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favorite herbals

I was wondering on here who takes liver supplements and if you do what are your favorite ones?I like to use Liver X by Mrm,Liv 52.and liver force that has reishi mushroom thats supposed to be good for the liver.and the liver X i use for the milk thistle and other good stuff in it.anyway let me know what you use
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Avatar universal
I guess its hard to dispute the studies on coffee and its benefits for the liver...funny tho just  2 years ago it was considered to progress liver damage..Maybe they should tell us all to down our RIBA with a double expresso
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Avatar universal
Since I don't believe the herbals will cure Hep C...., anyway, I can't take Milk Thistle.  I do take Omega 3 Fish Oil and I drink a ton of green tea, coffee and I take a Vit. D supplement and CoQ10,  a multivitamin w/NO IRON and low on the Vit. A amount in it and I take extra B vitamins as well..., none of this to cure the Hep C but to help me function better while I am waiting for a cure.  Also, it's been my personal experience in my own case that exercise has helped me the most.  I get worse when I get stressed out and then, 'working it out' , the stress, helps the impact balance out to where the stress don't effect me as bad.  If that makes any sense.

Susan400
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179856 tn?1333547362
My heart is so happy this morning ♥

I drink a buttload of coffee too - liver enzymes are around TEN consistently.  Also I eat cheeseburgers and pizza.  Either I am wonder woman or everything in moderation is OK (except on before or on treatment alcohol of course).

If we all have to sit around eating nothing but lettuce and brocoli for the rest of our lives then well there really wouldn't be too much too look forward to would there?

As far as supplements I believe a good old non-iron multi vitamin is all that you need. Or for post tx'ers it seems added vitamin D as well too.
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1116669 tn?1269143266
So then- I'm surprised that they have not been able to isolate those properties of or in coffee that galvanize such "hepa-protective" qualities for those of us that have some sort of intolerance or aversion to coffee. Also in the case of cirrhosis and increased portal pressure/varices per se I would think coffee/cafeine  would be contraindicated since often prescribed beta blockers (for portal pressure catalyzed varices) have the opposite effect of caffeine.
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Avatar universal
Protective effect of a coffee preparation (Nescafe pure(R)) against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in rats.
Shi H, **** L, Zhang Y, Bai Y, Zhao J, Zhang L.

Department of Gastroenterology, Second Affiliate Hospital of Xian Jiao tong University, Xian 710004, China.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We examined the effects of a coffee preparation on liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) and explored the possible mechanisms. METHODS: Rats were divided randomly into four groups: control, CCl(4), and two coffee preparation groups. Except for the control group, liver fibrosis was induced in male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats by subcutaneous injection with 40% CCl(4) twice a week for 8 weeks. At the same time, a coffee preparation (300 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg) was administered to the two coffee preparation groups intragastrically once daily. RESULTS: Upon pathological examination, a coffee preparation treatment significantly reduced liver damage and symptoms of liver fibrosis. The mRNA expression of collagen I, collagen III, bcl-2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) were markedly increased by CCl(4) treatment but suppressed by a coffee preparation treatment. Whereas compared with the CCl(4) group, the mRNA expression of Bax was increased in the coffee preparation group. The protein expression of Bax and bcl-2 were confirmed by western blot. Intragastric administration of a coffee preparation reduced the protein expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and the glucose-regulated proteins (GRP) 78 and 94 in rats increased by CCl(4). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that a coffee preparation can efficiently inhibit CCl(4)-induced liver fibrosis in rats. The coffee preparation may therefore be a potential functional food for preventing liver fibrosis. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

PMID: 20106566 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]


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Avatar universal
All im saying is...i dont like coffee,it may help with hep...but i fel ill when i drink it....i love the taste,just cant drink it

Fitoterapia. 2009 Oct 13. [Epub ahead of print]

Coffee and liver diseases.
Muriel P, Arauz J.

Departamento de Farmacología, Cinvestav-IPN., Apdo. Postal 14-740, México 07000, D.F., Mexico.

Coffee consumption is worldwide spread with few side effects. Interestingly, coffee intake has been inversely related to the serum enzyme activities gamma-glutamyltransferase, and alanine aminotransferase in studies performed in various countries. In addition, epidemiological results, taken together, indicate that coffee consumption is inversely related with hepatic cirrhosis; however, they cannot demonstrate a causative role of coffee with prevention of liver injury. Animal models and cell culture studies indicate that kahweol, diterpenes and cafestol (some coffee compounds) can function as blocking agents by modulating multiple enzymes involved in carcinogenic detoxification; these molecules also alter the xenotoxic metabolism by inducing the enzymes glutathione-S-transferase and inhibiting N-acetyltransferase. Drinking coffee has been associated with reduced risk of hepatic injury and cirrhosis, a major pathogenic step in the process of hepatocarcinogenesis, thus, the benefit that produces coffee consumption on hepatic cancer may be attributed to its inverse relation with cirrhosis, although allowance for clinical history of cirrhosis did not completely account for the inverse association. Therefore, it seems to be a continuum of the beneficial effect of coffee consumption on liver enzymes, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. At present, it seems reasonable to propose experiments with animal models of liver damage and to test the effect of coffee, and/or isolated compounds of this beverage, not only to evaluate the possible causative role of coffee but also its action mechanism. Clinical prospective double blind studies are also needed.

PMID: 19825397 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]


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Avatar universal
Should read:  AST 21  ALT 25
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Avatar universal
My blood values including my liver enzymes (21 ALT and 25 AST) are completely normal 6 months post tx even with relapse and I have stage 3/4 liver damage.  I drink and eat anything I want to and I take NO supplements and I drink a butt load of coffee.  So, there you go.

Trin
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979080 tn?1323433639
Rocker doesn`t buy coffee.

Do you know who funded those studies ?
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1116669 tn?1269143266
I'm not a coffee drinker myself because I'm not partial to the taste or effect but the evidence is there based on controlled studies. How do anemic superstitious statements like "I don't buy it" have any credibility. How does that serve a community of persons trying to defeat a life threatening pathology?
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Avatar universal
I still dont believe that coffee is good for the liver...thats just me..and i feel sick when i drink the stuff...now i dont think a cup or two is going to do much harm,but to load up on coffee just because we had a some media news out recently is reverses liver damage..i dont buy it...
Helpful - 0
979080 tn?1323433639
just luv my java.

i want to believe that study to since i love coffee.

however caffeine is a stimulant and needs to be broken down by the liver.

if roasted in oil particularly dark roast can have carcinogenics

caffeine restricts blood vessels and blood circulation particularly microcirculation

in the liver is important for transport nutrients but i guess that study proves it

all wrong.

one would need to ask the NCI  who funded the study. hope it was`nt

Juan Valdez
Helpful - 0
163305 tn?1333668571
What your husband is using seems to be working but it isn't a cheap regime is it?

After my liver transplant, I was determined to protect  my new liver.
I sprinkle lots of turmeric on my eggs and rice dishes and use cinnamon for glucose level.
I take milk thistle but I firmly believe coffee is helping the most.
I drink between 3-6 cups daily.

http://www.physorg.com/news175261769.html

Drinking coffee slows progression of liver disease in chronic hepatitis C sufferers
October 20, 2009 Patients with chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease who drink three or more cups of coffee per day have a 53% lower risk of liver disease progression than non-coffee drinkers according to a new study led by Neal Freedman, Ph.D., MPH, from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

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979080 tn?1323433639
i was dx in june09, started a very complex supplement protocol
with all the stuff onederwoman lists and more. result after 4 months
LFTs same elevation , viral load went from 38k to 99k.
in other words it did not do anything.
I than went on and did Dr.Zhang chinese medicine, ALA IVs and took Alinia.
My enzymes went as low as ALT 29 AST14 and my viral load 2 weeks ago
was 46K.
I am now about to tx since I have reason to believe that my liver is
some where in the muddy waters of the middle stages where nobody
can give you a 100% answer.

When it comes to supplements like everything else get tested !

- do Vit D test and supplement accordingly
- do serum iron and ferritin test and supplement Vit C accordingly
- I just did Vit E test and guess what ? I am to high which is not good for
  a fatsoluable Vit that gets stored in the liver, so I cut back

remember nothing is begnin , supplements are not regulated , many efficacy
claims are unproven , supplements are big business in this country and a lot
of the substances are now coming from China ?!

I personally prefer mine to be at least of european source especially ALA.


Helpful - 0
1021643 tn?1265573848
I just stop Tx, and want to buy milk thistle and more Vit.D3, I also take multi-vit and Vit C. Are you during Tx? My doctor tells me that I should not take too much herbs? during Tx.
Maybe little too much with Milk Thistle and LIV 52++ ?
If you start with tipple treatment, I assume that these herbs are waste of money, and ask your doctor about all herbs you take.
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Avatar universal
If you collect the water that runs out from your air conditioner,its the same water.It wall contain virtually any soluble pollutant in the air in contact with the condensate. That includes moisture from the sweat of the workers and other unpleasant materials.


http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/28475/Producing-drinking-water-from-air
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Avatar universal
Isnt that water machine pretty much a dehumidfier with filters?...like your supplements but ive herad too much vit A is not good.
Helpful - 0
482473 tn?1215475747
My husband has been taking them for 4 years now. He tried "the cure" 3 times to no avail. So now were in "maintenance mode" with him until the next few years when the cure for him come to fruition.
That means herbals, clean food, rest and no stress. Go to the MedHelp archives for lists of herbals. Ive seen alot of people "list" fantastic daily herbal items. Maybe consult your or a doctor too. My hubby works 10 hour shifts down in LA Harbor 5 days a week and is in stage 2-3ish, grade 2-3ish gyno type 1 and his VL is about 70,000,000! Besides fatigue, hes good to go! So in our opinion, hes kinda a poster boy for herbals at the moment. Heres what he takes.:
Pharm grade Omega-3
MRM Silymarin
MRM DEHA  50 mg
Selenium 400 MCG
Alpha Lipoic Acid  600mg
Milk Thistle  600mg
Jarrow Formulas Q-absorb Co-Q10  100mg
Jarrow Formulas B-right (B complex)
Jarrow Formulas N-A-C Sustain (N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine)
Jarrow Formulas MSM  1000mg
Vit A  10,000 IU
Vit C  500mg
Vit D  1,000 IU
I buy, cook, bake organic. I try to keep him away from sugar as the Virus LOVES sugar base products, ie (alcohol). We look at what goes in his mouth passes thru his liver and think, hummmmm, whats THIS gonna do if he eats it.
He drinks a boat load of water daily too. We have a machine that produces water from air. That way we know hes getting 99.999% clean H20.
I shop at Mothers, Sprouts, Henerys, Trader Joes and now, Fresh & Easy!
My hubbys 60 and everyone says he looks 50! Rides a crotch rocket gets my "honey do" list done on 1 of his days off. Id say hes pretty healthy other than the virus in him.
Good Luck!!

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