Liver Disease

Liver disease is also called hepatic disease. This broad term is used to describe what could be any number of diseases that affect the liver.

When the liver doesn’t work well because of disease, people will often get a second disease that is called jaundice.

Jaundice is caused by an increase in the bilirubin level in the blood.

Bilirubin is caused from the breakup of the hemoglobin in used red blood cells. If the liver is functioning correctly, it will remove the bilirubin from the body, excreting in bile.

When the liver isn’t working well the bilirubin levels increase and your body and eyes start to get a yellow cast to them. This is known as jaundice.

Other liver diseases include:

  • Hepatitis
  • Inflammation of the liver – which can be caused by various viruses, poisons, and alcohol
  • Autoimmunity or autoimmune hepatitis
  • Hereditary conditions – including haemochromatosis, which causes the accumulation of iron in the body that eventually leads to liver damage.
  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
  • Cirrhosis - This is the formation of fibrous tissue in the liver that comes from replacing dead liver cells. Liver cell death can be the result of viral hepatitis, alcoholism, or from coming into contact with other liver-toxic chemicals.

Natural Remedies for Liver Disease:

Many liver diseases come from incorrect eating patterns and excessive alcohol use. Drinking alcohol and obesity are two of the main causes of liver disease. If you start to lose weight and decrease or completely stop drinking, then the liver can sometimes repair itself.

But you need to eat healthy, drink plenty of fluids, and stay away from alcohol and sugar. There are other things you can do to strengthen your liver and help it repair any damage. These include:

Dandelions:

If you are using ones from your yard or garden, make sure they are pesticide free or you will only compound your liver problems. Dandelion leaves can be picked, washed, and mixed in with your salads. You can boil the root in a couple of cups of water and drink the tea.

Or you can find Dandelion tinctures or other forms of Dandelion extracts at your local health food store. Dandelion is extremely useful for creating liver health and increasing the health of related organs and glands. Dandelion is often recommended in the treatment of liver hepatitis and liver insufficiency.

Milk Thistle Seed Extract:

Milk Thistle Seed Extract, also called Silybum Marianum, and often referred to as "Mte," is used to treat liver problems and help the liver regenerate. It does a number of things including protecting the liver from toxins.

Here is how it works: Toxins, including alcohol which is the number one cause of Cirrhosis, will compete against the milk thistle seed extract for liver cell membrane space. The toxins will always lose to the much stronger Mte. With milk thistle seed extract covering the liver; it keeps harmful toxins from destroying the liver, and allowing the liver time to regenerate.

Milk Thistle Extract will also help in the following ways.

  • Increases protein synthesis, speeding up the regeneration of destroyed liver tissue.
  • It interferes with enterohepatic circulation. Interrupting the first absorption of toxins into the blood stream, helping to prevent re-absorption when the toxins are recycled.

    This means that cells that haven’t been poisoned are protected and now become sites for new liver cell growth. With enough time a full restoration of the liver can occur.