Liver-Rx - Advanced Liver Support
In this review we will
inform you of complementary ingredients for liver disease that
are popular to help maintain healthy liver functions.
Milk
Thistle
Silymarin is the active constituent from the milk
thistle plant, silybum marianum, and has been promoted
extensively as a natural remedy for diseases of the liver and
biliary function. It has been used medicinally for over 2,00
years and has been proven very effective. The biologically
active component extracted from the seeds of the milk thistle is
a group of flavone lignans collectively called silymarin.
Silymarin seems to protect liver cells by acting as
antioxidants. Milk thistle also stimulates protein synthesis,
which accelerates cell regeneration within the
liver.
Clinical studies have shown benefits of milk thistle
for liver cirrhosis. The study was done on alcoholics and
non-alcoholics with cirrhosis. Those who received 140mg
silymarin three times daily for an average of 41 months had a
much higher survival rate than placebo. The study also found
that silymarin treatment was more effective in patients with
alcoholic cirrhosis. This effective herb?s mechanism is
remarkable. It also appears as though it may have dynamic
bioactive properties as there have been reported improvements in
exogenous insulin need in cirrhotic diabetic patients.
NAC
(N-Acetylcysteine)
When liver toxicity occurs, it is depleted
of glutathione, which plays an important role in scavengering
free radicals and containing oxidative damage within cells. One
of the most well researched supplements for restoring
glutathione concentrations is N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) which is a
variant of the amino acid L-Cysteine. NAC is a source of
sulfhydryl groups that are converted in the body into
metabolites capable of stimulating glutathione synthesis, which
is important for promoting detoxification and acting directly as
free radical scavengers. To this end, NAC has been used
clinically in hospitals as an antidote for acetaminophen
poisoning.
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Alpha Lipoic Acid is also an
antioxidant that is produced naturally in the body and has the
ability to expedite the synthesis of other antioxidants like
Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and glutathione for further use after they
have eradicated free radicals. Unlike other antioxidants, Alpha
Lipoic Acid is both a fat and water-soluble antioxidant and is
easily transported across cell membranes where it too can act as
a precursor to glutathione. It has been shown to be effective in
the restoration of liver function.
Picrorhiza Kurroa
The
root and rhizomes of Picrorhiza Kurroa have traditionally been
used in the ayurvedic medicine to treat disorders of the liver
and upper respiratory tract. The hepato-protective action of
this amazing herb has been attributed to its ability to inhibit
the generation of oxygen anions and to scavenge free radicals.
In a clinical trial, 33 patients diagnosed with acute viral
hepatitis were given picrorhiza extract three times daily for
two weeks. The levels of the liver function markers bilirubin,
AST, and ALT were significantly lower in the treatment group as
compared to placebo.
Schisandra
Schisandra Chinensis is
used in traditional Chinese medicine as an adaptogen, and was
demonstrated to protect the liver against various toxins.
Various lignans, including schisandrin, schisandrol, and
deoxy-schisandrin are believed responsible for this plant's
activity. A synthetic analog of schizandrin called DDB is now
widely used in China as a hepato-protective drug. DDB has the
ability to lower the elevated liver enzyme levels of patients
suffering from viral hepatitis.
Glycyrrhizin
In Europe, a
daily injection of glycyrrhizin has been shown to normalize ALT
levels in patients with chronic viral hepatitis. Patients with
chronic hepatitis C were administered intravenous glycyrrhizin
three or six times per week for four weeks. At the end of
treatment, ALT levels were significantly decreased by 26 percent
and 47 percent for three times per week and six times per week,
respectively.
Liver-Rx by Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a
one-of-a-kind product to promote healthy liver function. It
contains the highest grade extracts of all the above mentioned
ingredients. Liver-Rx helps liver cells to regenerate. This
product is referred to often as lipotropic agents. Lipotropic
agents are compounds that promote the flow of fat and bile to
and from the liver. In essence, Liver-Rx exerts a tremendous
effect in protecting the liver from damage and enhancing
detoxification processes. Whether a lifetime of abuse on the
liver by chemicals or alcohol is your concern, or preventative
maintenance is your goal, then Liver-Rx is for you.
The liver
is the largest single organ (1.5 kg in an adult) in the human
body that contains more than 10 percent of the total volume of
blood at any moment, and is well known for its role in
metabolism and detoxification. It is roughly the size of a
football, and is located in the upper right-hand part of the
abdomen, behind the lower ribs. The liver is one tough and
marvelous machine. It has the awesome responsibility of taking
the first shot at the final products of digestion as the blood
brings important nutrients from the blood stream to be purified
and converted to useful constituents for bodily function. It is
also important for eradicating toxins and reducing free radical
damage. The liver filters over a liter of blood each minute and
plays a central role in nearly all body functions,
including:
Converting food into chemicals the body needs to
remain healthy
Detoxifying the blood by filtering out toxins
from blood into the digestive system for excretion
Producing
bile, a liquid that is essential for digestion
Controlling
the production and excretion of cholesterol
Maintaining the
proper levels of chemicals and drugs into the
blood
Regulating hormone levels
Yet, despite the
importance of this organ, we take our best shots daily, either
by ignorance or knowledge, at quelling its function. While the
most obvious culprits are drugs and alcohol, other factors
effect liver function as well. Factors such as inhaled
industrial toxins (pollution) and ingested or injected drugs
lead the list. When it comes to exercise, probably the most
hepato-threatening agents are those often used frequently or
daily. These would include contraceptives, antibiotics,
anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents such as ibuprofen,
acetaminophen, and naproxen. And of course, there are steroids,
anabolic and otherwise. Add to that a little nightlife (i.e.:
alcohol) to wash them down with or speed your recovery on the
morning after and the stress placed on the liver becomes
exponential.
Many of the body's metabolic functions occur
primarily in the liver, including the metabolism of cholesterol
and the conversion of proteins and fats into glucose. The liver
is also referred to as the "gate keeper". Liver functions decide
what enters the blood, and protects the rest of the body.
Deciding what is welcome and what is rejected is one of the
roles of the gatekeeper. Familiar molecules are allowed entry.
Aliens are destroyed. Most vitamin, mineral, protein,
carbohydrate, chemical and organic molecules can be destroyed
because it is for the most part an unessential molecule.
Whatever amount is not destroyed has been shown to achieve the
desired results as a performance enhancer. But what happens to
the unwelcome molecules? Hypothesis is, immediately some of the
molecules must stay in the liver until refined to disposable
waste. Thus they must interfere with normal liver functions that
would take place if the unwelcome molecules had not
appeared.
The bile secreted by the liver is a complex aqueous
liquid composed of electrolytes, proteins, lipids, amino acids,
and vitamins. The components of bile are synthesized in
hepatocytes (the predominant cell type in the liver) and
secreted into small ducts within the liver itself. These small
ducts form a branching network of progressively larger ducts
that ultimately become the common bile duct that takes bile into
the small intestine.
There are many types of liver disease,
and some can be life-threatening unless treated, such as chronic
hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), cirrhosis, and fatty
liver (steatosis). Symptoms of liver disease include: jaundice
(yellowing of the skin or eyes), dark urine, nausea, vomiting of
blood, bloody or black stools, fatigue, and abdominal swelling
or pain.
Chronic hepatitis can lead to cirrhosis of the
liver. Cirrhosis occurs when the liver cells die and are
replaced by fibrosis (scarring). Cirrhosis interferes with blood
flow through the liver leading to an inability of the liver to
perform its biochemical functions. Symptoms of cirrhosis include
weight loss, fatigue, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
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