Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion, Fourth Edition (91 page)

Robert Cathcart, M.D., a long-standing advocate of complementary medicine, uses high doses of intravenous vitamin C for hepatitis. He found that with doses of 40 to 100 grams, he was able to greatly improve symptoms in two to four days and clear jaundice within six days. Other people have found similar effects. As little as 2 grams was able to prevent hepatitis B in hospitalized patients. However, there is little published research specifically on vitamin C and hepatitis.

At a minimum, I recommend taking 2,000 mg of vitamin C daily. Preferably, use dosages up to bowel tolerance and recalibrate your dosage every week. Determine your personalized dosage with a vitamin C flush. (See
Chapter 18
.)

Try milk thistle or Silybum marianum (silymarin).
Milk thistle has been used for liver protection for centuries and has few side effects. There is an ongoing human study sponsored by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the NIH. They hope the research will show whether silymarin reduces symptoms in people with hepatitis C and/or cirrhosis, whether it prevents the progression of liver disease in people with hepatitis C but who have normal liver enzyme levels, whether it helps clear up the infections, and finally whether it improves people’s quality of life. Another study at the NIH is looking at optimal dosages of silymarin. Silymarin has already been shown to be useful in people with cirrhosis caused by alcohol abuse. Look for a product that has been standardized for silymarin content. A company that has done that will clearly label it on the bottle. Take 420 mg daily.

Take zinc.
People with hepatitis are commonly zinc deficient. Zinc helps with healing of tissues and is important for prevention of scarring. Take 50 to 75 mg daily.

Try whey protein or transfer factor.
There are numerous studies on the use of transfer factor in people with hepatitis. They have been very positive. Transfer factor is isolated from cow colostrum and is loaded with protective antibodies that help us fight infection. A current study also demonstrates that a whey protein product called Immunocal was effective in patients with hepatitis B, but not hepatitis C. Take 12 to 30 grams of whey protein daily and 300 mg transfer factor, once or twice daily.

Try N-acetyl cysteine (NAC).
Several research studies have found that glutathione levels are inversely related to the viral loads for hepatitis B and C. German researchers found that when NAC was added to hepatitis cultures, viral load decreased 50-fold. Take 1,000 to 2,000 mcg twice daily.

Try lipoic acid.
Lipoic acid, also called thiotic acid, is a strong antioxidant and has been shown to be liver protective in mushroom and chemical poisoning. In studies with chemically induced hepatitis, lipoic acid has been shown to be effective in treatment. Take 200 to 300 mg twice daily.

Try S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe).
In one study, 220 patients with liver disease were given 1,600 mg of SAMe daily. Twenty-six percent of the participants had hepatitis. The study found the use of SAMe resulted in a reduction of symptoms of itching and fatigue and an improved sense of well-being. Laboratory testing confirmed these benefits with improvement of conjugated bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase, two laboratory markers that are elevated in people with hepatitis.

Take vitamin E.
People with hepatitis have lower levels of vitamin E. A 2001 pilot study published in
Antiviral Research
investigated people with hepatitis B. Thirty-two patients were given either 300 IU of vitamin E twice daily for three months or no treatment. They were followed for one year. In the vitamin E group, 47 percent (seven patients) had normalized ALT, a liver enzyme. Only one of the controls normalized ALT. Hepatitis B DNA was normalized in 53 percent of the vitamin E group and in only 18 percent of the control group. A normalization of both ALT and DNA was seen in 47 percent of the vitamin E group and none of the control group.

In another study, people with hepatitis B were given 600 IU of vitamin E daily for nine months. All symptoms of hepatitis disappeared in 5 of the 12 people tested.

In yet another study, looking this time at people with hepatitis C, there was some additional improvement when people were given 544 IU of vitamin E with interferon therapy. And in a different study, in which people with hepatitis C were given 400 IU of vitamin E twice daily for 12 weeks, there was improvement in 11 out of 23 patients (48 percent). ALT levels were decreased by 45 percent, and AST, a liver enzyme, decreased 37 percent after a six-month follow-up. Vitamin E is nontoxic and worth trying in all types of hepatitis. Take 600 to 1,000 IU of vitamin E daily. Look for d-alphatocopherol and mixed tocopherols, rather than dl-alphatocopherol.

Try Picrorhiza kurroa.
Picrorhiza, an herb commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine, has been less well studied than milk thistle, but studies indicate that it is equally effective with nearly identical effects. It has anti-inflammatory and liver-protective properties. Indian researchers also used Picrorhiza in acute hepatitis A and showed it to be helpful in a speedy recovery. Take 400 to 1,500 mg in capsules.

Try licorice.
Licorice has been shown to reduce elevated liver enzymes in people with hepatitis. It appears to be the glycyrrhizin that tempers NF-kappaB and inflammatory cytokines. It also naturally raises the body’s interferon levels. In Japan, it is often used intravenously for hepatitis B and C. Glycyrrhizin can elevate blood pressure levels, so use with caution.