Cirrhosis
(see also Liver Problems)
Symptoms
Cirrhosis of the liver leads to the inflammation, degeneration and scarring of functional liver tissue. The disease is serious because the liver fulfills many vital purposes in the body, including the removal of toxins. The disease is irreversible, though its progress can usually be halted. Symptoms are vague, and often appear only when the condition is severe. Fatigue, nausea, appetite and weight loss, bloating, bowel irregularities and pressure just under the right ribs are the first signs. Bruising occurs easily because blood clotting is disturbed. Muscles sag, and the ankles and abdomen swell with water because the body lacks proteins, which the liver can no longer convert into a usable form. The lips, tongue and palms exhibit a shiny red color, and the skin and the whites of the eyes become yellow with jaundice. Milk-white nails also indicate cirrhosis. This is often accompanied by itching all over the body. In later stages, men become impotent and develop small breasts, and women stopmenstruating because the body's hormones can no longer be detoxified. If cirrhosis continues, the brain becomes affected with toxins the liver can no longer eliminate, leading to mental confusion and, finally, coma.
Cirrhosis Causes
About half of liver cirrhosis cases are caused by long-term alcohol abuse. The safe level of
alcohol consumption varies widely for each individual. Generally, women are much more prone to cirrhosis from alcohol consumption. Other causes of liver cirrhosis are lack of magnesium, long chloroform narcosis, infection with the hepatitis virus, and, rarely, an autoimmune disorder or other inflammatory liver diseases.
Cirrhosis Nutrition
Nutritional therapy is the key to the treatment of cirrhosis since the damage to the metabolic functions of the liver are most effectively influenced through diet. The diseased liver absorbs nutrients poorly and fresh fruits and vegetables, rich in enzymes, vitamins and minerals should be the main part of every meal. Eat them raw whenever possible so that heat-sensitive enzymes and other nutrients remain intact. Lemon juice is one of the best treatments to restore the liver. Squeeze the juice of half a fresh lemon into a glass of warm water and drink several times daily for two weeks. As a preventive measure drink a glass upon rising every morning.
The healing value of fresh fruits is clearly recognized. Cherries, bananas or grapes should be at the head of the list of foods to heal the liver. Their high potassium and low sodium (salt) content helps flush toxins through the kidneys, and the fiber they contain helps clear toxins through the colon. Fruit sugar (fructose) is extremely easy to assimilate and presents little or no burden on the liver, especially since fruit also contains the vitamins needed to digest sugar. The fructose in honey works similarly. As an occasional sweetener, honey is greatly superior to white sugar, which is absorbed five times as quickly as honey because it is stripped of nutrients.
Mashed potatoes are an ideal food to heal the liver, providing protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, enzymes and fiber as well as being low in salt and fat. Other root vegetables like carrots and red beets, as well as pumpkins and tomatoes, are also very well tolerated. Take them in the form of freshly pressed juices at first, then grated or lightly steamed. When recovery has begun, eat them as salads, which require more work by the digestive system. Avoid legumes, a compromised liver cannot tolerate them.
Unpasteurized, unhomogenized milk is a valuable food which provides protein, vitamins and lecithin. Lecithin contains choline, which hinders the formation of fatty deposits in the liver, and helps restore the liver's ability to neutralize toxins. Cultured milk products like natural, plain yogurt, kefir or quark are very easily digested because the milk sugar has already been partially broken down. Quark is the most easily tolerated protein source and helps rebuild hardened liver tissue. Quark with unrefined, cold-pressed flax seed oil is excellent medicine for an ailing liver. Tofu is another well-tolerated protein source.
Grains are valuable in a liver-healing diet for their B vitamins and other nutrients, especially if eaten freshly ground. The B complex vitamins are needed for carbohydrate and protein metabolism and support detoxification and enzyme reactions in the liver.
The by-products of meat digestion tax the liver. Do not eat any meat or sausages. Also prohibited are alcohol, coffee, spices, smoked or sour dishes, marinades, mayonnaise, margarine, fatty fried foods, unripe fruit, fresh white bread, pickles, green pepper, horseradish, mustard, pepper and ice-cold drinks.
Cirrhosis Nutritional Supplements
Since the liver is responsible for converting vitamins into a form the body can use, vitamin deficiencies are common in cirrhosis. Supplementation combined with a strict diet can replace these deficiencies and encourage recovery.
Choline and methionine are highly recommended to help protect the liver from damage. When an improved diet is followed, these
supplements can help reverse cirrhosis.
The B vitamins are highly dependent on the liver and usually need replacement. Vitamin B12 is particularly important and is best absorbed in a sublingual tablet that dissolves under the tongue.
Vitamin C protects the body and liver from damage by environmental and dietary toxins.
A good multivitamin should also be added to the regimen to compensate for other deficiencies. The liver stores the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E which should also be supplemented until health is restored.
Daily dosages:
Choline, 1,000 mg
Methionine, 1,000 mg
Vitamin B complex, 100 mg
Vitamin B12 sublingual tablet, 1,000 mcg
Vitamin C, with bioflavonoids,
1,000 mg three times daily
Multivitamin, as directed on the label
Vitamin A, 10,000 IU
Vitamin E, 400-800 IU
Cirrhosis Herbal Remedies
Herbs can effectively support a change in diet to strengthen the liver and eliminate toxins.
Milk thistle seeds protect liver cell
membranes and toxic substances are neutralized by the thistle's silymarin content. Milk thistle encourages liver cell renewal and repair. For best results, take 3 cups of milk thistle tea daily, a half hour before meals. Make tea with 1 tsp. crushed milk thistle seeds and 1 cup boiling water and steep for ten minutes. Add a few leaves of peppermint to flavor.
To improve circulation, combine 2 tbsp. each of horsetail, St. John's wort, lemon balm, yarrow and chicory. Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 tbsp. of this mix. Steep for ten minutes, strain and sip 1 cup slowly two to three times daily, one half hour before meals.
Dandelion stimulates liver functions and promotes bile flow. Take 1 tbsp. of fresh juice before meals, three times daily.
Black radish relaxes biliary ducts and also
promotes bile flow. Take 1 tbsp. of fresh
black radish juice before meals, three times daily.
Stinging nettle purifies the liver and eliminates toxins. Take 1 tbsp. of fresh juice before meals, three times daily.
Take 1 tbsp. of fresh artichoke juice before meals, three times daily to strengthen the liver and improve its detoxifying ability.
Red beet juice helps rebuild and strengthen the detoxification process. Take 1 tbsp., three to four times daily.
Place a hot hayflower pack over liver and
massage the whole body regularly.
Cirrhosis Homeopathy
The advice of a professional homeopathic practitioner should be sought for the treatment of cirrhosis. In the short-term, take the following remedies, 30c, four times daily for up to seven days.
Take Phosphorus for jaundice, empty or gnawing sensation in the stomach, craving for ice-cold water, tendency to bleed easily.
China is recommended for a swollen liver with pain under the right ribs and aggravated by slightest touch. The person feels cold and is sensitive to drafts. The stomach is full of wind but not relieved by belching.
Arsenicum album is used for fluid retention especially around the ankles and abdomen. The person feels worn out, chilly, restless, and worse between midnight and 2:00 AM.
Cirrhosis Tissue Salts
For relief of specific symptoms, see these sections: appetite loss, bloating, bruising, fatigue, itching, jaundice, liver problems and nausea.
Cirrhosis External/Physical Therapies
In acute cases, bedrest and diet are of utmost importance.
Regular warm packs and hydrotherapy douches for the liver are beneficial to increase circulation and remove toxins.
Reflexology
Work the reflexes of the liver, gall-bladder, kidneys, spine, intestines and colon.
Cirrhosis Other Suggestions
Emotional conflicts with a partner or family and anger can have a detrimental effect on the liver and should be resolved.
Abstain from alcohol and drugs of any kind.
Cirrhosis Available Brand Name Products
Nutritional Supplements
Flax Oil (Flora)
Flax-O-Mega 1000mg (Flora)
Udo's Choice: Ultimate Oil Blend
(Flora)
Udo's Choice: Ultimate Oil Blend Capsules (Flora)
Micel Vitamin A (Klaire Laboratories)
Flax Seed Oil 1000mg (Natural Factors)
Flax Seed Oil Liquid (Natural Factors)
Tri-Lipotropics (Natural Factors)
Ultra Prim Evening Primrose Oil
(Natural Factors)
Herbal Remedies
Horsetail Leaves (Flora)
Schoenenberger Artichoke Cellular Plant
Juice (Flora)
Schoenenberger Black Radish Cellular Plant
Juice (Flora)
Schoenenberger Dandelion Cellular Plant
Juice (Flora)
Schoenenberger Liver Cleanse Kit
(Flora)
Schoenenberger Red Beet Cellular Plant
Juice (Flora)
Silymarin Complex (Inno-Vite)
Milk Thistle Phytosome (Natural Factors)
St. John's Wort Extract
(Natural Factors)
Artichoke-Power (Nature's Herbs)
Milk Thistle-Power (Nature's Herbs)
Silica-Power (Nature's Herbs)
St. John's-Power (Nature's Herbs)
Yarrow Flowers (Nature's Herbs)
Liv Select (Sisu)
Milk Thistle Phytosome Complex (Sisu)
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