liver support

I recently discovered helpful information that I'm sharing in case it might be useful for anyone here.  After learning that other thal members of my family (all non-drinkers and of reasonable weight) had been diagnosed with either fatty liver disease or cirrhosis of the liver, I started looking into liver health and discovered a correlation; many of the symptoms mentioned by members of this site are signs of a stressed liver.  Some of these are poor digestion, skin rashes, itching skin, exacerbation of allergy symptoms and chemical sensitivities, muscle weakness, fatigue, foggy thinking, feelings of despair, hormone imbalances, thyroid imbalances.  I also discovered that the liver is responsible for breaking down protein into individual amino acids, and was especially intrigued because Andy has given helpful information here about thals often being deficient in certain amino acids (I'm thinking of l-carnitine and l-arginine).  I learned that the liver requires the highest volume of blood circulation of any organ in our bodies; this alone would cause liver stress and possibly compromise liver function for thals.

I encourage those who are interested to look into signs and symptoms of liver stress, which often is not revealed in liver function blood tests, and ways of improving liver health.  Most, if not all, of the supplements recommended on this site are things that directly support the liver.  In addition, there are many over-the-counter liver support products which contain combinations of common herbs proven to improve/restore liver health.  Ingredients to look for are milk thistle and dandelion root, among others.  I have added Liver Rescue 4+ by HealthForce Nutritionals along with lecithin (another product known to support liver function) to my routine for the past two months and think it has made a marked improvement in how well I feel.  I am encouraged by relief of specific symptoms of poor digestion, rashes on my hands and mood fluctuations.  I am also able to be helped by caffeine when necessary, which had completely lost any effectiveness for me.

It is helpful to know that the recommended diet for a stressed liver is higher in carbs and somewhat lower in protein, which is notably contrary to the current trend towards paleo nutrition (not a lot of grains).  While I'm reasonably convinced sticking to lean proteins, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and moderate amounts of fruits is a healthy goal for most people, trying to eat this way over the years has made me feel worse.  By applying the principal of more carbs and less protein and using the additional supplements I feel I am gaining more control over my body, instead of being controlled by it.  When I have had a particularly weak day, I have increased my carb intake, cut out all protein (animal products), doubled up on some supplements, and had amazing improvement by the next day.  One bad day here and there is a long way from the years I spent being nonfunctional for days or weeks at a time, not know how to fix it.

I hope this is helpful,
Katrina

Katrina,

Thanks for some very informative information. This also makes me wonder about the great amount of reports we've been hearing about digestive system disorders. The liver is responsible for processing so many nutrients and if it isn't functioning in an optimal manner, not only won't it process enough of what is needed, but what happens to what can't be processed. Your report about eating nutritious foods making you feel worse when combined with a lot of animal products has to raise questions about basic liver function in thal minors (all thals really). I think it's a message that people need to think more about eating whole natural unprocessed foods as much as possible and avoid high amounts of animal products and processed foods. Two of my own kids have turned to eating a lot of junk foods and processed foods during their teen years and both have suffered from digestive issues. I suspect a third child isn't far from this. The two that have tried to continue to follow a diet of whole foods and avoiding junk have not had any digestive issues. I am a long time vegetarian who has tried to focus on whole foods as much as possible. My one weakness regarding animal products is cheese. Recently I have begun looking for more alternatives to eating wheat, which is so hybridized that a disease, gluten intolerance or celiac disease has become prevalent. I know it's not easy, but making dietary transitions can make a big difference, as Katrina has reported here, and if dietary issues are common, we should be looking for resolutions and changing the diet as much as possible so that the organs can function better should be a long term goal. I have had absolutely zero faith in the high protein diets that have been fads in recent decades and just cannot get past the iron content in red meats, as iron is a well established contributor to cancer growth, as cancers all need iron to thrive. I suggest more people try changing their diets. I would also add red clover and nigella to the list of herbs that are beneficial to the liver. Nigella is a spice so grinding the seeds and using in cooking is recommended. Turmeric or curcumin should also be frequently used spices in the kitchen. I find that foods have much more flavor when we concentrate on using unprocessed foods with healthful herbs and spices.

This feedback is invaluable. Thank you.

Since liver support is inseparable from general nutrition, I wanted to follow up on nutrition for those who are interested.  This topic is overwhelming for those who aren't familiar with the fine print but want to start making changes; I'm sure trying to wrap your mind around the collection of herbs, vitamins, etc. talked about in posts is daunting for someone who has never ventured into a health food store!  I thought to share some perspective that has become my philosophy regarding supplementation and diet.  It's not my place to give advice here, so this is just my humble opinion:

The goal is to be able to accomplish your responsibilities throughout the day and feel good doing it.  With this in mind, exert the least amount of time, money and effort necessary to achieve the goal.  By this I mean, if you feel great eating Spaghetti O's, go to the store and stock up!  Sadly, for those of us with thalassemia, at least those of us dialoging here, this is probably not the case.  It is important though to remember that you may need to do more or less than others to achieve feeling your best.  Not everybody needs to have ten bottles of vitamins on their counter, but some do. Start with the least and go from there, educating yourself as you need to.

Here's another hopefully helpful experience for those desperately looking for something that will make a difference.  Recently, in an effort to cut costs I was curious whether or not I could achieve feeling good by just manipulating my food choices.  I tried one month being very purposeful with food and not taking any supplements.  After that month, I was convinced that taking supplements, even with poorer food choices, is more noticeably effective than a strict diet without supplements.  Of course, the combination of high quality food with proper supplements is ideal, but I learned that when my resources are limited, it is best to apply them to supplements.

Okay, this last bit is a personal rabbit trail.  I know there are a lot of moms here who are interested in keeping their kids healthy, and I love to hear about other people's experiences and good advice.  Here is something that has worked for us:  I have three kids, ages 15, 13 and 11.  My 15-year-old son also is beta-thal minor; my 13-year-old son is perpetually afflicted with allergies; and my daughter has struggled with epilepsy and physical and cognitive delays as residual effects from being born at 25 weeks.  In the early years I was inclined to be anxious about "fixing" them by force-feeding them vitamins and worrying about whether or not their grandparents were giving them candy and hot dogs - which they were:)  Over time I relaxed my expectations to eliminate stress for them and for me.  Vitamins became available, but optional (and they can be taken with 7-Up!); all foods became something to enjoy, with the understanding that our bodies can handle some of the not-so-good stuff as long as we've stocked it up with nutrient rich foods.  I also encouraged them to try to notice whether being irresponsible with their food choices and quantities made them feel good or bad.  It took awhile, but I am thrilled when I see my 15-year-old recognize his limits are different than his brother's or when he sets out his own vitamins (being careful to include the vitamin E that the others don't take).  For my 13-year-old, I was surprised to see him walk in the door from school looking for carrots and an apple because he had "too much junk" (yes, he said that) in his lunch that day.  Another milestone, my daughter had a cold and decided to have chicken soup for breakfast and forego desserts for a day "to help my body get better."  Balance works!