Probiotics Prevent Deadly Complications Of Liver Disease Study Finds
- Date:
- American Gastroenterological Association
- Summary:
- Probiotics are effective in preventing hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis of the liver, according to a new study. The investigators conducted trial with cirrhosis patients who showed risk factors for hepatic encephalopathy, but had yet to experience an obvious episode. When comparing treatment with probiotics versus placebo, the researchers found that the incidence of hepatic encephalopathy was lower in patients treated with probiotics.
Probiotics are effective in preventing hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis of the liver, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Hepatic encephalopathy is a deterioration of brain function that is a serious complication of liver disease.
“This rigorous new research finds that probiotics modify the gut microbiota to prevent hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis of the liver,” said David W. Victor III, MD, who contributed an editorial in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology on this research. “These results offer a safe, well-tolerated and perhaps cheaper alternative to current treatments.”
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Liver Supplement Side Effects
This is always the question that most people want the answer to: does taking supplements for fatty liver have any side effects? The answer is that it depends on the individual. However, there are some general side effects of which you should be aware. Its also worth remembering that some minor side effects have to be justified if you want to experience the benefit of a product, i.e. if the benefits outweigh the side effects.
Given that most supplements for fatty liver contain milk thistle, its worth looking at its side effects. Usually, there are few side effects with milk thistle. Studies have shown that it is safe to take for a long time, even as long as up to 41 months. It can cause diarrhea and, more rarely, bloating, nausea, gas and an upset stomach. Other rarer symptoms, aside from troublesome intestines, are headaches and loss of appetite.
Of course, as with any supplement, there are some special precautions. You should not take this product if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. This is not because it has been deemed to be unsafe, but simply because there has not been enough reliable information to say that it is definitely safe. So, to be 100% on the safe side, it is best not to take it.
Theres also some evidence that milk thistle can act like estrogen. So its probably best avoided if you have any conditions related to estrogen, such as some cancers and also conditions such as endometriosis or uterine fibroids. The milk thistle could make such conditions worse.
Nux Vomica: For Fatty Liver With Pain In Abdomen After Eating
Natural remedy Nux Vomica is the best fatty liver treatment in homeopathy when the cause is over-consumption of alcohol. It is prescribed when pain in abdomen begins a few hours after eating, with a feeling of stone in abdomen. Sour or bitter belching accompanies the pain. A very significant symptom for selecting Nux Vomica for;Fatty;Liver;is constipation with an ineffectual urge to pass stool or poop. The stool, however, is insufficient and unsatisfactory. The passing out of stool gives some relief from the pain in the abdomen but the urge to pass stool is renewed soon after. The patient craves;for fattyfood, spicy food, coffee and alcoholic drinks in diet.
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Effect On Liver Function And Inflammation
, display the results of the meta-analysis on serum liver enzymes. All 3 treatment types combined reduced ALT by 6.85U/L . Prebiotics reduced ALT by 9.75U/L , and probiotics reduced ALT by 6.60U/L , but synbiotics did not affect ALT . Subgroup analysis by confirmed NAFLD diagnosis demonstrated that microbial therapies reduced ALT by 11.74U/L , whereas studies without NAFLD confirmation showed no change in ALT .
Effect of prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic therapies on gamma-glutamyl transferase and inflammation. Forest plot for meta-analysis of -GT , tumor necrosis factor alpha , and C-reactive protein for all treatments. Overall estimate is pooled estimate of serum -GT and inflammatory cytokines. A dashed line indicates an average of the control group, and a solid line indicates an average of the overall pooled estimate. Weights are from random effects; DerSimonian-Laird estimator. Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; CRP, C-reactive protein; TNF-, tumor necrosis factor alpha; -GT, gamma-glutamyl transferase.
Liver Detox: The Gut Connection
What is likely happening therethis is my opinionis that the probiotics are improving gut health, and as the gut gets healthier, there is less mess in the gut that needs to drain to and be cleaned up by the liver. Then the liver is less overworked and is able to heal and regenerate. Therefore, there are fewer liver enzymes.
Remember, the liver enzymes are a byproduct of liver damage. These enzymes essentially spill out of the liver when the liver is overworked and damaged and cant regenerate and repair itself. So those liver enzymes truly are an indicator of liver damage and liver inflammation. And again, the probioticslikely by improving gut healthtake a burden off the liver and therefore lower liver enzymes.
So something to think about if youre struggling with a liver condition, especially elevated liver enzymes, is a probiotic and any other therapeutic options that may improve your gut health. This is Dr. Ruscio. Hopefully, this helps you get healthy and get back to your life. Thanks.
What do you think? I would like to hear your thoughts or experience with this.
- Get help using this information to become healthier.
- Get your personalized plan for optimizing your gut health with;my new book.
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Why Is Our Microbiome Important Anyway
Right now,;90%;of the cells in your body are microbial. These microbes a general term for bacteria, archaea, protists, and other molecular organisms are present;throughout the body.
The;human microbiome;is the collection of;all;of these microbes. This means ;you guessed it ;90% of your body is actually your microbiome. Keeping it balanced can have;huge benefits;not only for your digestion, but your;brain, skin, immune system,;and a host of other functions.
In fact,;researchers are only scratching the surface;of the;potential;of probiotic supplements, and why theyre essential for our overall wellbeing.
Unfortunately, many of us;dont realize;that, even though our;digestion feels normal, we may still need a;quality probiotic;supplement to keep us healthy.
Our modern western society has;adopted unhealthy activities;and lifestyles that affect our;microbes;in a variety of ways. Most are difficult ;if not impossible; to avoid, but its critical to;spread awareness;if we want to;protect our microbiome.
Probiotics Your Gut And Your Liver
Your body plays host to trillions of friendly bacteria that help with digestion, immune function, and inflammation, just to name a few of the benefits of this relationship.
The majority of the bacteria that live in your body reside in your intestines. The gut and liver are linked by functions like the livers bile secretion that helps with digestion and blood from the gut traveling to the liver.
This link means that the health of your gut can affect the health of your liver.
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Dna And Rna Extraction
DNA extraction of the fecal pellets was carried out by QIAamp stool DNA Mini Kit and total RNA was extracted from the liver and then purified using the TRIZOL kit according to the manufacturers instructions. The extracted nucleic acid concentration and purity were measured with a Thermo Scientific Microplate instrument . DNA extracts were stored at 80°C before use in the following procedures. The extract total RNA from liver was immediately performed RT-PCR reaction using a PrimeScriptTMRT reagent kit according to the manufacturers instructions.
V9 Treatment Attenuates Hfd
In order to explore the mitigating effects of Bifidobacterium hactis V9 on HFD-induced liver injury, the development of liver damage was examined histologically by H&E staining. Administration of the high-fat diet for 6;weeks caused evident damage in the liver as shown by the disturbed structure of lobules, hepatocyte hypertrophy and severe hepatic steatosis represented by the formation of numerous lipid droplets. In contrast, Bifidobacterium lactis V9 and Berberine treatment significantly improved the structure of liver lobules and alleviated hepatic steatosis . In addition, serum alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were different across the various conditions. Compared with the HFD group, both V9 and Berberine treatment significantly decreased the serum ALT and AST levels . These results indicate that V9 treatment alleviates high fat diet-induced hepatic injury and steatosis.
Fig.;1
Probiotic V9 improves hepatic steatosis and liver damage in HFD rats. a Paraffin-embedded liver tissues were sectioned and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Micrographs are representative pictures with magnification 200×. Serum ALT and AST levels were measured . **P<0.01 vs HFD group
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Assessment For The Ultrastructure Of Intestinal Mucosa By Transmission Electron Microscopy
Jejunum mucosa samples were subjected to transmission electron microscopy. The biopsy samples were immediately fixed using 3% glutaraldehyde and kept at 4°C for 2hours, then post-fixed with osmium tetroxide and dehydrated with gradientalcohol, and finally the tissues were infiltrated with a 151 solution of Epon 812 and epoxypropane, then embedded in Epon 812 resin. Ultrathin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate, and were photographed using a transmission electron microscopy . High-magnification images were captured to assess the ultrastructure of the tight junctions in the Jejunum.
In Mice Probiotic Treatment Shown To Protect Against Liver Damage From Acetaminophen
- Date:
- Experimental Biology 2018
- Summary:
- Increased awareness of the importance of the microbes that live in our gut has spurred a great deal of research on the microbiome and fueled a booming probiotics industry. A new study suggests probiotics can improve not only the health of our gut but liver health, as well.
Increased awareness of the importance of the microbes that live in our gut has spurred a great deal of research on the microbiome and fueled a booming probiotics industry. A new study suggests probiotics can improve not only the health of our gut but liver health, as well.
“Probiotics have been studied most intensely in the context of the gastrointestinal tract,” said Bejan Saeedi, a doctoral candidate at Emory University who conducted the research. “This study provides evidence that the effects of probiotics extend beyond the gastrointestinal tract. What makes this study unique is that it suggests a discreet molecular mechanism by which these effects are elicited.”
Saeedi will present the research at the American Society for Investigative Pathology annual meeting during the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting, held April 21-25 in San Diego.
The vast populations of microbes that reside on and inside of our bodies have been shown to play a role in numerous functions that keep our bodies healthy. Probiotics are bacteria that are consumed or administered in an effort to boost the populations of these beneficial microbes.
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Why Is That A Problem
Well, fatty liver causes inflammation in the body, which triggers insulin resistance, and pre-diabetes, which causes your body to deposit fat not just in your liver but also in your other organs and your belly .
If left unaddressed, fatty liver leads to chronic diseases like diabetes, liver cirrhosis, heart disease, and even cancer. In the worst case, a liver transplant is needed.
You might not know this, but sugar, not fat, creates fatty liver. The high fructose corn syrup found in the processed foods we eat is the single biggest cause of fatty liver.
Fructose is the primary sweetener in soda, which makes soda a major culprit of fatty liver. What happens is, fructose goes directly to the liver and sharply increases lipogenesis .
To detect fatty liver, youll need to get a blood test or ultrasound. However, the bottom line is, if you eat a lot of sugar and flour, if you have extra belly fat, or if you crave carbs, starch, and sugar, you probably have fatty liver.
In todays video, well talk about the top 10 foods you should eat, not only to prevent but also reverse nonalcoholic fatty liver disease at the initial stage.
Make sure you watch this video until the end, because some of these foods may come as a real surprise to you! So if youre ready, lets get into it.
As always, this video is educational and does not construe medical advice, we are not doctors.
Calcarea Carb: For Obese Fatty Liver Patients
Calcarea Carb is a very beneficial natural medicine for mainly obese Fatty;Liver;patients. The person is;fatty, flabby with excess fat in;liver;and whole abdomen. This remedy successfully helps in burning excess fat in;liver. The digestion is very slow in such persons with long-standing constipation. The abdomen always remains distended. Milk is not suitable for these persons. A few constitutional symptoms that are taken note of is a desire for boiled eggs or strange things like chalk and pencils. Another is sensitivity to cold air and excessive sweating on the head.
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Probiotics Protect Against Nafld
Due to the rapid increase in NAFLD rates, scientists have been scrambling to find ways to shield the liver against the damage it causes.
Because of the strong link between gut microbes and NAFLD, they decided to focus on probiotics.
Scientists designed a blend of microorganisms they believed was ideal to improve gut health and favorably impact the liver, reducing risk and severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease .
This probiotic blend consists of seven beneficial bacteria that are considered to be a part of a healthy gut microbiome. They are:
-
Lactobacillus casei PXN® 37,
-
Bifidobacterium longum PXN® 30, and
-
Lactobacillus bulgaricus PXN® 39.
But probiotic organisms can only work if they survive and thrive in the intestines, outcompeting harmful bacteria. Combining the probiotics with prebiotics, compounds that help support the health and functioning of the bacteria, give the probiotic organisms an added boost.
The blend of probiotics and prebiotics is often referred to as synbiotics because of their synergistic activity in improving gut health.
Putting It All Together
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease affects 2030% of adult populations in developed countries. The build-up of fat in the liver is harmless at first, but it can lead to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis .
Fatty liver disease is so intimately associated with type 2 diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease that it is believed to be caused by the same factors. These factors are an unhealthy lifestyle, genetics, and gut health issues .
Although genetics cant be changed, almost everyone can prevent and reverse fatty liver disease with the right diet and exercise program. Research suggests that the right diet is a low carbohydrate and high fiber diet. The perfect example of this is the ketogenic diet. This diet maintains a healthy gut microbiome and limits fructose and carbohydrate , which makes it the ideal fatty liver diet.
When it comes to exercise, many different forms of activity from walking to lifting weights can help reverse fatty liver disease. Do some form of activity every day for best results.
The combination of the ketogenic diet and exercise makes a great treatment for fatty liver disease, but they arent the only important things that can help reverse the disease. Limiting alcohol intake, eating low-carbohydrate vegetables like spinach and kale, taking liver healing supplements like spirulina and milk thistle, and including liver healing foods in your diet are essential in reversing fatty liver disease as well.
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Probiotics And A Healthy Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight is an important part of preventing liver damage. In cases of cirrhosis caused by NAFLD, losing weight may help people become healthier. ;
Probiotics, especially the strain Lactobacillus gasseri, can help to reduce excess body fat, which can hurt your liver and make cirrhosis worse.
Other strains in the Lactobacillus family have also been found to promote weight loss in overweight dieters, like Lactobacillus fermentum, L. amylovorus, and L. rhamnosus.
Eating a healthy diet is key if youre trying to lose body fat and keep your liver healthy, and probiotics can help you reach both goals in multiple ways.
Features Of The Gutliver Axis In Cirrhosis And Hcc
The aforementioned mechanisms further influence liver damage progression, possibly leading to advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis, the end-stage of chronic liver disease and the leading cause of liver failure and HCC. Activated HSCs show high LPS-induced TLR4 responsiveness thus repeatedly enhancing pro-fibrotic processes that compromise immune defense and toxins clearance from hepatic tissue supporting cirrhosis development . Moreover, LPS/TLR4 signaling plays a critical role to induce hepatocarcinogenesis by promoting a senescence-associated secretory phenotype in HSCs and stimulating chemoattractant cytokines production from HSCs and monocytes. Bacterial translocation even participates to hemodynamic complications linked to cirrhosis, such as hepatic encephalopathy, variceal bleeding and portal hypertension. Recently, Sorribas et al. showed that cirrhotic mice reduced mucus thickness and lost Goblet cells as well as mucins expression, allowing bacterial overgrowth and the pathological translocation of Escherichia coli . Assimakopoulos et al. firstly demonstrated that leaky gut exerts a pivotal role in human cirrhosis, highlighting the importance of occludin and claudin 1 downregulation in cirrhotic patients and even more in those with decompensated cirrhosis . In addition, higher levels of IL6, nitric oxide and decreased transepithelial resistance have been associated with the presence of activated intestinal macrophages in cirrhotic patients .
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Natural Sources And Daily Intake
There are many natural sources of the above ingredients that are often put in supplements. In addition to taking a supplement, or instead of, you can try to improve your fatty liver by improving your diet . Your diet should include a wide variety of foods. To begin with, you should reduce calories and eat a high fiber diet. If you eat more foods that have complex carbs, protein, and fiber it will help you feel fuller and will prevent you from over-eating or eating additional calories. Some people with NAFLD decide to follow a specific diet such as the Mediterranean diet.
Lets have a look at some foods that can help.
Garlic
Garlic has many benefits for fatty liver disease. One study, published in the Advanced Biomedical Research, has found that garlic can reduce body fat and body weight in those with NAFLD.
Foods rich in Omega-3
There are many foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as walnuts, salmon and flaxseeds.
Coffee
As we have mentioned above, coffee has been shown to have some advantages in the reduction of fatty liver disease. It could be due to its chlorogenic acid content. This is a compound thats known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Of course, if you dont already drink coffee, then it wouldnt be wise to start drinking lots of it straight away!
Broccoli
Tea
Walnuts
Avocado
Whey protein and Soy