Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Hepatox Hx Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Invite Health has quite a selection of nutrients that are good for both our liver and kidneys. One such item is called Hepatox. It has a funny name I know but this particular supplement is a combination of …
What exactly is Liver Cirrhosis? Part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND This is part 2 of our discussion on cirrhosis. If you haven’t read the first part I suggest you do that first since it will contain important background information. In this blog I …
What exactly is Liver Cirrhosis?
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
In my experience as a Naturopath cirrhosis of the liver is one of the most confusing disorders that people can experience. What exactly even is cirrhosis? What cause’s it? What are the symptoms one might experience? What are the possible complications? And lastly what steps can be taken to reduce the risk factors for cirrhosis and improve liver health? It’s a lot to talk about so I will be breaking this into 2 parts. This is so it doesn’t become too overwhelming.
Basically cirrhosis is severe scarring of the liver. When the cells of the liver are damaged for any reason the cells will try to repair themselves. Unfortunately in this process scar tissue forms. This scaring, or cirrhosis makes it hard for the liver to do its job well. (1) In a way it’s like when you get a scar on your skin after an injury. The skin is never quite the same. Well in this case the scar tissue that replaces the healthy liver tissue doesn’t have the same properties or abilities as a healthy liver. Thus as the cirrhosis, or scar tissue progresses (or takes over more of the liver) there is less and less healthy liver to do its job and thus symptoms get worse. Please take a look at the attached picture. (2)
So just what can cause this scarring of the liver, or cirrhosis? Well as I said anything that damages the liver can lead to cirrhosis. As I said in my blog on fatty liver have NAFLD is a possible cause of cirrhosis. Please read my blog for suggestions to help reduce the risk of fatty liver! Having a history of hepatitis, either viral or autoimmune can lead to cirrhosis. Other chronic conditions that can lead to cirrhosis include hemochromatosis, cystic fibrosis, Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, glycogen storage disease and Alagille syndrome. Wilson’s disease can also lead to cirrhosis. Certain diseases that affect our gallbladder can also lead to cirrhosis. Certain infections other than hepatitis can also lead to cirrhosis. These include syphilis. Lastly certain medications can increase your risk of developing cirrhosis. If you have any concerns about your medications it is always important to talk to your doctor. (1)
Cirrhosis is considered to be a progressive condition that worsens over time. As the disease progresses the symptoms will become worse. The reason for this is because over time more and more of the liver is replaced with that scar tissue thus as I said there is less of the healthy liver available to do its job. Please see the attached picture. (3)
As for lab work I will refer you to my blog on this topic. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me and I will be happy to review your blood work! Now just what are they signs of liver cirrhosis? Well you may notice you feel fatigue. You may notice the development of spider veins as well as bruising and easy bleeding. You may start to feel nausea which can reduce appetite and even lead to weight loss. Your skin may become itchy. There may be a yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes (this is jaundice) and redness in the palms of the ands. There may be edema/ swelling in the legs, feet or ankles. There may be ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen). Changes in the nails can include becoming a pale color and clubbing or roundness to the nail. (1) Later stages may include confusion, disorientation and even mood changes. There may be changes to your urine and feces in color and there may even be blood in your stool. There may also be blood in your vomit. You may develop motor dysfunctions such as tremors. You may notice that you have difficulty with digesting fats. Women may experience menstrual cycle disruptions and men may experience enlarged breast tissue and shrunken testes. Lastly in the long run there may be low urine output and even shortness of breath. (3)
In our next blog we will talk about complications of cirrhosis and even review some things that can help with overall liver health. These nutrients will include Milk Thistle, NAC and even surprisingly Turmeric!
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Daily Detox- The Power to Cleanse your Cells Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Anyone who knows me can tell you how much I like Invite Health powders! In this blog I will be talking about one of my absolute favorites, Daily Detox powder! This powder is …
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~HEALTH By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT HEALTH seems like a no brainer when discussing wellness and lifestyle. However, what does it really mean? Let’s break this down and I’ll go over what this means to me as it …
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~SOCIAL LIFE
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
Many people don’t think of having a social life as being part of a healthy lifestyle. I didn’t either for a long time. However, like many of us, my mind was changed during the COVID pandemic and lock down. I can to realize how much I missed being out and interacting with old and new friends alike. So, is the idea of a social life a product of COVID, or is it really a wellness essential?
Believe it or not, socializing or having an active social life, is not only an important part of one heath, but it’s also been the subject of studies in support of this theory. Social interactions have been shown to be helpful in supporting our cognitive functions. An article from Harvard Health Publishing/Harvard Medical School titled ‘Get Back Your Social Life to Boost Thinking, Memory and Health’ discusses how any form of socializing can decrease risk of cognitive decline and improve memory. It can also help to lower the risk of depression. It seems as though it doesn’t matter the type of socializing you partake in, as long as there is some form that you enjoy. As humans, we are social by nature, so we can have a natural craving and need for socialization. It can be as simple as a weekly call with a friend, a monthly meal “date”, a shopping trip or a ball game. Some feel more comfortable in more group social gatherings as parties, BBQs, picnics or happy hours. These can be one-on-one, small groups, community activities or even volunteer work. Find your comfort level and make it part of your monthly routine. How will you make socialization a priority in your wellness plan?
I can tell you from person experience that I never realized how important socialization was to my own well-being until the COVID pandemic hit and caused lengthy shutdowns. I always felt fortunate being an “essential worker” which allowed me to get out of my home, go to work and be around people, even though we were following social distancing guidelines. I even had standing weekly get-together with a friend, still following guidelines, when we sat outside, got fresh air, had something to drink or a snack (at our usual place we licked to visit) and took the time to chat and check in with each other. This was important to us because we always did this and we found that finding a way to keep this routine helped keep things as normal as possible. I often said that this helped me to have “sanity” during such a difficult, stressful and uncertain time. Little did I know that this has actually been shown to be essential?
There are a couple of nutrients that I like to help aid in keeping healthy when increasing social activities. I have always found that adding B-vitamins and supporting the immune system is always important.
B-COMPLEX 100 can be an absolute must-have for many people that have an active social life. One of the things that can often be part of socializing is the incorporation of cocktails. Whether you are someone who only drinks on occasion or someone who is a little more experienced, it can sometimes be easy to over indulge, especially when conversing with friends. The consumption of alcohol can often contribute to some dehydration, as well as deplete the B-vitamins in the body. The result of these deletions is often the “hangover” feeling that some may experience.
IMMUNITY HX is a formula which contains a combination of Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Zinc. While most people are familiar with Vitamin C and Zinc for the immune system, they are often surprised having Vitamin D also recommended. This is because Vitamin D helps to regulate the immune system for proper and health function.
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-the-benefits-of-being-socially-connected/
www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/get-back-your-social-life-to-boost-thinking-memory-and-health
www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/social-life?msockid=102ffcee009769fa30f8f11d011f685e
www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/7-steps-to-cure-your-hangover
www.buoyhealth.com/health/best-hangover-vitamins
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7281985
