15 Ways to Love Your Liver

There must be FIFTEEN WAYS TO LOVE YOUR LIVER

1. Put the six-pack back, Jack Half of all the alcohol consumed in America is consumed by only ten percent of the population. One in three adult Americans is a heavy drinker, with a sufficient liquor habit to be indistinguishable from an alcoholic. Such behavior wrecks livers.

Cirrhosis Cirrhosis of the liver is a rather rare disease, except among alcoholics... who make it the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S.! And it is 4th or 5th, in large cities among adult men. It usually takes a half quart of whiskey daily for ten years to abuse the liver to the point of cirrhosis.

The fibrous tissue that replaces normal liver in cirrhosis causes decreased liver function. Of course this leads to fluid buildup, jaundice and perhaps cancer of the liver. Cirrhosis is fairly easy to arrest by stopping alcohol. But cure is difficult and generally considered impossible. Well, as they say in the Marines, the difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer.

Reversing cirrhosis is reduced to being merely very difficult if you employ the Gerson program (referenced below) and very high doses of vitamin C and B-complex vitamins. Corticosteroids (such as Prednisone) are commonly tried but the side effects are undesirable, and the drug is probably ineffective.

Prevention is the way to go: stop drinking. Sure, as W. C. Fields said, "It's easy to give up drinking; I've done it a thousand times.' But consider this: Fields, the highest paid comic of his time, who drank over a quart of hard liquor a day, was dead at age 66. That's not so funny.

2. Avoid the virus, Iris Hepatitis Acute viral hepatitis, or "infectious hepatitis" is now called hepatitis A. "Chronic," "long incubation," "serum," and "posttransfusion" are now called type B. Non-A non-B may be more than one agent. All respond remarkably well to very large doses of vitamin C, the B-complex vitamins and the Gerson therapy, described below.

3. Take a lot more "C," Lee Vincent Zannoni at the University of Michigan Medical School has shown that vitamin C protects the liver. Even doses as low as 500 milligrams daily helps prevent fatty buildup and cirrhosis. 5,000 mg of vitamin C per day appears to actually flush fats from the liver. (Ritter, M. "Study Says Vitamin C Could Cut Liver Damage," Associated Press, October 11, 1986) And vitamin C over 50,000 mg/day (not a misprint) results in patients feeling better in just a few days, and actually eliminates jaundice in under a week. (Cathcart, Robert F. III (1981) The method of determining proper doses of vitamin C for the treatment of disease by titrating to bowel tolerance. Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry. 10:125-132.) Frederick Klenner, MD, found that such huge doses of vitamin C had his patients recovered and back to work in under a week. (Klenner, Frederick R. (1971) Observations on the dose of administration of ascorbic acid when employed beyond the range of a vitamin in human pathology. Journal of Applied Nutrition. 23(3 and 4), pp 61-68, Winter.) These and additional references are found in the highly-recommended book by Melvyn Werbach, M.D. (1988) Nutritional Influences on Illness. New Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing.

Immediate and detailed information on vitamin C dosage and administration, written by medical doctors, will be found at

http://www.doctoryourself.com/titration.html http://www.doctoryourself.com/ortho_c.html http://www.doctoryourself.com/klenner_table.html http://www.doctoryourself.com/klennerpaper.html    

4. Don't trust in a shot, Dot Even if you choose to vaccinate, it is immeasurably reassuring to remember this: Dr. Klenner showed that very large doses of vitamin C (between 500 to 900 mg per kilogram body weight per day) can cure hepatitis in as little as two to four days (Smith, L. H., ed. Clinical Guide to the Use of Vitamin C, Life Science Press, Tacoma Washington, 1988, pp 22-23).

5. Take vitamin B, Dee Especially vitamin B-12, which significantly reduces jaundice, anorexia, serum bilirubin, and recovery time. (Jain, A.S.C., Mukerji, D. P (1960) Observations on the therapeutic value of intravenous B-12 in infective hepatitis. Journal of the Indian Medical Association. 35:502-5; also Campbell, R. E. and Pruitt, F.W. (1952) Vitamin B-12 in the treatment of viral hepatitis. American Journal of Medical Science, 224:252) B-12 is most effective if administered by injection, which your doctor can easily arrange. If injection is not an option, there is an intra-nasal gel that improves absorption. B-12 is non-prescription, utterly non-toxic, and has no contraindications and no negative side effects.

6. Eat veggies and greens, Gene The fiber and abundant nutrients in vegetables are a sure way to improve the health of practically any organ you can name, especially the liver. Vegetables are esentially fat-free. And, they are rich in the B-vitamin folic acid. (Folic, like in foliage. Neat, huh?) Folate has been shown to help shorten the recovery time for viral hepatitis. (Campbell, R. E. and Pruitt, F. W. (1955) The effect of vitamin B-12 and folic acid in the treatment of viral hepatitis. American Journal of Medical Science, 229:8)

7. Eat your food raw, Paw Or at least as much of it as you can. Max Gerson, M.D. believed that cancer in general is a disease of the liver even if occurring elsewhere in the body. Gerson's nutritional therapy is a raw-foods protocol that is often very effective against cancer, as well as lesser diseases. Cancer in the liver itself is often due to environmental toxins, such as dry-cleaning fluids. I have personally seen a terminal liver cancer case (and the patient had indeed been a dry cleaner for many years) vastly improved with the Gerson program. Full dietary details are provided in his book A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases.

8. Get off the drugs, Doug Illegal drugs of all sorts (and not a few prescription drugs as well) are rough on the liver. This includes anabolic steroids. The liver is the main chemical detoxification center for your entire body. Don't push it; quit now before your liver quits on you.

9. Eat less fat, Matt The liver is the largest gland in the body, weighing in at about 4 pounds. Diseases of the liver may result in diminished ability to emulsify fats. Your liver normally makes 250 to 1,000 ml (over a quart!) of bile DAILY. Most (about 80%) of your bile salts are reabsorbed by the intestinal tract and returned to and recycled by the liver. This is how your body, with about 3.6 grams of total bile salts in it, can secrete 4 to 8 g of bile salts per single fatty meal. Gross, huh?

Fatty liver is much more common than you would expect. 25% of people have this condition, according to the Merck Manual, 14th ed. Fatty liver is the most common response of the liver to injury. It typifies the alcoholic's liver upon admission to the hospital. The Merck Manual indicates "no specific treatment" (p. 830) and says it likely indicates other problems, such as alcohol, drugs or malnutrition (oh, my!) Treatment certainly includes cessation of alcohol intake. Therapeutic juice fasting gives the liver an opportunity to use all those extra built-up fats.

10. Use safe sex, Tex If you are not in a monogamous relationship, you are at increased risk for hepatitis.

11. Wash your hands, Stan Good grief, is that so hard to do? After a bowel movement, that paper you use to clean up with is thinner than a politician's election promise. Do you really think the tissue keeps you hands squeaky clean? To put it another way, do you think it keeps someone else's hands clean enough for you? No? Then wash your hands with soap and hot water! I read once that over half of all physicians don't wash their mitts after using the toilet. I hope this is not true. My supposition is that it is, however. When heads of state, billionaires, or doctors use the john, they are about as likely as you to do what you do. Think about that in your spare time today. And wash.

12. Prevent that stone, Joan Now here's an obvious argument for vegetarian diet, as only animal foods contain cholesterol, and cholesterol forms gallstones. Some people manufacture excessive cholesterol, and this can be controlled through intelligent use of therapeutic vegetable juice fasting and large doses of vitamin C, both of which significantly reduce cholesterol production.

13. Spare the bile, Kyle About 33 ml of bile is stored in the average gallbladder. Many animals (rats, for instance) do not even have one. In addition to bile salts for emulsification, bile contains the pigment bilirubin, neutral fat, phospholipid, assorted mineral salts... and high concentrations of cholesterol.

The gallbladder is more than a storage receptacle. Bile is concentrated in the gallbladder. Also, water is removed, and resulting concentrated cholesterol level may be too much to remain in solution and cholesterol gallstones may precipitate out. In addition to hurting, gallstones obstruct the bile duct and thereby interfere with fat digestion. One indicator: light-colored stools. Why? Bilirubin, the bile pigment, darkens them to brown-green. Otherwise, stools would be manila to grayish-white in color. Ugh. Low-fat meals probably help prevent future gallbladder problems.

14. Eat lecithin, Tim Phospholipids in bile help emulsify cholesterol. Lecithin therapy is therefore almost certainly worth trying for threatened gallstones. Three to five tablespoons daily is more likely to be effective than a few capsules. Even a large 1,200 mg capsule contains only about 1/8 tablespoon lecithin because of size limits and added carrier oils. Lecithin is harmless and without side effects. Bulk granules run between $8 and $15 per pound. Lecithin is non-prescription, and available at any health food store.

15. Be sure to read, Steed References and Sources Cited:

Gerson, Max A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases, Totality Books, Del Mar, CA

Ray, O. and Ksir, C. Drugs, Society and Human Behavior, Mosby, 1990, chapter 9

Vander, Sherman and Luciano Human Physiology

Werbach, M. (1988) Nutritional Influences on Illness. New Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing.

Williams, Sue R. (1993) Nutrition and Diet Therapy, seventh edition. St. Louis: Mosby.

Copyright 2003 and prior years by Andrew W. Saul.

Andrew Saul is the author of the books FIRE YOUR DOCTOR! How to be Independently Healthy (reader reviews at http://www.doctoryourself.com/review.html ) and DOCTOR YOURSELF: Natural Healing that Works. (reviewed at http://www.doctoryourself.com/saulbooks.html )

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Natural Antidotes to Biological Toxins

Natural Immune Builders

Natural Antidotes to Biological Toxins by Bill Sardi http://www.askbillsardi.com

Americans have grown so accustomed to relying upon prescription medications that they will probably have difficulty believing there are natural compounds as close as the kitchen cupboard that are potent antidotes against biological warfare. These natural antibiotics and antioxidants may give unvaccinated people who have been exposed to biological or chemical weapons enough time to secure professional care. They may even save lives.

It is a fact that chaotic events will make it difficult to obtain appropriate treatment even if it were available. So we must learn more about natural antidotes. Furthermore, it is clear that antidotes to biological attacks need to be employed at home or the workplace in an expedient manner. The idea of the masses running to obtain medical care or vaccines at doctor’s offices, clinics or hospitals needs to be abandoned if civilian defense against biological weapons is to become a reality.

Natural "Rescue Remedies"

Since anthrax is the most feared toxin it will be addressed first. The Garlic Information Center in Britain indicates that deadly anthrax is most susceptible to garlic. Garlic is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that even blocks toxin production by germs. [Journal Nutrition, March 2001] Before vaccines were developed against polio, garlic was used successfully as a prophylactic. In one test garlic was found to be a more potent antibiotic than penicillin, ampicillin, doxycycline, streptomycin and cephalexin, some of the very same antibiotic drugs used in the treatment of anthrax. Garlic was found to be effective against nine strains of E. coli, Staph and other bugs. [Fitoterapia, Volume 5, 1984] Freshly cut cloves of garlic or garlic powder may be beneficial.

The antibiotic activity of one milligram of allicin, the active ingredient in garlic, equals 15 units of penicillin. [Koch and Lawson, Garlic: The Science and Therapeutic Application, 2nd edition, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore 1996] Garlic capsules that certify their allicin content are preferred and may provide 5-10 milligrams of allicin, which is equivalent to 75-150 units of penicillin.

The anthrax bacterium’s toxicity emanates from its ability to kill macrophage cells which are part of the immune system. Studies have shown that sulfur-bearing antioxidants (alpha lipoic acid, N-acetyl cysteine, taurine) and vitamin C, which elevate levels of glutathione, a natural antioxidant within the body, counters the toxicity produced by anthrax. [Molecular Medicine, November 1994; Immunopharmacology, January 2000; Applied Environmental Microbiology, May 1979] The above sulfur compounds can be obtained from health food stores and taken in doses ranging from 100-500 mg. Vitamin C should be the buffered alkaline form (mineral ascorbates) rather than the acidic form (ascorbic acid) and should be combined with bioflavonoids which prolong vitamin C’s action in the blood circulation. The powdered form of vitamin C is recommended to achieve optimal dosing. A level TABLEspoon of vitamin C powder (about 10,000 - 15,000 mgs) can be added to juice. (Editor's Note: This should be done several times daily, and even more often in serious illness. However, half a TEAspoon (about 2,000 mg) every 15-20 minutes is much more effective. Body saturation of vitamin C is indicated by loose bowels. http://www.orthomed.com)

Melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone available at most health food stores, has been shown to help prevent lethal toxins from anthrax exposure. [Cell Biology Toxicology, Volume 16, 2000] It could be taken at bedtime in doses ranging from 5-20 mg. Melatonin boosts glutathione levels during sleep.

Of additional interest, one of the methods by which mustard gas works is its ability to bring about cell death by depleting cell levels of glutathione. [eMedicine Journal, April 9, 2001] So glutathione is also an antidote for mustard gas poisoning.

Virtually all bacteria, viruses and fungi depend upon iron as a growth factor. [Iron & Your Health, T.F. Emery, CRC Press, 1991] Iron-chelating (removing) drugs and antibiotics (Adriamycin, Vancomycin, others) are effective against pathogens. The plague (Yersinia pestis), botulism, smallpox and anthrax could all be potentially treated with non-prescription metal-binding chelators. For example, iron removal retards the growth of the plague. [Medical Hypotheses, January 1980] The biological activity of the botulinum toxin depends upon iron, and metal chelators may be beneficial [Infection Immunology, October 1989, Toxicon, July, 1997].

Phytic acid (IP6), derived as an extract from rice bran, is the most potent natural iron chelator and has strong antibiotic and antioxidant action. [Free Radical Biology Medicine, Volume 8, 1990; Journal Biological Chemistry, August 25, 1987] IP6 has been found to have similar iron-chelating properties as desferrioxamine, a drug commonly used to kill germs, tumor cells or to remove undesirable minerals from the body. [Biochemistry Journal, September 15, 1993] IP6 rice bran extract (2000-4000 mg) should be taken in between meals with filtered or bottled water only (no juice).

The antibacterial, antiseptic action of plant oils has been described in recent medical literature and may be helpful in fighting biological toxins. [Journal Applied Microbiology, Volume 88, 2000] A potent natural antibiotic, more powerful than many prescription antibiotics, is oil of oregano. One study showed that oregano completely inhibited the growth of 25 germs such as Staphylococcus aureas, Escherichia coli, Yersinia enterocolitica and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. [Journal Food Protection, July 2001] Oregano has been shown to be effective in eradicating intestinal parasites in humans. [Phytotherapy Research, May 2000] Wild oregano, which is quite different than the variety on most kitchen spice racks, has over 50 antibacterial compounds. Just one part wild oregano oil in 4000 dilution sterilizes contaminated water. [London Times, May 8, 2001]

Nature also provides nerve gas antitoxins. Nerve gas interrupts the normal transmission of nerve impulses by altering levels of acetycholinesterase, the enzyme that degrades the nerve transmitter acetycholine. Huperzine A, a derivative of Chinese club moss, has been suggested as a pre-treatment against nerve gases. [Annals Pharmacology France, January 2000] The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research conducted studies which revealed that huperzine A protects against nerve gas poisoning in a superior manner to physostigmine, a long-standing anti-nerve toxin.drug. [Defense Technical Information Center Review, Volume 2, December 1996] Huperzine A is available as a food supplement at most health food stores. Suggested dosage is 150 mcg per day. Pretreatment is advised prior to nerve gas exposure.

Summary

The threat of biological warfare is real and concern over preparedness of the civilian population and medical professionals is growing. There is virtually no practical way that vaccines, antibiotics or other treatment can be delivered to a frightened populace in a timely manner during a crisis. The current strategy of having an unprotected citizenry travel to physicians’ offices or hospitals to receive prophylactic care or treatment is unfeasible. The public must be armed with preventive or therapeutic agents in their vehicles, homes and the workplace. Natural antibiotics and antitoxins are well documented in the medical literature, but overlooked by health authorities. These antidotes are readily available for the public to acquire and place in an emergency biological response kit.

Copyright C 2001 Bill Sardi. This article is abridged, and reprinted with permission of the author.

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