Digestive Wellness by Elizabeth Lipski

Author:Elizabeth Lipski
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
Published: 2020-11-25T16:00:00+00:00

CIRRHOSIS

Cirrhosis is an advanced disease of the liver. Scar tissue replaces normal tissue and blocks the flow of blood and nutrients. It kills about 26,000 Americans each year and is the 12th leading cause of death. The most common causes of cirrhosis are alcoholism and hepatitis. Some people have diseases that may lead to cirrhosis, such as alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, hemochromatosis, Wilson’s disease, galactosemia, and glycogen storage diseases. NASH can also lead to cirrhosis. NASH is a condition where fat accumulates in the liver and eventually causes scarring. It is usually associated with diabetes, protein malnutrition, obesity, heart disease, and treatment with steroid medications. Blocked bile ducts can also cause cirrhosis, called biliary cirrhosis. Because the liver is our body’s main filtering system for drugs and toxins, bad reactions to them may also lead to cirrhosis. Overdosing with vitamin A supplements is another cause of cirrhosis. Vitamin A toxicity in the liver is accentuated in an alcoholic.

About one-third of people with cirrhosis have no symptoms during the initial stages of the disease. Loss of liver function may be picked up on routine blood testing. As the scarring progresses, liver function begins to fail. People with cirrhosis may experience some of the following symptoms: exhaustion and fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, light-colored stools, weakness, weight loss, abdominal pain, or spiderlike blood vessels that break out on the skin. Cirrhosis may also lead to water retention, bruising and bleeding, jaundice, itching, gallstones, increased sensitivity to medication and environmental contaminants, increased insulin resistance, diabetes, liver cancer, osteoporosis, impotence, and infection in other organs.

The scarring caused by cirrhosis cannot be reversed, but treatment can help stop or slow the disease progression. The liver is remarkably able to recuperate when we eliminate the factors that hurt it. Many find that with a nutritious diet, rest, and supplements, they can begin to feel healthy again. It is critical that you stop drinking all alcoholic beverages if you are diagnosed with cirrhosis. Alcohol is known to cause cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure and generates a large need for antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamin E, selenium, vitamin C, and N-acetyl cysteine. Alcoholics are notoriously deficient in B-complex vitamins.

If possible, stop using hazardous chemicals. If you do need to use them, protect your skin, be in a well-ventilated area, and wear a breathing apparatus. If your work involves the use of paint, solvents, cleaning products, or other chemicals, it’s probably time to look for a different job. Use greener cleaning supplies, shampoos, and other toiletries. Long ago, I worked with a man who had cirrhosis that was due to his job in an auto body shop, where he spray-painted cars.

Research indicates that many people with cirrhosis have increased intestinal permeability, which can lead to infection and problems elsewhere in the body. Nutrients such as glutamine, quercetin, and probiotics can help heal a leaky gut.

Methionine, an amino acid, from our food is metabolized in the liver into SAMe. People with cirrhosis have problems metabolizing methionine. SAMe increases glutathione levels, a vital antioxidant for detoxification.

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