Can Schisandra Help Hepatitis?

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The important constituents in schisandra are lignans (schizandrin, deoxyschizandrin, gomisins, and pregomisin) found in the seeds of the fruit. The chemicals in schisandra improve liver function by stimulating enzymes in the liver and promoting liver cell growth. Japanese researchers have shown that 2 Schizandra lignans (schizandrin and gomisine) have strong hepatoprotective properties. New Chinese research has been reported recently confirming that Schisandra lignanes possess antihepatotoxic activities, improve liver function and help prevent hepatitis.

Schisandra Chinensis and Liver

Like milk thistle, schizandra is a important herb for reducing liver inflammation, whether the cause is viral,  or chemical. Active ingredients including lignans, vitamins and phytonutrients in schisandra chinensis provide a normalizing effect on the body. Lignans are anti-inflammatory, and appear to protect the liver by activating the enzymes in liver cells that produce glutathione. In animal studies, it has been shown to provide important protection against chemical and medication induced liver damage and to promote healing of existing damage.

Schisandra extract reduce blood levels of an enzyme called SGPT (glutamic-pyruvic transaminase) in patients with hepatitis. Lab experiments show that schizandra extracts improve the liver’s ability to make the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which deactivates several kinds of toxic free radicals that attack the outer membranes of  liver cells. Animal-based studies suggest schisandra chinensis may protect the liver from toxic damage, improve liver function, and stimulate liver cell regrowth. Preservation from hepatotoxicity and improvements in phase I metabolism are documented in rats administered 1 ml/kg carbon tetrachloride 24 hours after exposure to schisandra chinensis extract. The results of a study in rats demonstrated that a lignan-enriched extract of schisandra protected against liver damage from either aflatoxin or cadmium chloride. Oral administration of  schisandra lignans (100 and 200 mg/kg/d, 14d) significantly reduced the number of metastatic colonies in liver of restrained mice.

In a study,  patients with chronic viral hepatitis were given 500 mg schisandra extract 3 times daily or liver extract and B vitamins. Among those given schisandra, SGPT levels declined to normal levels in 68% compared to 44% of the control group. In 1986, Chinese researchers reported more than 5000 cases of various types of hepatitis have been treated with schizandra  preparations, resulting in the reduction of elevated liver enzymes. Lignans have been found to lower blood levels of serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), a marker for infective hepatitis and other liver disorders. According to researchers, elevated SGPT values returned to normal in 75 percent of patients treated after 20 days of taking an unspecified schizandra extract.

Taurine May Be Important for Heart Disease

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Taurine (2-aminoethanesulphonic acid) is a nonessential amino acid the body produces naturally from vitamin B-6 and the amino acids cysteine and methionine. Taurine was found to exhibit various pharmacological effects, including protection against ischemia-reperfusion injury, modulation of intracellular calcium concentration, and antiatherogenic, antioxidant and blood pressure-lowering properties. In Japan, taurine is used to treat ischemic heart disease (IHD), and heart arrhythmia in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF).

Taurine and Heart Problems

Taurine makes up approximately 50% of the free amino acids in the heart cells. It has a positive inotropic action on cardiac tissue, and has been proved in some trials to lower blood pressure. Researchers reported that taurine can lower left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in people with heart failure.

Although the exact mechanisms of the potential useful effects of taurine in ischemic heart disease  have yet to be identified, based on the information available in the literature, it can be suggested that the mechanisms could include attenuation of  Ca 2+ overload, antioxidant properties or membrane-stabilizing actions. The consequence of  Ca2+ excess is the accumulation of intracellular calcium, ultimately leading to cellular death. Taurine may both indirectly and directly help regulate intracellular Ca2+ ion levels by modulating the activity of the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. Taurine has been found to partially block the effects of Angiotensin II implying that taurine may interfere with different actions of Angiotensin II in cardiovascular cells. Angiotensin II is an hormone that plays a important role in the maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis.

HeartCongestive heart failure, a condition in which the heart has trouble pumping blood, which leads to fluid accumulating in the legs and lungs. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed, “taurine is an effective agent for the treatment of heart failure without any adverse effects.” In a 1983 study, participants reported a important relief from their congestive heart failure (CHF) symptoms while taking taurine in 2 g doses 3 times a day compared to participants taking the placebo. Taking taurine seems to improve heart function and symptoms in people with moderate heart failure (New York Heart Association functional class II) to severe heart failure (New York Heart Association functional class IV).  Some patients with serious heart failure rapidly improve from New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV to II after 4 to 8 weeks of therapy. In one double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 58 patient with congestive heart failure took either placebo or 2 g of taurine 3 times daily for four weeks. During taurine therapy, the study participants showed important improvement in breathlessness, heart palpitations, fluid buildup, and heart x-ray, as well as standard scales of heart failure severity.

A study in the “Journal of Cardiology” compared the effects of 500 mg of taurine 3 times a day with a placebo on people with left ventricular heart failure. The participants who received the taurine substantially increased exercise distance, and they improved their functional mobility over 2-week period, while the placebo group showed no changes. In a clinical study, the effect of oral administration of taurine (3 g/day) and coenzyme Q10 (30 mg/day) in 17 participants with congestive heart failure (CHF) secondary to ischemic or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy was compared. In the taurine-treated group, unlike the coenzyme Q10-treated group, an development of the systolic left ventricular function was observed after 6 weeks.

Lebanese scientists demonstrated that the incidence of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia were substantially reduced when taurine treatment was utilized. A suggested dosage range is 1500-4000 mg daily. When taurine is administered with urokinase, a plasminogen activator (an enzyme that hydrolyzes arginine and lysine), serum endothelin levels reduction after 8 hours post-infarction and stayed  suppressed for several days. This demonstrates that taurine can beneficially affect serum endothelin levels and therefore be a important adjunct to thrombolytic cure. In a placebo-controlled study of twelve people with stable angina, intravenous infusion of 5 g taurine 1 to 3 hours before coronary artery bypass surgery reduced the level of lipoperoxidation products, an indicator of  ROS, during reperfusion. The mean oxidative stress ratio comparing reperfusion to pre-operative biopsy samples was 1.12 in the taurine pretreated group versus 2.45 in the placebo group.

Use of Milk Thistle in Treating Hepatitis

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Milk Thistle has been used to treat acute and chronic viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and  toxin-induced liver diseases. The active complex of  Milk Thistle is a lipophilic extract from the seeds of the plant and is composed of 3 isomer flavonolignans (silybin, silydianin, silychristin) collectively known as silymarin. Silymarin may protect the liver against damage from toxic chemicals by blocking toxins from entering the cell or by moving toxins out of the cell before damage begins. The German Commission E (an official government agency similar to the US FDA) approved the use of silymarin as a treatment for toxic liver disease and a supportive treatment for chronic inflammatory liver illness and cirrhosis of the liver.

Milk Thistle Benefits and High Liver Enzymes

Milk Thistle  has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and it may help the liver repair itself by growing new cells. Silymarin 420 mg/day was shown to improve indices of liver function in patients with liver disease of various aetiology, including those exposed to toxic levels of toluene or xylene. In animals, silymarin reduces liver injury caused by acetaminophen, carbon tetrachloride, alcohol, phenylhydrazine, Amanita phalloides, radiation and iron overload. Lately it was showed that high-dosage silibinin infusion therapy could substantially decrease the number of hepatitis C viruses after 4-week application. Silymarin was also shown to reduce liver toxicity associated with chemotherapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

In the 1970’s, two German research group proved through clinical studies that 70 percent of people suffering from chronic liver diseases had a vastly improved chance of recovery when given between 210 -420 milligrams of silymarin daily over periods ranging from 6 weeks to 2 years. In a study, reported in 1993, 10 participants with chronic hepatitis were assigned to the treatment group and 10 others were assigned to the placebo group. The treatment group received 240 milligrams of silybin, (a component of silymarin), 2 times a day for 1 week. The results of tests  demonstrated important improvement in the treatment group. A small study presented at the 2008 European “Association for the Study of the Liver conference” showed that silymarin might decrease levels of the hepatitis C virus in patients who didn’t respond to standard therapy.

LiverIn a study conducted in Iran, the scientists treated 55 patients with active and chronic cases of hepatitis C infections with 630 mg a day of silymarin for 24 weeks. After 24 weeks of therapy, the ALT liver enzyme levels decreased down from an average of 108 U/L to an average of 70, and AST levels decreased from an average of 99 U/L to an average of 60. Quality of life scores improved substantially and of the 55 patients treated, 9 had HCV-negative RNA levels after the therapy. In a 6-month double-blind study of 36 patients with chronic alcoholic liver illness, the group given silymarin (Legalon) showed normalization of their bilirubin, aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase serum levels. In different study, 106 patients with mild acute and subacute liver illness characterized by elevated serum transaminase levels were randomized to receive silymarin or placebo. Of the 97 patients who completed the 4-week study, there was a statistically considerable greater decrease in transaminase levels in the silymarin group.

A clinical trial of 16 patients who didn’t respond to ribavirin and interferon therapy, silymarin important reduced the viral load of hepatitis C.  In 7 of the patient the virus decreased to undetectable levels after 14 days of treatment. Silibinin, reduced hepatitis C virus levels in people awaiting liver transplantation in a pilot study, which may help reduce the risk of HCV recurrence in the new liver, Spanish scientists reported in the March 2013 “Journal of Hepatology“. In this study included 14 hepatitis C patients awaiting liver transplants. Within this group, 11 patient were randomly assigned to receive silibinin while 3 patient received placebo.Therapy was used for a maximum of 21 days prior to transplantation and 7 days after the procedure. Among patients who received therapy for more than 14 days pre-transplant, HCV viral load decreased substantially more in the silibinin group compared with the placebo group. During the post-transplant period, viral load levels were consistently and substantially lower in the silibinin group.

Some studies indicate silymarin slows the progression of cirrhosis. In one study, examined the effects of silymarin on 170 patients, 91 of them alcoholics with liver cirrhosis. Participants received 140 mg silymarin 3 times a day for 41 months. The four-year survival rate was 58% in the Milk Thistle group and 39 % in the placebo group. In a comment of previous clincial studies with human subjects, reported in the Forschung Komplementmedicine in 2008, the writers concluded that milk thistle is a positive option as a general supportive supplement for the liver and in treatment of cirrhosis.

Silymarin has been used to treat Amanita phalloides mushroom poisoning. In animal studies, Milk Thistle (silymarin) given within 10 minutes after amanita toxin ingestion completely counteracted the toxic effects, and if given within 24 hours of toxin ingestion silymarin prevented death and significantly reduced liver damage. In a group of 49 patients with Amanita phalloides poisoning, physicians rated the results “spectacular” and  “amazing” after patients were given injections (20 mg/kg daily) of silybin. All of the patients survived, even though they were treated 24 to 36 hours after poisoning, when liver damage had already occurred. The death rate in emergency rooms from Amanita phalloides mushroom poisoning is usually 30 to 40 %.

Liver-damage, can occur from a number of toxins, including alcohol and drugs such as acetaminophen. A 1998 study found that silymarin may protect the liver from toxicity from taking acetaminophen, phenothiazines and dilantin. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the world. Using acetaminophen with alcohol increases the likelihood of toxicity. Milk thistle (silymarin) enters the liver cells and prevents those cells from absorbing toxins. Silymarin may protect the liver from toxic chemicals and have been tested for their potential to make chemotherapy more effective or less toxic. There is one case report describing the use of milk thistle in a patient  with promyelocytic leukemia who required breaks in chemotherapy due to abnormal liver enzyme levels. During four months of therapy with milk thistle, the patient had normal liver enzyme levels and was able to undergo chemotherapy without breaks.

Avoid Cancer with Cordyceps

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Cordyceps sinensis (CS) is an Ascomycetes fungus. The name Cordyceps comes from the Latin words cord and ceps, meaning ‘club’ and ‘head’, respectively. This mushroom it has been a highly regarded cornerstone of  Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries; one that reportedly has a number of far-reaching therapeutic effects.

Cancer Treatment and Research Findings

Cordyceps, a Traditional Chinese Medicine is a mushroom that has been historically used for over 2,000 years throughout Asia and China as part of  treatment for a variety of conditions including many cancers. In the 1970s, a study demonstrated that C. sinensis inhibited the production of  DNA and RNA synthesis in cancer cells. In the 1980s other study demonstrated antitumor activity on lung, kidney, bladder and colon cancer. Scientists from the “University of Nottingham” have found that cordyceps is an effective therapy for cancer. Depending upon dosage levels, cordyceps directly impact the process of cell protein development, impeding the production of the mRNA molecules that create them. At high doses, cordyceps mushroom extracts inhibits protein development directly. Clinical studies with cancer patients have been performed in Japan and China, using a therapeutic dose of 6 g of Cordyceps per day.

Studies in vivo demonstrated C. sinensis  had an inhibitory effect on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma and meth-A fibrosarcoma. The survival time of mice inoculated with murine B16 melanoma cells and treated with a combination of water extracts from Cordyceps sinensis and the standard agent, methotrexate, has been shown to be substantially longer than that of either the untreated control group or those treated with methotrexate alone, indicating that some water extracts of  Cordyceps sinensis may be useful in the prevention of tumor metastasis. In a study,  water-extract from dried Cordyceps sinensis increased the median survival time of the allogeneic mice inoculated with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells to 316% and syngeneic mice inoculated with Meth A fibrosarcoma to 312% of the control with no cytotoxic activity on either EAC or Meth A in vitro.

A severe adverse effect of the use of  standard cancer chemotherapy and radiation treatment is the suppression of the patient’s immune system. The use of  Cordyceps sinensis in combination with chemotherapy appears to have an immuno-stimulatory property, which enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy by balancing its adverse effects. Scientists in Japan reported that Cordyceps sinensis enhances the general reactivity of the immune system in patients with cancer. To discover this, they subcutaneously injected mice with cancerous cells and then orally administered C sinensis. This led to a reduction of tumour size and prolonged life. A study in cancer patients with different  types of tumors found Cordyceps sinensis mycelium (6 g/day 2 months) improved subjective symptoms in the majority of patients. White blood cell counts were maintained and tumor size was substantially reduced in approximately half of the patients. JSBC (Jinshuibao Capsule), produced by Jiangxi Jinshuibao pharmaceutical Company Limited, possesses the similar active principles and pharmacological activity with those of C. sinensis. The effect of  Jinshuibao Capsule on the immunological function of 36 patients with advanced cancer demonstrated that it could restore cellular immunological function improve quality of life.

Several studies of  Cordyceps have particularly focused on NK (natural killer) cells and Cordyceps’ effect on them as they relate to cancer formation. Research shows C. sinensis effect to significantly improve immune system functioning in cancer patients and destroy cancer cells. Chinese Integrated Traditional Western Med  showed that Cordyceps enhanced the NK (natural killer) cell activity of normal patients by 74% and increased the NK activity of leukemia patients by 400% and similar improvements of  NK cell activities was found in big melanoma cancer. In one study with 50 lung cancer patients administered Cordyceps sinensis mycelium in conjunction with chemotherapy, tumors reduced in size in 46% of patients.

Cordyceps sinensis increases the effectiveness of the spleen to help it filter out deleterious substances in the blood. Also, it increases the DNA, RNA and proteins in the spleen to promote faster healing. The medicinal mushroom in countries like China and Japan by cancer chemotherapy or radiation in addition to often used for adverse effects of standard therapies such as immunosuppression and the combat effectiveness of cancer treatment to increase. Chemotherapy and radiation usually lead to leukopenia. Scientists demonstrated in studies that Cordyceps provides for restoring the production of white blood cells after chemotherapy or radiation by restoring bone marrow function.

Cordyceps Improves Kidney Functions

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Cordyceps sinensis is a interesting mushroom that grows at very high altitude in the Himalayas. The name cordyceps comes from Latin words meaning club and head. It grows only in high-altitude regions of 3800 m above sea level, in cold, grassy, alpine meadows of the Himalayan mountains. In China it is called ” winter worm, summer grass”, and the “caterpillar mushroom”. Cordyceps sinensis has been used for the therapy of renal diseases, such as chronic nephritis, chronic pyelonephritis, chronic renal dysfunction or failure, and nephritic syndrome.

Cordyceps and Kidney Function

Scientific researches has shown that Cordyceps sinensis is useful to the kidneys. A Chinese trial has shown a 51% improvement in chronic kidney disease after just 1 month of  supplementation with Cordyceps. Cordyceps sinensis improves kidney functions and it was shown to return levels of  infection-fighting T cells to normal in kidney transplant people. In one clinical study on Cordyceps sinensis,  scientists selected 7 kidney transplant patients who were taking the cocktail of anti-rejection medications. All the patients had developed low levels of infection-fighting white blood cells and other symptoms of organ rejection.

Cordyceps sinensis extract substantially improved renal function via antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory activity in rats subjected to 60 minutes of ischemia and following three days of reperfusion of the kidneys. This mushroom protects the kidneys from damage oxidative stress and inflammation and deterioration of  kidney functions. Professor Li Shuo Shin discovered that Cordyceps can avoid kidney damage caused by antibiotics and other medications without reducing their antibiotic effect.

The high toxicity of cyclosporin has caused many patients suffer from severe kidney damage, related to the use of the medication. In 1995, a study was undertaken in China in which 69 kidney-transplant patients were given either cyclosporin alone or in conjunction with Cordyceps sinensis (3 g per day). After 15 days it was clearly evident that the group receiving Cordyceps sinensis in addition to cyclosporin had a much lower incidence of  kidney damage than the group receiving just cyclosporin, as measured by the levels of urinary NAG, serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrate. Other clinical study involved 57 patients with gentamicin-induced kidney damage, who were either treated with 4.5g of cordyceps sinensis per day or by other more conventional methods. After six days, the group that received Cordyceps had recovered 89% of their normal kidney function compare to a 45% recovery rate in the other group.

Research conducted on kidney patients who suffer from disorders of  blood pressure showed that after one month of treatment with cordyceps sinensis their blood pressure lowered by 15 percent. Also, they noticed an increasing of superoxide dismutase which, together with established reducing of  lipoperoxyde serum, suggests the possibility of neutralizing the free radicals, resulting in less damage to kidney cells. In a study among 51 people suffering from chronic renal failure, it was found that the administration of  (3–5 g per day) of  Cordyceps substantially improved both the kidney function and overall immune function of treated patients, compared to the untreated  group. In 1995, scientists in China reported that Cordyceps sinensis can help patients with CRF (chronic renal failure). A clinical study of 37 chronic renal failure patients treated with 5 g daily of C. sinensis for 30 days found important improvement. Compared with the results of pre-treatment tests, red blood cell and hemoglobin counts were significantly enhanced. The most improvement was shown in the creatinine clearance test. Tests demonstrated an improvement rate of approximately 39%.  Also, there was a 34% decrease in BUN (blood urea nitrogen). Was the 63% drop in proteins found in the urine, which is one of the strongest indicators of an overall correction of kidney function.