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Milk Thistle & Venison
How well does the liver benefit from it? I was taking it daily for over a year. I stopped and now it seems as if all heck is happening. IE: high blood pressure, platelet count drop, portal gastropathy.
Do you think i should start taking it again?
Also, we live on venison. I see alot of posts about not eating red meat. We do not eat beef. Only venison. No fat, no preservatives in it, like there is in beef.
Thank you. (Seeing my liver dr on friday - hoping to start the harvoni w/in the next 2 weeks)
Do you think i should start taking it again?
Also, we live on venison. I see alot of posts about not eating red meat. We do not eat beef. Only venison. No fat, no preservatives in it, like there is in beef.
Thank you. (Seeing my liver dr on friday - hoping to start the harvoni w/in the next 2 weeks)
One more thought about milk thistle, don't use it while on hep C treatment. It may protect the liver so well that it affects the meds you take.
Again, good luck.
OH
Again, good luck.
OH
People in Europe have used milk thistle for generations and claim it does help the liver. The problem with supplements is it's hard to know how potent any of them are.
As for eating red meat, and venison is red meat, the problem is when you have decompensated cirrhosis. Red meat can increase the ammonia levels which. in those with severe cirrhosis, cause hepatic encephalopathy.
Simply put, HE makes you goofy in the head.
If you do have advanced cirrhosis, you still need protein. Eat poultry, fish, tofu and eggs as well as beans.
If you compensated cirrhosis, venison should be okay.
Good luck.
As for eating red meat, and venison is red meat, the problem is when you have decompensated cirrhosis. Red meat can increase the ammonia levels which. in those with severe cirrhosis, cause hepatic encephalopathy.
Simply put, HE makes you goofy in the head.
If you do have advanced cirrhosis, you still need protein. Eat poultry, fish, tofu and eggs as well as beans.
If you compensated cirrhosis, venison should be okay.
Good luck.
Very good information Lynn! I found a bit more. Shovel has your doctor said anything about eating? I think deer meat is fine but that is just me.
Effects
If your body cannot break down red meat properly or you consume a greater than manageable amount of red meat, the waste products can build up. These toxins can affect your brain functioning, contributing to a condition known as hepatic encephalopathy. Because each person may react differently to red meat intake, pay attention to your body for signs like mental confusion, fatigue or dizziness when you eat red meat.
Red Meats and Fats
In addition to being high in protein, red meat is high in fats, which can be troublesome for the liver. "Even the leanest cuts of meat are high in fat content," according to Melissa Palmer, M.D., a physician writing on LiverDisease.com. "In fact, approximately 50 to 75 percent of calories from most red meats actually come from fat." While you should have some aspect of fats in your diet, red meat contains saturated fats, which can contribute to high cholesterol and heart disease, and can be especially harmful when you have liver disease.
Tolerated Protein
When you have liver disease, certain proteins may be better tolerated than others, according to the Hepatitis Foundation International. If your liver disease is advanced and your liver is able to break down few proteins, red meat may not be tolerated as effectively as vegetable and dairy proteins. Talk to your physician about how eating red meat may affect your stage of liver disease. Your physician may recommend eating a small serving size of lean red meat -- about 4 oz. -- as an occasional option.
A family member has arteriosclerosis and they found a blockage in her heart. She decided to try to heal herself and was able to do so with something called "The Rice Diet". She was told by the people at Duke U not to eat any meat at all. They said the best thing she could eat would be salmon a couple of times a week.
She did this and was able to get rid of the blockage without surgery.
Effects
If your body cannot break down red meat properly or you consume a greater than manageable amount of red meat, the waste products can build up. These toxins can affect your brain functioning, contributing to a condition known as hepatic encephalopathy. Because each person may react differently to red meat intake, pay attention to your body for signs like mental confusion, fatigue or dizziness when you eat red meat.
Red Meats and Fats
In addition to being high in protein, red meat is high in fats, which can be troublesome for the liver. "Even the leanest cuts of meat are high in fat content," according to Melissa Palmer, M.D., a physician writing on LiverDisease.com. "In fact, approximately 50 to 75 percent of calories from most red meats actually come from fat." While you should have some aspect of fats in your diet, red meat contains saturated fats, which can contribute to high cholesterol and heart disease, and can be especially harmful when you have liver disease.
Tolerated Protein
When you have liver disease, certain proteins may be better tolerated than others, according to the Hepatitis Foundation International. If your liver disease is advanced and your liver is able to break down few proteins, red meat may not be tolerated as effectively as vegetable and dairy proteins. Talk to your physician about how eating red meat may affect your stage of liver disease. Your physician may recommend eating a small serving size of lean red meat -- about 4 oz. -- as an occasional option.
A family member has arteriosclerosis and they found a blockage in her heart. She decided to try to heal herself and was able to do so with something called "The Rice Diet". She was told by the people at Duke U not to eat any meat at all. They said the best thing she could eat would be salmon a couple of times a week.
She did this and was able to get rid of the blockage without surgery.
Milk thistle has not been shown to have any effect on liver damage.
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/milk-thistle-benefits-and-side-effects#2
Does Milk Thistle Work?
Silymarin is the main active ingredient in milk thistle. Silymarin is both an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It’s unclear what benefits, if any, this may have in the body.
Is Milk Thistle Good for the Liver?
At this point, there is not enough scientific data to say whether or not milk thistle can help liver problems. Some early research suggests milk thistle may aid people with alcohol-related liver disease. Other studies show no improvement in liver function in this group of people.
Some studies also show milk thistle may offer a possible benefit for people whose liver is damaged by industrial toxins, such as toluene and xylene.
More information is needed before doctors can say milk thistle actually benefits the liver.
All the thing you list are symptoms of cirrhosis which cannot be cured only stop the progression by stopping the root cause of cirrhosis be it stopping alcohol or eradicating the hep c virus for examples.
If the damage is stopped there are some studies that indicate that the damage to the liver may be able to reverse over time.
There is no food you can eat or herbal medication you can take that will help. There are foods and herbals that can cause additional harm especially if you have decompensated cirrhosis.
http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/patient/complications/cirrhosis/symptoms.asp
What are the symptoms of cirrhosis?Cirrhosis
At first, you may have no symptoms at all (this is called compensated cirrhosis). In fact, a person may live many years with cirrhosis without being aware that his or her liver is scarred. This is because the pressure in the portal vein is not yet too high and there are still enough healthy liver cells to keep up with the body's needs.
But if nothing is done about the cause of cirrhosis (if you continue to drink, for example) or if your hepatitis is not treated, the pressure in the portal vein gets higher and the few remaining worker cells get overwhelmed.
Then you may notice symptoms like low energy, poor appetite, weight loss, or loss of muscle mass. You can also develop the following serious problems: (1) internal bleeding from large blood vessels in the esophagus, called bleeding varices; (2) a buildup of fluid in the belly, called ascites (pronounced "a-sigh-tees"); (3) confusion from the buildup of toxins in the blood, called encephalopathy (pronounced "en-sef-a-lop-a-thee"); or (4) yellowing of the eyes and skin, called jaundice.
As mentioned earlier, another serious complication of cirrhosis is liver cancer, which may occur in the compensated or decompensated stage. There may be no signs of liver cancer until the cancer has grown very large and causes pain.
The problem with red meat is the protein which venison is also rick in protein which can be a problem in advanced cirrhosis as excess protein has been associated with increased episodes of hepatic encephalopathy but there are differing opinions about protein intake and cirrhosis so best to ask your doctor is eating protein is safe for you.
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/milk-thistle-benefits-and-side-effects#2
Does Milk Thistle Work?
Silymarin is the main active ingredient in milk thistle. Silymarin is both an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It’s unclear what benefits, if any, this may have in the body.
Is Milk Thistle Good for the Liver?
At this point, there is not enough scientific data to say whether or not milk thistle can help liver problems. Some early research suggests milk thistle may aid people with alcohol-related liver disease. Other studies show no improvement in liver function in this group of people.
Some studies also show milk thistle may offer a possible benefit for people whose liver is damaged by industrial toxins, such as toluene and xylene.
More information is needed before doctors can say milk thistle actually benefits the liver.
All the thing you list are symptoms of cirrhosis which cannot be cured only stop the progression by stopping the root cause of cirrhosis be it stopping alcohol or eradicating the hep c virus for examples.
If the damage is stopped there are some studies that indicate that the damage to the liver may be able to reverse over time.
There is no food you can eat or herbal medication you can take that will help. There are foods and herbals that can cause additional harm especially if you have decompensated cirrhosis.
http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/patient/complications/cirrhosis/symptoms.asp
What are the symptoms of cirrhosis?Cirrhosis
At first, you may have no symptoms at all (this is called compensated cirrhosis). In fact, a person may live many years with cirrhosis without being aware that his or her liver is scarred. This is because the pressure in the portal vein is not yet too high and there are still enough healthy liver cells to keep up with the body's needs.
But if nothing is done about the cause of cirrhosis (if you continue to drink, for example) or if your hepatitis is not treated, the pressure in the portal vein gets higher and the few remaining worker cells get overwhelmed.
Then you may notice symptoms like low energy, poor appetite, weight loss, or loss of muscle mass. You can also develop the following serious problems: (1) internal bleeding from large blood vessels in the esophagus, called bleeding varices; (2) a buildup of fluid in the belly, called ascites (pronounced "a-sigh-tees"); (3) confusion from the buildup of toxins in the blood, called encephalopathy (pronounced "en-sef-a-lop-a-thee"); or (4) yellowing of the eyes and skin, called jaundice.
As mentioned earlier, another serious complication of cirrhosis is liver cancer, which may occur in the compensated or decompensated stage. There may be no signs of liver cancer until the cancer has grown very large and causes pain.
The problem with red meat is the protein which venison is also rick in protein which can be a problem in advanced cirrhosis as excess protein has been associated with increased episodes of hepatic encephalopathy but there are differing opinions about protein intake and cirrhosis so best to ask your doctor is eating protein is safe for you.
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