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Is possible with a good diet to stop the progression?!
Hello everyone,
I have been diagnosed with hep C almost 6 month ago during a common blood test. After I have seeing a doctor he suggested me to wait (refering him the desease was in moderate stages) and to make regular blood tests every 6 months. I did some of those test yesterday and it came out these results
ALT (SGPT) 43.8 U/L
AST(SGOT) 39.4 U/L
Direct Billurbin 0.28 mg/dL
Indirect Bilurbin 0.44 mg/dL
Total bilurbin 0.72 mg/dL
Serum protein electrophresis
Fraction %
Albumin 56
Alpha 1 3.9
Alpha 2 8.9
Beta1 7.2
Beta2 6.4
Gamma 17.6
About 5 months ago I had these Results
ALT (SGPT) 56.8 U/L
AST(SGOT) 38.4 U/L
Direct Bilurbin 0.354 mg/dL
Indirect Bilurbin 0.61 mg/dL
Total bilurbin 0.962 mg/dL
Serum protein electrophresis
Fraction %
Albumin 55.1
Alpha 1 4
Alpha 2 10.9
Beta 9.7
Gamma 20.3
I also made a elastography test and before 5 months the max value was 7kPa now the max value is 6.5kPa and was not an enlarge liver like use to be months ago. During all this time I have been very careful with food eating only beans, cabbages, spinach, black rice, carrots a lot of kiwi, apples, home made cottage cheese, green tea, green salads, a lot of olive oil extra virgin homemade one, etc. Alcohol stopped, even smell it.
My question is that, Is it possible that through a good diet you might slow the progress of liver damages from Hep C virus?!
Best Answer
Curiosity got the best of me, and I spent an hour trying to find a direct comparison of Metavir fibrosis scores with MRI elastography scores. It's pretty hard, if not impossible, to find straightforward equivalencies, but I did find a number of studies that made more general comparisons . It would appear that your scores of 6.5 and 7.0 kPa are both still below the f2 equivalent, and are probably more like the low end of f1, so you probably do have time to wait for a safer treatment to hit the market.
I agree with Ceanothus that eating a healthy diet is a good idea. I do not know how much it may slow the progression, if at all, but eating healthy is definitely healthier for our bodies than not eating healthy. I also agree that drinking alcohol is a bad idea. Alcohol, as Ceanothus stated, does accelerates the disease progression.
Best of luck to you and I hope that you will be able to be treated successfully in the future.
Best of luck to you and I hope that you will be able to be treated successfully in the future.
This thread has been a good example of how this particular community is so good at self-correcting. Nobody gets away (for long) with posting info that isn't verifiable by published research somewhere. Doctors can be misinformed too, but published research has been through fairly rigorous peer-reviews by multiple other researchers in the field.
you are completely correct on alcohol metabolism.
i had received a DUI 17 years ago and i had to attend alcohol/drug class.i still remember just about everything teacher taught us(HE WAS A VERY GOOD TEACHER).i really listened and they had told us basically the same thing in CNA and aNatomy/physiology classes and even in microbiology classes i have taken.teacher said if we found ourselves in a social-setting w/ alcohol to always remember how long it takes for 1 drink to metabolize about 1 hour or so.ALWAYS REMEMBER 1DRINK=1HOUR--to always keep this in mind before any of us got behind the wheel of a car.i think this ladies' doc just wanted to do a scare-tactic for her not to even be tempted to drink period.
a good website to go to as far as diet and HCV is TheTruthAboutHepC.Org (or it maybe a .com)its good insight to look into that basically w/ having a genotype of "1"treatment they have right now is 50/50.BUT treatment thats gonna really bring those stats up will be available in about 2 years for the genotype 1's.
i think diets do matter greatly in this,water consumption and non-alcoholic behavior.its really helps for me to always remember EVERYTHING has to be filtered thru our livers.its been really hard to go w/o my famously wonderful sweettea that so many ppl. especially southerners have always enjoyed.but i bet i will start losing weight w/o so much sugar gone from my system.lol....I HAVE FELT LIKE I AM GOING ON INTO SUGAR-WITHDRAWALS,LOL..
there's so many questions we all personally need answered and many different opinions on this most serious matter.i am glad to absorb everybody's difference of opinions on HCV.
i had received a DUI 17 years ago and i had to attend alcohol/drug class.i still remember just about everything teacher taught us(HE WAS A VERY GOOD TEACHER).i really listened and they had told us basically the same thing in CNA and aNatomy/physiology classes and even in microbiology classes i have taken.teacher said if we found ourselves in a social-setting w/ alcohol to always remember how long it takes for 1 drink to metabolize about 1 hour or so.ALWAYS REMEMBER 1DRINK=1HOUR--to always keep this in mind before any of us got behind the wheel of a car.i think this ladies' doc just wanted to do a scare-tactic for her not to even be tempted to drink period.
a good website to go to as far as diet and HCV is TheTruthAboutHepC.Org (or it maybe a .com)its good insight to look into that basically w/ having a genotype of "1"treatment they have right now is 50/50.BUT treatment thats gonna really bring those stats up will be available in about 2 years for the genotype 1's.
i think diets do matter greatly in this,water consumption and non-alcoholic behavior.its really helps for me to always remember EVERYTHING has to be filtered thru our livers.its been really hard to go w/o my famously wonderful sweettea that so many ppl. especially southerners have always enjoyed.but i bet i will start losing weight w/o so much sugar gone from my system.lol....I HAVE FELT LIKE I AM GOING ON INTO SUGAR-WITHDRAWALS,LOL..
there's so many questions we all personally need answered and many different opinions on this most serious matter.i am glad to absorb everybody's difference of opinions on HCV.
1 nip/oz of alcohol takes approx one hour to be metabolized and to leave the body. You drink 12 drinks on a big night out til 2am, then you won't have a zero alcohol reading til 2pm the next day. Varies slightly between sexes and tolerance, but is the legal rule of thumb.
I also think that your treating doctors, prior to beginning HCV meds, would like you to abstain from alcohol for a period of time, to give your liver a rest, and to also lower your ALT, ALP, AST's etc. It is to give your body a better fighting chance at successful treatment.
Also, drinking during treatment not only compromises your liver's ability to deal with being bombed by the meds, but makes it very hard to adhere to a routine for taking meds etc.
I also think that your treating doctors, prior to beginning HCV meds, would like you to abstain from alcohol for a period of time, to give your liver a rest, and to also lower your ALT, ALP, AST's etc. It is to give your body a better fighting chance at successful treatment.
Also, drinking during treatment not only compromises your liver's ability to deal with being bombed by the meds, but makes it very hard to adhere to a routine for taking meds etc.
Going back to the original question :)
No, I do not think a healthy diet will stop the disease progression
To start with: what is healthy?
Secondly: I have been vegetarian for around 7 years, had only organic food, I have done one year only of raw food with fresh juices everyday
Did that slow down the disease?
NOPE !!!!
Did that stop the HCV triggering even cancer
NOPE !!!!!
I still eat healthy food though, I am just not making a big deal out of it as I was doing it before
Do I think that some supplements can slow down the disease? Yeah, problem is nobody knows exactly what is the combinations and how many grms/kg/tons of something you have to eat in order to slow down the disease. And when you say slow down - what does that mean exactely?
That we would have only one hepatic cell destroyed per second instead of 10 ?
Ummm, very little info around and not much is measurable
No, I do not think a healthy diet will stop the disease progression
To start with: what is healthy?
Secondly: I have been vegetarian for around 7 years, had only organic food, I have done one year only of raw food with fresh juices everyday
Did that slow down the disease?
NOPE !!!!
Did that stop the HCV triggering even cancer
NOPE !!!!!
I still eat healthy food though, I am just not making a big deal out of it as I was doing it before
Do I think that some supplements can slow down the disease? Yeah, problem is nobody knows exactly what is the combinations and how many grms/kg/tons of something you have to eat in order to slow down the disease. And when you say slow down - what does that mean exactely?
That we would have only one hepatic cell destroyed per second instead of 10 ?
Ummm, very little info around and not much is measurable
As a EMT worked Alcohol and Drug Detox Unit for extra hours. No it is not true. If it were we'd all be stumbling around drunk. I wouldn't ask my doctor that question either because he would think I am an idiot. Before we would release them back to work they had to have blood and urine tests. If their liver maintained the alcohol there would be no way in hell that they would be cleared. Detox units would be as full as jails.
Again, another reason to drink water. Was always told that if I was going out drinking to hydrated before and after.
Again, another reason to drink water. Was always told that if I was going out drinking to hydrated before and after.
Ask your doctor...as everyone should do. I Read all that before. Your right..
you can't go to jail for driving with traces of alcohol in the liver:). Ask your
doctor.
Best To You Pooh
you can't go to jail for driving with traces of alcohol in the liver:). Ask your
doctor.
Best To You Pooh
Happy another question, I was wondering if the Dr (s) were more along the homeopathic route. Many can be extreme with some of there advice. Just a question, I'm not picking on you.:). And toxins verses alcohol?? There's a difference.
Well if that Dr is correct, which i know he is not, my liver would probably weigh 100 lbs and be fully saturated with alcohol. Please dont light a match around me! I might blow up
Thanks. I myself was calculating how many new years eve parties are stuck in my liver.
Happy--yes I myself did the same thing about looking up the 6 months of not drinking prior to treatment. I never heard of that either. I also think impossible to enforce, how could they ever test for that.
I do know if your in a trial it would be required not to drink for them to get the optimum results, (numbers).
Happy--yes I myself did the same thing about looking up the 6 months of not drinking prior to treatment. I never heard of that either. I also think impossible to enforce, how could they ever test for that.
I do know if your in a trial it would be required not to drink for them to get the optimum results, (numbers).
"why don't you ask your doctor if its true. "
-----------------------------------
The main reason is because I know it is not true. In addition, I do not want my doctor to think that I am that ignorant.
"You are talking about apples and oranges. Anybody can reference
something from the Internet. "
-----------------------------------
No, I am talking about oranges and oranges. You said, "It takes 4 months for 1 alcoholic drink to process through your liver. "
Actually, "In general, the liver can process one ounce of liquor (or one standard drink) in one hour. "
http://brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/alcohol,_tobacco,_&_other_drugs/alcohol/alcohol_&_your_body.php
"How does alcohol move through the body?"
"Once swallowed, a drink enters the stomach and small intestine, where small blood vessels carry it to the bloodstream. Approximately 20% of alcohol is absorbed through the stomach and most of the remaining 80% is absorbed through the small intestine.
Alcohol is metabolized by the liver, where enzymes break down the alcohol. Understanding the rate of metabolism is critical to understanding the effects of alcohol.
In general, the liver can process one ounce of liquor (or one standard drink) in one hour.
If you consume more than this, your system becomes saturated, and the additional alcohol will accumulate in the blood and body tissues until it can be metabolized. This is why having a lot of shots or playing drinking games can result in high blood alcohol concentrations that last for several hours.
back to top"
http://brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/alcohol,_tobacco,_&_other_drugs/alcohol/alcohol_&_your_body.php
That article I linked to in the other post states:
"Alcohol Metabolism"
This Alcohol Alert explains, by understanding alcohol metabolism, we can learn how the body can dispose of alcohol and discern some of the factors that influence this process. Studying alcohol metabolism also can help us to understand how this process influences the metabolism of food, hormones, and medications.
Metabolism is the body's process of converting ingested substances to other compounds. Metabolism results in some substances becoming more, and some less, toxic than those originally ingested. Metabolism involves a number of processes, one of which is referred to as oxidation.
Through oxidation, alcohol is detoxified and removed from the blood, preventing the alcohol from accumulating and destroying cells and organs. A minute amount of alcohol escapes metabolism and is excreted unchanged in the breath and in urine. Until all the alcohol consumed has been metabolized, it is distributed throughout the body, affecting the brain and other tissues (1,2).
The Metabolic Process
When alcohol is consumed, it passes from the stomach and intestines into the blood, a process referred to as absorption. Alcohol is then metabolized by enzymes, which are body chemicals that break down other chemicals. In the liver, an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) mediates the conversion of alcohol to acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is rapidly converted to acetate by other enzymes and is eventually metabolized to carbon dioxide and water. Alcohol also is metabolized in the liver by the enzyme cytochrome P450IIE1 (CYP2E1), which may be increased after chronic drinking (3). Most of the alcohol consumed is metabolized in the liver, but the small quantity that remains unmetabolized permits alcohol concentration to be measured in breath and urine.
The liver can metabolize only a certain amount of alcohol per hour, regardless of the amount that has been consumed. The rate of alcohol metabolism depends, in part, on the amount of metabolizing enzymes in the liver, which varies among individuals and appears to have genetic determinants (1,4).
In general, after the consumption of one standard drink, the amount of alcohol in the drinker's blood (blood alcohol concentration, or BAC) peaks within 30 to 45 minutes. (A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits, all of which contain the same amount of alcohol.) The BAC curve, shown on the previous page, provides an estimate of the time needed to absorb and metabolize different amounts of alcohol (5). Alcohol is metabolized more slowly than it is absorbed. Since the metabolism of alcohol is slow, consumption needs to be controlled to prevent accumulation in the body and intoxication."
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa35.htm
-----------------------------------
The main reason is because I know it is not true. In addition, I do not want my doctor to think that I am that ignorant.
"You are talking about apples and oranges. Anybody can reference
something from the Internet. "
-----------------------------------
No, I am talking about oranges and oranges. You said, "It takes 4 months for 1 alcoholic drink to process through your liver. "
Actually, "In general, the liver can process one ounce of liquor (or one standard drink) in one hour. "
http://brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/alcohol,_tobacco,_&_other_drugs/alcohol/alcohol_&_your_body.php
"How does alcohol move through the body?"
"Once swallowed, a drink enters the stomach and small intestine, where small blood vessels carry it to the bloodstream. Approximately 20% of alcohol is absorbed through the stomach and most of the remaining 80% is absorbed through the small intestine.
Alcohol is metabolized by the liver, where enzymes break down the alcohol. Understanding the rate of metabolism is critical to understanding the effects of alcohol.
In general, the liver can process one ounce of liquor (or one standard drink) in one hour.
If you consume more than this, your system becomes saturated, and the additional alcohol will accumulate in the blood and body tissues until it can be metabolized. This is why having a lot of shots or playing drinking games can result in high blood alcohol concentrations that last for several hours.
back to top"
http://brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/alcohol,_tobacco,_&_other_drugs/alcohol/alcohol_&_your_body.php
That article I linked to in the other post states:
"Alcohol Metabolism"
This Alcohol Alert explains, by understanding alcohol metabolism, we can learn how the body can dispose of alcohol and discern some of the factors that influence this process. Studying alcohol metabolism also can help us to understand how this process influences the metabolism of food, hormones, and medications.
Metabolism is the body's process of converting ingested substances to other compounds. Metabolism results in some substances becoming more, and some less, toxic than those originally ingested. Metabolism involves a number of processes, one of which is referred to as oxidation.
Through oxidation, alcohol is detoxified and removed from the blood, preventing the alcohol from accumulating and destroying cells and organs. A minute amount of alcohol escapes metabolism and is excreted unchanged in the breath and in urine. Until all the alcohol consumed has been metabolized, it is distributed throughout the body, affecting the brain and other tissues (1,2).
The Metabolic Process
When alcohol is consumed, it passes from the stomach and intestines into the blood, a process referred to as absorption. Alcohol is then metabolized by enzymes, which are body chemicals that break down other chemicals. In the liver, an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) mediates the conversion of alcohol to acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is rapidly converted to acetate by other enzymes and is eventually metabolized to carbon dioxide and water. Alcohol also is metabolized in the liver by the enzyme cytochrome P450IIE1 (CYP2E1), which may be increased after chronic drinking (3). Most of the alcohol consumed is metabolized in the liver, but the small quantity that remains unmetabolized permits alcohol concentration to be measured in breath and urine.
The liver can metabolize only a certain amount of alcohol per hour, regardless of the amount that has been consumed. The rate of alcohol metabolism depends, in part, on the amount of metabolizing enzymes in the liver, which varies among individuals and appears to have genetic determinants (1,4).
In general, after the consumption of one standard drink, the amount of alcohol in the drinker's blood (blood alcohol concentration, or BAC) peaks within 30 to 45 minutes. (A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits, all of which contain the same amount of alcohol.) The BAC curve, shown on the previous page, provides an estimate of the time needed to absorb and metabolize different amounts of alcohol (5). Alcohol is metabolized more slowly than it is absorbed. Since the metabolism of alcohol is slow, consumption needs to be controlled to prevent accumulation in the body and intoxication."
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa35.htm
and can-do-man
Before you call something nonsense....why don't you ask your doctor if its true. You are talking about apples and oranges. Anybody can reference
something from the Internet.
Happy :)
Before you call something nonsense....why don't you ask your doctor if its true. You are talking about apples and oranges. Anybody can reference
something from the Internet.
Happy :)
Well if my doctor told me that nonsense I would find a new doctor, I guess I won't be sober until at least 2100....:)
and don'tworry_behappy1
I have no idea why a doctor would tell a patient that it takes 4 months for 1 alcoholic drink to process through the liver because it simply is not true.
If it were true, then a person could process only 3 drinks one year. If a person drank 1 glass of wine with dinner every night for a year in 1970, then it would take 120.666 years to process the daily glass of wine for that year alone.
If the person drank a glass of wine with dinner once a week for one year, then it would take 17.333 years to process that wine. In that scenario the person would just now be finishing processing the weekly glass of wine that he drank during the year in 1996.
Like I said, I have no idea why any doctor would ever tell a patient that kind of a story.
mzkity, I think this article will answer your questions about alcohol metabolism:
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa35.htm
I have no idea why a doctor would tell a patient that it takes 4 months for 1 alcoholic drink to process through the liver because it simply is not true.
If it were true, then a person could process only 3 drinks one year. If a person drank 1 glass of wine with dinner every night for a year in 1970, then it would take 120.666 years to process the daily glass of wine for that year alone.
If the person drank a glass of wine with dinner once a week for one year, then it would take 17.333 years to process that wine. In that scenario the person would just now be finishing processing the weekly glass of wine that he drank during the year in 1996.
Like I said, I have no idea why any doctor would ever tell a patient that kind of a story.
mzkity, I think this article will answer your questions about alcohol metabolism:
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa35.htm
I have had more than one doctor tell me that it takes a very longtime for toxins to leave your liver. I too started looking when it came up that doctors want people to wait 6 months after your last drink to start treatment. There was another post about why doctors want you to wait that long. I know it is a requirement of transplant patient and was surprised that its also required for Hepatitis C treatment. Toxin take time to leave your liver is what my doctor
implied... Alcohol is a toxin to your liver. Can't say I disagree with that.
Happy :)
implied... Alcohol is a toxin to your liver. Can't say I disagree with that.
Happy :)
I just kept searching and searching. But it was good because found other things about alcohol. Kind of on a campaign over here. Lol! :):)
Hi Kity,
It's not something that I found on the Internet. The best way for you to confirm that fact - is to ask your doctor.
Happy:)
It's not something that I found on the Internet. The best way for you to confirm that fact - is to ask your doctor.
Happy:)
Thank you for your reply. Yes it is phase 0-1. When I discover that I do have the Hep C it was devastating. I was shocked. I was feeling pain on my muscles legs and I was feeling very unpowered. so very depress like I was living the last days. I met doctor here and they told me that I must start the theraphy asap. After that I have decided to go in Italy where i meet one of the best doctors. I was lucky. After the examination of the blood test he told me that the desease was in a moderate stage and it was on my hand if I wanted to start treatment. Than I asked him based on his experience because by that time I was so decided to go through tx. He told me to wait a couple of years, meanwhile new treatments are on the way. So I decided to wait. By the way I have gen 1B.
Regards
e
Regards
e
Hi,
This site is the best for me. I discovered to have this disease in the middle of december 2012 by a routine blood test. I think I got it to the dentist and the damage coused up now to the liver I think are caused by the way I used to eat. I ate 2 times per day, morning and in the late afternoon and usually dry food, meat, fried patatos etc and all this time maybe I can have a macchiato and some water and all day long working.
Regards
n
This site is the best for me. I discovered to have this disease in the middle of december 2012 by a routine blood test. I think I got it to the dentist and the damage coused up now to the liver I think are caused by the way I used to eat. I ate 2 times per day, morning and in the late afternoon and usually dry food, meat, fried patatos etc and all this time maybe I can have a macchiato and some water and all day long working.
Regards
n
Hi Happy! Do you have any information on where you read that it takes 4 months to filter 1 alcoholic drink? I've searched and can't find that specific info. Let me know, thanks! Kitty
sounds like you are doing good,i was diagnosed w/ hcv 1a nov.30th 2012.i had biopsy today
my viralload is 329,720 as of nov.30th
protein 6.7
albumin 4.3
a/g ratio 1.8
globulin 2.4
alk.phos 55
alt 19
ast 16
total bilirubin .6
direct bilirubin .3
i have elevated iron levels -hemocrymotosis-meaning i will have to have iron stores removed before any treatment but there's studies showing ppl. w/ this usually don respond well to interferon treatment.
i hope biopsy shows little damage-whats has yr biopsy showed or are you scheduled for one yet?
i have heard to eat organic foods,drink half yr body of distilled ,not tap water if possible any more hints you are willing to share with me would be greatly appreciated
how long do you think you've had hcv and what genotype are you?
i keep reminding myself that everything we eat or drink has to be filtered by this most important organ.i didnt know it took 4 months for liver to breakdown one drink,this site is so helpful with me and this most serious disease,but seriously feel free to email me any hints-thank u
my viralload is 329,720 as of nov.30th
protein 6.7
albumin 4.3
a/g ratio 1.8
globulin 2.4
alk.phos 55
alt 19
ast 16
total bilirubin .6
direct bilirubin .3
i have elevated iron levels -hemocrymotosis-meaning i will have to have iron stores removed before any treatment but there's studies showing ppl. w/ this usually don respond well to interferon treatment.
i hope biopsy shows little damage-whats has yr biopsy showed or are you scheduled for one yet?
i have heard to eat organic foods,drink half yr body of distilled ,not tap water if possible any more hints you are willing to share with me would be greatly appreciated
how long do you think you've had hcv and what genotype are you?
i keep reminding myself that everything we eat or drink has to be filtered by this most important organ.i didnt know it took 4 months for liver to breakdown one drink,this site is so helpful with me and this most serious disease,but seriously feel free to email me any hints-thank u
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