Nutritional Help for Hepatitis C
by Heath Davis Havlick
When Sherril Wolff donated blood in 1995, she had never heard of hepatitis C. When she got a letter from the Red Cross telling her she had it, she wasn't too worried. Hepatitis was common and relatively easy to treat. When she took the letter to her doctor, he told her it wasn't serious--because he didn't understand that hepatitis C (HCV) is a killer.
The U. S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 4.5 million Americans have the potentially fatal liver disease, and the majority don't know it. Surgeon General David Satcher called hepatitis C "a grave threat to our society" at a congressional subcommittee meeting last year. Each year, 8,000 to 10,000 people die from HCV-related cirrhosis or liver cancer. That death toll is expected to quadruple in 20 years as more people suffer the ravages of this stealth virus.
HCV is a blood-borne virus, more difficult to acquire than A or B. Exposure almost always means infection. Unlike hepatitis B, HCV will likely never have a vaccine due to its many variations. People who contract HCV usually don't feel sick immediately. Instead, the virus quietly goes to work attacking the liver. It may take 10 to 20 years to become ill or detect the damage.
Hepatitis C produces chronic infection (persistent detection of the virus at least six months after initial infection) in more than 85 percent of HCV positive people. However, the majority of people chronically infected have no symptoms. The most common symptoms include fatigue, weakness, intermittent nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, jaundice, or a combination of any of these. Such vague complaints make the disease difficult to diagnose. The virus also affects other organs, including the kidneys, joints and thyroid.
Seventy percent of persistently infected people develop chronic liver disease. The long-term effects of infection include chronic hepatitis (liver inflammation), cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer). Fortunately, only about 20 percent of chronically infected individuals develop cirrhosis, and of that number only one to five percent will develop cancer.
Former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop, active in the HCV information crusade, anticipates huge increases in the number of liver transplant requests in the coming years unless detection and treatment of HCV are made a priority. Still, the virus remains in the bloodstream to attack the new liver. A transplant merely buys time.
Treatment Options
Interferon is the primary pharmaceutical hope for HCV patients, and it is a slim one at best. Interferon is a copy of an immune system protein found in small amounts in the body. A typical treatment schedule is six months of injections three times a week. Interferon eliminates the virus in 10 to 15 percent of people, and it seems to work best for those who have either just contracted HCV or show consistently abnormal liver function.
Some people experience no side effects, but most experience a range of flu-like symptoms: fatigue, fever, vomiting, headache, muscle aches, even hair loss.
Wolff's treatment was unpleasant. Within two to three hours of injection, she was vomiting and had a fever, a horrible headache and muscle aches. Her doctor ended treatment after four months. She discovered that the liver could heal itself if given the right raw materials.
Wolff began a diet high in essential fatty acids, lecithin and antioxidants, limiting her intake of refined carbohydrates, saturated fats and animal protein. She also devised a liver-friendly supplement regimen. She felt better after six months, and her liver enzymes dropped. She founded Hepatitis United to share her success. Three years after interferon failed her, her blood is virus-free.
Wolff's website, www.hepu.org, provides an overview of the supplements that have helped Wolff and other HCVers. Thymic Protein A, which mimics the thymus gland's output, tops the list. From this gland come the immune factors responsible for cell-mediated immunity--the level at which viruses are attacked. Judy Knilans, Director of Hepatitis United and a Ph.D. candidate in Natural Health Sciences, wants people to understand that HCV is not a liver disease; it's a blood virus that affects the liver. "Fifteen percent of HCV patients clear the virus from their blood without any medication, so chronic HCV is an immunity problem," she said. "If all patients' immune systems were working properly, they would be able to get rid of the virus, too."
MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) helps strengthen connective tissue, scavenges free radicals and may reduce inflammation. Wolff also takes noni and aloe vera juice, which help keep the bile ducts clear. Milk thistle also supports the liver, and an organic, iron-free multivitamin provides additional nutrients.
The Retailer's Role
HCV is the most prevalent viral infection in the U.S., so an increasing number of people will be heading to the supplement aisle in the hope of helping themselves. Retailers can help first of all by becoming informed and making information available to their customers. The CDC's web site (www.cdc.gov) gives basic facts about HCV, and a search through MedLine or a search engine provides stacks of third-party literature.
Retailers can also help by stocking the products HCVers need. Local health care practitioners can offer information and additional advice on what to carry. Sherril Wolff beat the disease, and retailers can help their customers beat it, too.
Health Havlick is a freelance writer based in Mt. Hermon, Calif.