepatoprotective agent.

For centuries Andrographis has been an important herb in the Asian healing systems of Ayurveda, Unani and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Traditionally this herb has been used to potentiate immune system response to inflammation and infections, and as an anti-inflammatory, antipyretic (lowers fevers) and a hepatoprotective (liver protector).

1. Phyllanthus Amaris (Bhuiamala): Phyllanthus Amaris has been researched for its effects on hepatitis, and in 1988 Thyagaran et al. (ibid) reported that 22 of 37 cases of Hepatitis B lost their "carrier" status after using the herb for a month. In the placebo control group only 1 person out of 23 had equivalent results.
2. Boerhavia diffusa (Punarnava):An alcoholic extract of whole plant Boerhavia diffusa given orally exhibited hepatoprotective activity against experimentally induced carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity in rats and mice. The extract also produced an increase in normal bile flow in rats suggesting a strong choleretic activity. The extract does not show any signs of toxicity up to an oral dose of 2g/kg in mice. 
3. Eclipta alba (Bhringaraj):The hepatoprotective effect of the ethanol/water (1:1) extract of Eclipta alba was studied at subcellular levels in rats against (CCl4) -induced hepatotoxicity. The loss of hepatic lysomal acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase by (CCl4) was significantly restored by Ea. The study shows that hepatoprotective activity of Ea is by regulating the levels of hepatic microsomal drug metabolising enzymes. 
4. Swertia Chirata(Chirayata):Simultaneous treatments with S. Chirata (in different doses, viz, 20, 50, and 100 mg/kg body wt daily) and (CCl4) caused improvement at both biochemical and histopathological parameters compared to that of (CCl4) treatment alone but it was most effective when S. chirata was administered in a moderate dose (50 mg/kg body wt). 
5. Terminalia belerica(Baheda) :Compound I isolated from fraction TB5 of Terminalia belerica and finally identified as 3,4,5-trihydroxy benzoic acid (gallic acid) was evaluated for its hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) - induced physiological and biochemical alterations in the liver. Administration of compound I led to significant reversal of majority of the altered parameters. Our results confirm the presence of hepatoprotective activity in altered parameters. Our results confirm the presence of hepatoprotective activity in Compound I.
6. Tinospora cordifolia(Guduchi):Outstanding results in people suffering from jaundice have been obtained using a herb called Tinospora Cordifolia: In 1993, Rege et al. (ibid) used the herb in malignant obstructive jaundice: half of the group received conventional treatment - drugs and drainage - the other half were treated with drainage plus T. Cordifolia. After conclusion of treatment, 50% of the drug-treated group were found to have blood poisoning while none of the herb treated group developed this problem. After surgery, only 40% of the drug-treated group survived, whereas an amazing 92.4% 0f those treated with the herb lived.The hepatoprotective effect of T. Cordifolia has been studied in carbon tetrachloride induced liver damage in rats. While acute damage was enhanced by prior exposure to the drug, it proved effective in the prevention of fibrosis, and in stimulating regeneration of hepatic tissue.
7. Picrorhiza kuroa (Katuki): Picrorrhiza Kurroa is one of the herbs they recommend to support the liver not only in everyday situations, but in cases where severe viral infections attack: a 1996 study by Vaidya found protection against viral hepatitis, and other studies have demonstrated its helpfulness in protecting against alcohol.

The hepatoprotective activity of picroliv, the irridoid glycoside mixture from Picrorhiza kuroa, was determined in adult male albino rats. Pretreatment with picroliv prevented the hepatotoxic effects of paracetamol and galactosamine as evidenced by varios biochemical and histopathological observations. Maximum hepatoprotective effect was observed with daily oral doses of 6 and 12 mg/kg for 7 or 8 days. The antihepatotoxic action of picroliv seems likely due to an alteration in the biotransformation of the toxic substances resulting in decreased formation of reactive metabolites.