Do Liver Supplements Help?

 

The liver performs many essential functions, including cleaning the blood, synthesizing proteins, producing hormones, and aiding digestion. So it is somewhat alarming that more and more people across the USA are developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is estimated to affect 89 million Americans, including about 40% of those over age 60. Particularly troubling is that most who already have it are unaware, since NAFLD usually has no symptoms and doctors do not routinely screen for it. As a result, it often goes undiagnosed until it has progressed to an advanced stage.

Older adults with NAFLD are at increased risk of cancer and have a 60% higher risk of death from any cause than those without the disease. Eventually, a liver transplant may become the last option.

NAFLD develops when the liver stores too much fat, producing an inflammatory response that increasingly interferes with liver function. Obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and a family history of liver disease can all increase the risk. 

There are currently no drugs on the market to treat NAFLD. But some manufactures of liver supplements claim that their products will detoxify and rejuvenate the liver. Supplements variously promise to optimize liver function, detoxify the liver and, of course, "promote" and "support" liver health. Yet studies presented at an American Association for the Study of Liver Disease and the National Institutes of Health seminar suggested that herbal and dietary supplements are responsible for as much as 20% of liver disease in the United States. Other studies have found that liver transplant and death occurred more frequently in people who took herbal dietary supplements than those who did not. 

Milk thistle, also known as silymarin, is the most common herbal supplement for liver problems in the U.S. Silibinin, the active ingredient in silymarin, acts as an antioxidant, neutralizing free radicles that contribute to inflammation. The results of trials and studies are mixed. Some have found reductions in inflammation and in enzymes associated with liver damage. Other studies have not found such evidence or found reductions that were 'not clinically significant". The majority of these studies used weak methodologies and had funding sources with a vested interest in the outcome. Studies of other common ingredients such as zinc and licorice root have produced similarly inconclusive outcomes.

An additional problem in the US is that supplements are not tested by and are only weakly regulated by the FDA, so the purity and concentration of ingredients is unpredictable.

But the liver is an unusual organ in that it can often regenerate and repair itself. So there is a lot that we can to to avoid or even reverse NAFLD. Here are few things that you might consider.

Symptoms of NAFLD include fatigue, pain on the right side of the abdomen, swelling and jaundice. But by the time such symptoms appear the disease is already well advanced. So even without symptoms it is a good idea to have your doctor test you for liver disease, especially if you are older than 50 years. The basic screening is a blood test so you can ask to have it included in your annual workup.

Losing extra weight can reduce your risk or even the severity of the contrition if you already have it. Losing 5% to 10% of your body weight is enough to make a positive impact.

If you needed still another reason to move toward a Mediterranean type diet, here it is. A 2018 study found a 29% reduction of fat levels in the liver compared to those following a standard American diet.

If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation or stop entirely. Drink lots of water. Tea and coffee are also good options.

This one will shock you. Exercise! Aside from helping to manage your weight, exercise has a direct benefit to liver function. The increase in heart rate and blood pressure during exercise can act like a "mini cleanse" for the liver. About 30 minutes five times a week is enough to make a difference.

Funny, isn't it, how the same recommendations keep showing up again and again? Maybe there is something to them.

 

Triple Play

 

 

In baseball, a triple play is a rare and beautiful thing to see. Unfortunately, the major causes of death in the United States - heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, Altzheiner's, kidney disease (we will ignore Covid-19, which was #3 in 2020, as temporary) - are all due to a triple play of lifestyle factors that are almost entirely under our control.

These three risk factors are the direct result of our modern lifestyle of overeating, eating unhealthy foods, and lack of exercise. These lifestyle factors work together to create the disease causing metabolic imbalances that trigger the obesity epidemic of excess body fat, chronic system-wide inflammation and insulin resistance. Together this triple play causes diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, some cancers, coronary issues and perhaps dementia.

The sad thing is, we could vastly reduce our risk of these complications by making fairly simple lifestyle adjustments to our diet and activity level. But we won't. Instead we shop for "diets" and "programs" that cost a lot of money and don't work. In baseball, a triple play is a rare and beautiful thing to see. In life, it is neither rare nor beautiful.

Saving Those Ripe Avocados

 

Avocados are a tasty, nutritious and healthy food. They do have a lot of calories due to their generous amount of healthy unsaturated fats. Avocados are an excellent source of magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin K. Most of the carbohydrates in an avocado come from fiber. A whole avocado provides about 17 grams of carbohydrate and 13.4 grams of fiber. There is very little sugar in an avocado (less than one gram) and the rest of the carbohydrate in the fruit comes from starch. The glycemic index for avocado is estimated to be around zero, making it a low-glycemic food.

But avocados do have a dark side. They are not cheap. And they do this thing where they go from hard as a rock to brown mush as soon as you take your eyes off them. But there is a way to fight back. Avocados actually can be frozen with surprisingly good results.

Let me just say up front that freezing and thawing an avocado ruins them for eating on their own. They get really soft. But for using as a spread on your morning toast, an ingredient in your home made guacamole, on a salad or in a smoothie, you won't be able to tell frozen from fresh. And freezing retains all their nutrition.

They can be frozen halved in the skin, cut up into pieces or mashed. If you are freezing halves or pieces, brush them with lemon or lime juice before freezing to prevent browning. If you mash or puree them, you can add a little lemon or lime and other seasonings right then. Freeze in small portions... an old timey ice tray is ideal. 

To use, let thaw at room temperature for about an hour or in the refrigerator overnight. You'll never have to throw out another avocado.

5G - The Improvement Nobody Needs

Let's say your company has a new product. It is heavily invested in its development and so markets it heavily and, because people have become dependent upon earlier versions, it is in a position to force people to use. At the same time that your company is aggressively marketing the product to consumers, it is warning its shareholders to expect lawsuits over alleged negative health impacts and eventual regulatory restrictions. Even people who never use it will be affected by it, and perhaps not in a good way. Do you proceed with the rollout?

You do if you are a wireless company and your new product is 5G service.

The main concerns regarding 5G are a result of its use of much higher frequency radiation to transmit data at much higher speed. This will be the first time that such high-frequency waves would be used on such a large scale. Admittedly, 5G will enable more than just downloading movies to your phone faster. The technology will also lay the foundation for things like self-driving cars and myriad smart devices.

But while this allows for a faster transfer of data, the higher frequency waves can’t travel though buildings or bad weather very well. Therefore wireless providers need to put 5G emitter cell towers everywhere from utility poles to parking garages. The technology requires millions of small cell transmitters that emit non-ionizing radiation. Because of this doctors began raising concerns about health risks, including the possibility of cancer and the impact on brain development. Many groups pressed the Federal Communications Commission to reconsider its decision not to review its 1996 health and safety guidelines for wireless-based technologies, including 5G. The Children’s Health Defense Fund took the challenge to court.

You have no say about where these emitting towers will be placed. One could be right outside your home. These emitters, more than a million of them, will more than triple your exposure to microwave radiation. One of the ironies of all this is that 5G will do exactly nothing to improve the reception of voice calls. It simply allows for much faster data transfer speed. So if you mostly use your phone as a phone, you will be taking on much more risk for no benefit at all.

The Environmental Health Trust offers the following suggestions for reducing your radiation exposure somewhat (but you will not be able to avoid it).

Don't carry your 5G phone in your pocket if possible. When you are not using it, power it off.

When using it for calls, use an earpiece to keep the phone away from your head. Failing that, use the speaker.

Don't sleep with your phone close. Better, turn it off.

If you have a landline at home, keep it and use it. Hold on to your 4G phone as long as possible. (The wireless companies will force you to upgrade eventually, whether you want to or not. And even if you don't the emitter towers will still impact you.)

Engage with your community to try to keep 5G towers away from schools, hospitals and homes. (Wireless companies are pouring millions of dollars into local politics, so eventually you will lose this fight.)

If you want to educate yourself about this issue, a great book to start with is "Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation, What the Industry is Doing to Hide It, and How to Protect Your Family", by Devra Lee Davis.

Mushrooms and Cancer Risk

Eating more mushrooms may lower your risk of developing certain cancers, breast cancers in particular. A recent meta-analysis done at Penn State and published in the journal Advances in Nutrition suggests that daily consumption of mushrooms was associated with a 45% lower risk of cancer compared to those who did not eat mushrooms at all. Eating only 18 grams of mushrooms daily (roughly 1/4 cup) was enough to be protective.

Mushrooms are high in antioxidants and vitamins. “Mushrooms are the highest known dietary source of ergothioneine, which is a unique and potent antioxidant and cellular protector,” said Djibril M. Ba, a graduate student in epidemiology at Penn State College of Medicine. “Replenishing antioxidants in the body may help protect against oxidative stress and lower the risk of cancer.”

All mushrooms contain these nutrients but shitaki, oyster and miatake mushrooms have the highest levels. 

How to eat more musrooms? Chop some up and toss them on a salad. Throw them in sauces and stews. Whip up your  own oriental foods - they use lots of fungi. Here are 30 more ways to put more mushrooms in your diet.

Size Matters

 

Ok, get your mind out of the gutter. We're talking about food here. And it turns out that yes, size does matter.

If you want to see how inflated our portion sizes have become, don’t go to the supermarket – head to an antique shop. You may spot a tiny goblet clearly designed for a doll, only to be told it is a “wine glass”. What look like side plates turn out to be dinner plates. The real side plates resemble saucers. Back in your modern kitchen, notice how vast everything is – 28cm has become a normal diameter for a dinner plate, which in the 1950s would have been 25cm. Just because we are eating off these great expanses of dish does not of course mean that we have to serve ourselves bigger portions. But as it happens, we usually do.

Back in 1993, the average muffin weighed 85g, whereas now it is not at all uncommon to find muffins weighing 130g. Prepared meals have also ballooned in size, with chicken pies expanding by 50% and the average shepherd’s pie nearly doubling in size since 1993 (from 210g to 400g). Unsurprisingly, we have been expanding in size right along with our food portions. 

To overeat in such an environment may be less about lacking willpower than being set in our ways. Food psychologists talk about “unit bias” meaning that we are inclined to think that a portion equals one of something, no matter what the size. You may be shocked to know that food manufacturers take advantage of this to make you eat more without even realizing it. Ever notice a can containing 2.5 "servings"?

It isn't about how hungry you are. Its about how much food is in front of you. People eat more when they're given big servings which of course affects calorie intake and weight. Now that you realize this, you don't have to continue to be a victim of the deceptive ways that food is packaged and sold. Learn what a serving is. Get a doggie bag. Order an appetizer instead of an entrée. Share your food. You may be amazed to find that you are no hungrier for eating a bit less.

Yes, size does matter.

DASH Inflammation

The DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) has long been recommended as a practical approach toward lowering high blood pressure. It is very similar to the Mediterranean Diet in most ways, including an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, poultry, fish, whole grains and nuts and avoiding most red meat and added sugar.

But a recent study of over 400 participants and published in the American Journal of Cardiology suggests that it may also be effective in reducing inflammation at the cellular level, especially when combined with lower sodium intake. After four weeks on a supervised DASH diet, blood levels of c-reactive protein (a key measure of inflammation) were 13% lower and cardiac troponin (a measure of heart damage) was 14% lower among the participants.

The DASH diet approach may also lower your risk of developing type-2 diabetes as well for cognitive decline. Why would you not give it a try?