Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
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 …
Glutathione-The Antioxidant for Liver Health Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Glutathione drips or in other words IV glutathione is a well-known treatment in holistic medicine. However many people are afraid of needles. Invite Health’s Glutathione Lozenges are an easy to use form of glutathione. You may …
Liver Function Tests
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
The Liver Basics!
As an Invite health nutritionist one of the most important parts of my job is to help people understand their blood work. In general I find that when it comes to blood work liver function tests tend to be some of the most confusing. But just what are the markers on your blood work that test for liver health? In other words what even is a liver function test? Well let’s get into this important topic, shall we?
Liver function’s tests are tests that are used to help monitor the health and function of the liver. The first test is ALT. This is an enzyme that is found in the liver. When the liver cell is damaged this enzyme is released and blood levels will increase. Another enzyme that is found in the liver is AST. AST is also found in muscle cells. If the levels are elevated it can indicate possible damage to either the liver or muscles. ALP is an enzyme found in both the liver and bones. If it is elevated in the blood it may indicate liver damage or disease. It may also indicate bone disease. In addition to testing enzymes that are active in the liver the liver blood tests also look at enzymes that are made by the liver. For example Albumin is a protein that helps to fight infection. Lower levels of albumin and even total protein may mean your liver isn’t healthy enough to produce them. Another job of the liver is to process Bilirubin. Normally this is passed through the liver and excreted in the stool. In certain types of liver disease this process is disrupted and bilirubin levels can increase in the blood. PT is a marker of how fast your blood is able to clot. Increased PT can indicate liver damage. However I just want to mention that certain medications can affect PT. Other tests can include GGT and LD. (1)
In addition to blood tests there are certain imaging tests that can help look for liver damage or disease. Imaging tests can include ultrasounds, CT scans or even getting an MRI. One test that can be important in monitoring liver health is a liver biopsy. (2)
These liver function tests may be abnormal for a number of reasons. For example you may have a virus, tumor, diabetes or other liver disease. (2) Throughout this series will be reviewing a number of these conditions. For example we will be reviewing disorders such as NASH, NAFLD, cirrhosis, and even hepatitis. We will also be talking about the gall bladder since it is so closely linked to the liver. Additionally in this series will be talking about how and when to detox. Lastly we will be talking about another important organ, our kidneys!
But what does the liver even do for our health? Well the liver has a number of important jobs. I’ve attached a picture detailing all the functions of the liver! Please take a look the attached picture. (3)
Since the liver is important for so many aspects of our overall health there are many studies on supplements that can help with liver health and function. Throughout this series we will be reviewing many of these nutrients. These nutrients include NAC (4), Milk Thistle (5), Dandelion (6), and even Catalase. (7) Other supplements that help fight infections that will be included will be nutrients such as Olive Leaf (8) and even Probiotics! (9) All of these important nutrients are available from Invite Health. I hope you find this topic as important as I do.
Our product highlight will be Glutathione lozenges!
Sources:
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. KRILL OIL, OR FISH OIL. PICK ON AND TAKE IT- PART 3. INVITEⓇ HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 626 Hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph. *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the …
Let’s continue to learn about the digestive health with Dr Claire Arcidiacono, ND. This weeks blog post will focus on pancreas, liver, and gallbladder.
hepatitis c
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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Hepatitis C is a virus that attacks and damages your liver. Many people living with Hepatitis C infections experience no symptoms or very mild symptoms, but this changes when they develop serious liver damage. That’s why it’s called the “silent killer”. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 3,200,000 Americans are infected with chronic Hepatitis C. Up to 75% of these people do not know they are walking around with it. Because they’re not being diagnosed and the virus is not being discovered until there’s liver damage, it can become a very serious situation.†
IMPORTANT NUTRITION FOR A HEALTHY LIVER – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 57. Listen Now>>
For reasons that are not known, less than half of people who get Hepatitis C are not able to clear it out of their systems. Without treatment in the first six months after infection, the virus can become chronic, lifelong, very hard to rid yourself of and quite dangerous. Most people who get infected will develop a long-term infection. Left untreated, chronic Hepatitis C can cause serious health problems, including liver disease, liver failure (cirrhosis), liver cancer and even death. Because of this, according to the CDC, all adults, pregnant women and people with risk factors for developing this issue should get tested for Hepatitis C.†
Hepatitis C is usually spread when someone comes into contact with the blood or the fluids from an infected person. This can happen by sharing drug injection equipment, razors or glucose monitors with someone who is infected. About 6% of infants born to infected women develop Hepatitis C early on, but this can be treated. Healthcare workers are also at risk. It’s not very common, but if a healthcare worker jabs themselves with a needle, it can happen. If you have sex with someone who’s infected with Hepatitis C, it could also spread that way.†
Many people with Hepatitis C don’t have a lot of symptoms. If the symptoms do occur, it would be something that would make it obvious that there’s an issue with the liver. This could include yellow eyes, yellow skin, dark urine or clay-colored poop. You can also have a lot of intestinal problems. You may not feel hungry. Fluid can build up in your abdomen. You can have stomach pain and you can throw up. You can also develop a fever, have joint pain and feel tired. If you have these symptoms, you need to contact your doctor right away before this becomes a chronic disease.†
What can you do to help with your liver? The mineral zinc can help. We know that the immune system needs zinc to create immune cells, but zinc also prevents the immune system from harming you. It helps protect organs and tissues throughout the body. It’s well-known that zinc levels drop dramatically after you fight a virus. Studies have shown that when you have a Hepatitis C infection, zinc-related metallothioneins are needed to fight the virus and protect your organs.†
IMMUNE BENEFITS OF VITAMIN C, ZINC & VITAMIN D – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 118. Listen Now>>
Vitamin D is also needed. It’s needed for our immune system. Vitamin D is stored in the liver and activated in the kidneys. Vitamin D helps you to regulate your immune system to fight viruses better, but also to prevent the immune system from destroying you. Antioxidants do not work well if you lack Vitamin D because you become inflamed and the antioxidants are used up inappropriately.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph. explains the Hepatitis C virus. He describes how this chronic infection can impact the body and offers recommendations for nutrients that can help support liver health.†
Key Topics:
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