(Once again, there may not be effective pharmaceutical drugs, but there are natural remedies that can help cirrhosis of the liver. As we understand how cirrhosis works, we can see how our Bio-Fibrin and Chronic Inflammation Relief can help.)
Fatty liver
Some people confuse a fatty liver with cirrhosis of the liver. A fatty liver is the buildup of fat in liver cells. It is often attributed to alcohol being converted to fat in the liver and partially blocking it, but other things can also cause it. Milk thistle is often used to help remove the fat – which is a good thing – but some inflammation and cirrhosis can also result from it.
Still, overall, the use of milk thistle (or Beta Sitosterol) is worth the benefits. However,cirrhosis of the liver is a different condition.
Fibrosis and Cirrhosis
Fibrosis is the first stage of liver scarring. As we saw in Part 1, anything that damages the liver over many years can form scar tissue. When scar tissue builds up it is called “cirrhosis” (pronounced ‘sir-o-sis’).
Scar tissue forms because of injury or long-term disease. Scar tissue prevents normal liver function by replacing healthy tissue. As the scar tissue replaces healthy tissue, small bumps form on the organ causing blockages, which can lead to bile backing up into the liver and the blood. Scar tissue also blocks the normal flow of blood through the liver.(1)
This is a common progression:
1. Scarring.
The main damage in cirrhosis is triggered by scarring (fibrosis) that occurs from the trauma we talked about due to alcohol, viruses, or other assaults. The scar tissue and other changes in liver cells gradually replace healthy liver tissue and act like small dams to alter the flow of blood and bile in and out of the liver.
The scar tissue that forms in cirrhosis blocks the flow of blood through the organ. The loss of normal liver tissue slows the processing of nutrients, hormones, drugs, and toxins by the liver. Also slowed is production of proteins and other substances made by the liver.
2. Altered Blood and Bile Flow.
A serious problem for people with cirrhosis is pressure on blood vessels that flow through the liver. Normally, blood from the intestines and spleen is pumped to the liver through the portal vein. But in cirrhosis, this normal flow of blood is slowed, building pressure in the portal vein (portal hypertension). This blocks the normal flow of blood, causing the spleen to enlarge.(2)
As a result, blood from the intestines tries to find a way around the liver through new vessels. Some of these new blood vessels become quite large and are called “varices”. These vessels may form in the stomach and esophagus with thin walls and carrying high pressure.
The changes in blood and bile flow have significant consequences, with both the liver and other organs responding to the altered flow:
• The spleen overproduces nitric oxide – reducing the blood vessels diameter.
• The small blood vessels and bile ducts in the liver itself (and kidneys) narrow .
• Blood flow coming from the intestine into the liver is slowed by the narrow blood vessels.
• Enlarged, twisted and swollen veins called varices form in the stomach in order to compensate for the backup blood.
• Bilirubin also builds up in the bloodstream, producing the yellowish cast in the skin and eyes.
• Fluid buildup also occurs in the abdomen and swelling in the legs is common.(3)
If a person’s bile duct becomes blocked, this also may cause cirrhosis. The bile ducts carry bile formed in the liver to the intestines, helping the digestion of fat. The bile ducts may become inflamed, blocked, and scarred due to another liver disease, primary biliary cirrhosis. Another type of biliary cirrhosis also may occur after a patient has gallbladder surgery in which the bile ducts are injured or tied off.
Reversing Liver Damage
As we have seen, no matter the cause, the prime difficulty is the scar tissue that develops,leading to cirrhosis. There is a natural solution to this problem!
Our Bio-Fibrin enzymes break down
the protein fibrin that causes the scar tissue!
In fact, when proteolytic enzymes are taken between meals they go about the business of cleaning up the bloodstream and tissues of many foreign proteins – including fibrin! This includes pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungal strains that cause respiratory illness and Candida.(4)
Viruses are encapsulated by a fibrin protein coating that enables them to attach to and invade healthy cells. Proteolytic enzymes can digest this protective protein coating and render viruses inert and harmless to the body.
Cancer cells also have a fibrin protein coating that is vulnerable to proteolytic enzymes. This is possible due to the lock and key mechanism that ensures that enzymes target and destroy only substances that are harmful to the body, while leaving healthy cells alone.
Scar Tissue – Our main interest in this article is reducing liver and kidney scar tissue. As you can see, Bio-Fibrin will dissolve excess fibrin and fibrin scar tissue where ever it is in the body! Fortunately, that includes the liver. However, the benefits go beyond just the liver. It can take time but it is the whole body that is being helped – including the liver.(5)
This is why our Bio-Fibrin works. It attacks and dissolves the cause of liver cirrhosis. The strongest fibrinolytic enzyme known is serrapeptase, which is what silkworms secrete to dissolve the silk that they produce. Serrapeptase according to the Handbook of Proteolytic Enzymes is 5 to 8 times stronger a fibrin eating enzyme than chymotrypsin. It is one of the five enzymes in our formula.
Bio-Fibrin doesn’t heal the diseases that may be causing scar tissue, but it can deal with the scar tissue – with result that makes so many happy! (Our Ultimate Monolaurin can deal with many of the diseases that lead to the scarring – including Hepatitis! More information about Monolaurin is here.)
Inflammation
Our Bio-Fibrin proteolytic enzymes also reduce the pain, redness and swelling of inflammation. It targets the excess circulating immune complexes (CIC’s), or prostaglandins, that perpetuate the inflammation.
However, a better way (and less money) to keep chronic inflammation down immediately and long term is to take the recommended nutrients of Chronic Inflammation Relief. It is wonderful and most complete natural formula to reduce chronic inflammation all over the body – including joints, muscles, the nervous system and other organs.(6)
Together they make a great tag team for liver and kidney fibrosis.
Link to Biofilm Dissolving Enzymes.
References:
1. Rappaport AM (1982) Anatomic considerations. In: Schiff L, Schiff ER (eds) Diseases of the liver, 5th edition Chapter I, Lippincott Co, Philadelphia.
2. Popper H, Orr W (1970) Current concepts in cirrhosis. Scand J Gastroenterol 5 Suppl 6:203–222.
Rappaport AM (1979) Physioanatomical basis of toxic liver injury. In: Farber E, Fisher MM (eds) Toxic injury of the liver, Part A. Marcel Dekker, Basel, pp 1–57.
3. Garcia-Tsao G, Lim JK; Members of Veterans Affairs Hepatitis C Resource Center Program.Management and treatment of patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension: recommendations from the Department of Veterans Affairs Hepatitis C Resource Center Program and the National Hepatitis C Program. Am J Gastroenterol . 2009 Jul;104(7):1802-29. Epub 2009 May 19
4. Rojkind M, Giambrone MA, Biempica L (1979) Collagen types in normal and cirrhotic liver.Gastroenterology 76:710–719.
5. Rudolph R, McClure WJ, Woodword M (1979) Contractile fibroblasts in chronic alcoholic cirrhosis. Gastroenterology 76:704–9.
6. Heidelbaugh JJ, Sherbondy M. Cirrhosis and chronic liver failure: part II. Complications and treatment. Am Fam Physician . 2006 Sep 1;74(5):767-76.
Additional References:
Anthony PP, Ishak KG, Nayak NC, Poulsen HE, Scheuer PJ, Sobin LH (1977) The morphology of cirrhosis: Definition, nomenclature, and classifications. Bull WHO 540:521–540.
Heidelbaugh JJ, Bruderly M. Cirrhosis and chronic liver failure: part I. Diagnosis and evaluation. Am Fam Physician . 2006 Sep 1;74(5):756-62.
MacDonald RA (1962) Pathogenesis of nutritional cirrhosis. Arch Int Med 110:424–434.
Nuber R, Teutsch HF, Sasse D (1980) Metabolic zonation in thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis.Histochemistry 69:277–288.
Schuppan D, Afdhal NH. Liver cirrhosis. Lancet . 2008 Mar 8;371(9615):838-51.
Uchida T, Miyata H, Shikata T (1981) Human hepatocellular carcinoma and putative precancerous disorders: their enzyme histochemical study. Arch Pathol Lab Med 105:180–186