Silymarin and Hepatitis:
Overview
"Does Silymarin, the effective liver protector, protect you from Hepatitis also?"
What is Hepatitis?
Hepatitis is a general term referring to inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis can result from various infectious and non-infectious
etiologies. There are estimated 500,000-750,000 new infectious cases each year in the US. Worldwide, there are 400 to 500 million
people affected with Hepatitis B viruse (HBV), leading to 1 million deaths, annually. An estimated 170 million people are infected with
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) worldwide.
Hepatitis is mainly caused by the infection of viruses known to be Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, or G viruses, and other yet unidentified viruses.
Hepatitis A, or infectious hepatitis, is an acute form of infection, and doesn't become chronic. Type A virus (picornavirus)is found
in patients exectretions
including feces, transmit through persoal contacts, and it is unknown how this virus damages liver. Hepatitis B (hepadnavirus), a.k.a.
serum hepatitis,
is found in blood, semen, and saliva, and usually spread via blood transfusion, contaminated needles, and sexual contact. Haptitis D virus
replicates only by attaching to Hepatitis B virus (helper), and cannot exist without Hepatitis B virus. Between 1-10% of Hepatitis B infections
develop into chronic stages. Hepatitis C virus has been the major cause for hepatitis transmitted by blood transfusion, and most of transmissions
in intravenous drug use. Between 10-60% of the Hepatitis infections develop into chronic stages. Hepatitis E is smiliar to Hepatitis A, and
Hepatitis G cases are found among patients with Hepatitis A, B, and C, are always chronic, and yet mild, and rarely causes severe liver
damages.
Hapatitis can also be caused by the assaults from alcohol and drugs, most prominently, halothane, isoniazid, methyldopa, phenytoin, sulfonamides,
and valproic acid, etc. Alcohol is a strong causative agent for liver damages. About a third of heavy drinkers would develop alcoholic
hepatitis, and the chance for developing cirrhosis after years of drinking is 10-20%.
Autoimmune chronic hepatitis, probably caused by environmental agents such as measles virus, hepatitis virus, Epstein-Barr virus, accounts
for about 20% of all chronic hepatitis cases.
Studies on the therapeutic effects of the Milk thistle compound Silymarin
Silymarin is a group of flavone lignan compounds unique to Milk thistle (seed),
and is a strong anti-oxidant. It has been widely accepted that
silymarin is an effective agent for liver protection and liver cell regeneration. "Milk thistle can't be beat as a liver protector", cites
Dr. James Duke in one of his books. It is true that milk thistle's silymarin is harmless, shows no side effects, has been proven to be as
good as any prescription drugs, which can often cause damages to the liver.
Upon reviewing scientific and clinical data and careful evaluation, German Commission E approved the use of Milk thistle fruit
preparations for chronic inflammatory liver disease and hepatic cirrhosis.
Following articles show the potential effectiveness of silymarin for treating various liver diseases, cirrhosis. and Hepatitis B,
although these are not conclusive, as is the case for almost all herbal researches.
Abteilung Naturheilkunde, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland - The use of silymarin in the treatment of liver diseases
BioDrugs 2001;15(7):465-89 - Silymarin: a review of its clinical properties in the management of hepatic disorders
Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 1999 Nov;11(11):1227-30 - Effect of misoprostol on serum beta2-microglobulin in the course of viral hepatitis B
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