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The liver is the second largest organ in body after the skin. it is also the second most complex organ of body after the brain. Liver cirrhosis is the 12th leading cause of death by disease. The architecture of the liver may irreversibly be destroyed in chronic inflammation and fibrosis
Causes of cirrhosis
Viral B Hepatitis & Viral C Hepatitis.
Alcoholism.
Autoimmune liver diseases.
Hepatotoxins.
Haemochromatosis.
Inherited alpha - 1 antitrypsin deficiency.
Galactosemia.
Glycogen storage diseases.
Wilson diseases.
Right side cardiomyopathy.
Corticosteroids.
Childhood biliary atresia.
Biliary obstruction.
Chronic venous congestion.
Thrombophlebitis.
Schistosomiasis.
Diabetes mellitus.
Malnutrition.
Obesity.
Abnormal fat metabolism.
Liver cancer.
Liver cancer is the 5th most common cancer globally. It may originate either as solitary nodules which spread to other lobules, or as multifocal nodules simultaneously. Multinodular hyperplasia is seen more in post viral cirrhosis (20%) than alcoholic cirrhosis. The adenocarcinoma originating from bile duct epithelium is not associated with cirrhosis. The course is more rapid in this case. Secondary liver nodules are developed more in surface of the liver and are originated directly from the stomach or the gall bladder. It is also developed through the portal vein, hepatic artery, and retrograde lymphatic permeations. These nodules are more than 2 cm in size and have an umbilication in the center. Sinusoidal hepatic circulation provides a favorable site for the growth of malignant cells. Melanoma in liver also be developed as metastasis. Metastasis usually occurs to the lymph glands of the right supra clavicular fossa, lungs, ribs, spinal column or brain.
Predisposing causes of liver malignancy
Inborn susceptibility.
Elevated hereditary alpha fetoglobulin level.
Chronic serum hepatitis.
Cirrhosis (20%).
Alcohol use.
Aflatoxin (The incidence is highest in oriental races due to aflatoxin which is a product of mold found in soybeans, wheat, peanuts, coffee, rice and corn).
Pesticides.
Industrial toxins.
Thorium dioxide.
Male gender (It is less in female due to iron loss through the menstrual blood).
Hemochromatosis ((20%).
Tobacco smoking.
Steroid abuse.
Fatty liver.
Hypothyroidism.
Old age.
Nutritional deficiency.
Schistosomiasis.
Clonorchiasis (Chinese fluke).
Treatment
Treatment of acute hepatitis and chronic hepatitis are different. Treatment measures are in proportion to the degree of liver damage, causes and its complications. Viral acute hepatitis may become chronic due to the lowered immunological activity. Integrity of the immunological system is affected adversely by morbid diet style, nutritional deficiency, stress, poor sanitation, toxins exposure, allergy, chronic medication, physical inactivity, overwork, endocrinal disorders etc. Germs do not cause the disease. But an unfavorable environment in the system allows the germs to flourish. The susceptibility to the virus may be increased by the consumption of excess of refined sugar, common salt and alcohol.
Unfavourable items
Saturated fat.
Ghee.
Hydrogenated fat added with nickel.
Trans fat.
Potato chips (Acrylamide).
Fried items.
Spices.
Tomatoes (Oxalate).
Coffee.
Refined sugar.
Corn.
Maida.
Salt.
Horse gram.
Brinjal.
High acidic diet.
Acid items (Young mangoes).
Fish contaminated with heavy metal (Cadmium, Mercury, Arsenic).
Red meat.
Sour curd.
Cycad nuts.
Tobacco.
Shellfish.
Food contaminated with pesticides.
Coloring agents.
Preservatives.
Vinegar.
Alcohol (It can inhibit neoglucogenesis).
Smooth muscle relaxants.
Sun bath.
Regular day sleep.
Spontaneous cure in liver neoplasm may take place in some individuals after a febrile attack (Filarial infections, Chicken pox). The chance for developing liver carcinoma is more likely in those who consume Iron rich items in high level. Iron level in body is controlled by regulating its absorption, and not by excretion. Mucin in the stomach inhibits its absorption. Alkali foods, vegetables (chlorophyll- Magnesium) and calcium can retard Iron absorption. Blood transfusion, excess of copper rich food (Tomatoes, Organ meat like liver), phosphorus rich items (Curcuma, onions, capsicum, and milk powder), alcohol (kaffir beer), nicotinic acid deficiency etc. can enhance the iron deposition in organs and blood vessels. Total iron in the body is about 4 to 5 gm, and in RBC is about 2 gm. Normal serum iron level is about 55 -160 ug / dl. Iron is stored in liver binding with protein known as transferrin. The stored form of iron is called ferritin. Normal level of ferritin is about 12 ng / dL - 300 ng / dL. Iron (It is less in milk and butter) present in meat, liver, egg, lentil, green beans, coconut, Coriander, sesame seeds, and peas. Nicotinic acid rich foods (Unpolished rice, wheat and cumin) can inhibit the absorption of iron through the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, Vitamin B 3 may helpful to prevent both liver cancer and pellagra.
Avoid iron intake more than the average daily requirement (15 mg - 30 mg / day).
Arsenic containing
items like Sinapis nigra, Rice, and Chicken can eliminate the excess of iron in
body.
Avoid fungus
contaminated corn and its products.
“Food is medicine,
medicine is not food”.
Consume coriander. Coriander is a good Iron chelator.
Exclude hepatotoxins. Normally the liver cells (Lysosomes) are the major site of detoxification. The liver gets toxins through the portal vein (65%) and hepatic artery. Food that containing allergic or toxic factors first stimulate histamine formation in the gastrointestinal tract. The Liver would detoxify this histamine, otherwise later it may lead to degeneration and fibrosis of hepatic and connective tissues.
Avoid all the toxins and unnecessary drugs that normally filter through the liver cells like Carbon tetrachloride, Alcohol, Chloroform, Copper (Kinnier wilson disease), Phosphorus, Arsenic, Mercury, Gold, Benzene, Barium sulfide, Lead acetate, Isoniazid, Iproniazid (MAO inhibitors), Phenothiazines, Chlorpromazine, INH, Cinchophen, Oral contraceptive pills (Cholestasis), Paracetamol, Iron, Sulphonamide, Chlorpropamide, Acetazolamide, Methotrexate, Phenytoin, Phenylebutazone, Mepacrine, Corticosteroids, Valproic acid, Warfarin, Phenindione, Dicoumarol, Tetracycline, Chloramphenicol, Prothionamide, Rifampicin, Para amino salicylic acid, Butazolidin, Amiodarone, Diltiazem, Tamoxifen, Indinavir. Vitamin A, Selenium, Yellow butter, Mushroom, Senecio alkaloids, Aflatoxins etc.
Some herbal medicines are helpful to eliminate the toxins in liver, to relieve the symptoms, to purify blood and body fluids, and early healing the injured cells. They are helpful to minimize the damages by toxins. They are also helpful to upgrade the immune system. They are helpful to prevent disease complications by promoting proper elimination of toxins, and assimilation of cell's nutrition. Purified and diluted herbals are also helpful to keep optimum PH balance, formation of antibodies, and homeostasis.
Remedies in Fatty liver
Crataegus.
Aloes socotrina.
Fucus vesiculosus.
Allium sativa.
Chelidonium.
Taraxacum.
Andrographis paniculata.
Picrorhiza (cold).
Cardus marianus.
Remedies in Liver fibrosis
Nux vomica.
Alfalfa.
Cardus mar.
Berberis vulgaris.
Myrica cerifera.
Rumex crispes.
Taraxacum.
Aloes socotrina.
Symphytum officinale.
Iris versicolor.
*
Favourable items
Vitamin C rich items.
Dry fruits.
Edible oil nuts.
Milk.
Eucalyptus honey.
*
Unfavorable items
Oxalate rich items.
Excess of salt consumption.
Alcohol.
Tobacco.
Remedies in Hepatic cirrhosis
Alfalfa.
Nuxvomica.
Acorus calamus.
Phyllanthus niruri.
Azadirechta Indica.
Andrographis paniculata.
Cinchona.
Gentiana.
Hydrocotyle.
Cinnamon.
Pura.
Podophyllum.
Zingiber.
Taraxacum.
Terminalia chebula.
Viscum album.
Picrorhiza (Kadukaroohini).
Berberis vulgaris.
Aloe socotrina.
Remedies in Hepatic carcinoma
Alfalfa.
Lycopodium.
Phytolacca.
Podophyllum.
Taraxacum.
Senecio aureus.
Viscum album.
Thuja.
Arsenicum.
Tabacum.
Calcarea flour.
*
Remedies in Hypertension & Hyperglycemia following to liver fibrosis.
Cinchona.
Aloe socotrina.
Crataegus.
Salicylic acid.
