by Dr. David Bayley, BScK., N.D.

Dr. Bayley can be reached at the Delbrook Naturopathic Clinic in North Vancouver at(604) 986-9191.

PART ONE: Clinical Indications for the use of Lipotrophic Factors.

PART TWO: Vitamins and minerals.

PART THREE: Homeopathic preparations.

Part Two: Vitamins and Minerals

To understand the role of vitamins and minerals in hepatitis it might be useful to review some definitions and basic liver functions.

Metabolism is a Greek word meaning to change. When the liver or any other part of the body metabolizes something it is to make that something more useable or less toxic. For example, the liver can metabolize protein (change it) to glucose. The muscles can metabolize glucose to energy. The liver metabolizes many drugs to activate them. It also metabolizes many waste products and unwanted drugs and toxins to break them down and prepare them for elimination from the body. Smoking, caffeine, junk food and many drugs inhibit liver metabolism. Metabolism is usually already impaired in the liver when there is inflammation (i.e. hepatitis) so further inhibitions should be avoided. Some drugs have the opposite effect and speed up liver metabolism so much that the liver becomes damaged by the intermediate products produced by its own metabolism. Alcohol, Phenobarbital, and acetaminophen are examples of inducers (speed up) of liver metabolism.

Vitamins are essential for metabolism processes but can not be made by the body and must therefore come from foods or vitamin pills. Many minerals are also essential for the proper functioning of metabolism processes.

All of the B vitamins are involved in energy metabolism. The liver requires lots of energy to remove waste from the body. The liver's energy is impaired during infection so a B vitamin complex of 100 mg/day helps most hepatitis patients feel better. Some B vitamins should also be injected. Vitamin B6 for example, is important in the formation of protein, neuro-transmitters, red blood cells, hormones and in the function of the immune system. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) needs to be activated by the liver to pyridoxal-5-phosphate before it can be used by the rest of the body.

People with active liver disease have difficulty activating B6, so weekly injections of the active form by their physician can help with many hepatitis symptoms. An extra source of magnesium (150 mg/ day) is a good idea because most of vitamin B6's activity is magnesium dependent. Vitamin B2 (found in the B Complex) is essential for B6 activation.

If you are going to get B6 injections from your physician, it would be a good idea to include vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 injections can help with symptoms of fatigue, depression, stress, memory loss, tendonitis, asthma and numbness. Even when blood tests indicate serum B12 levels are normal, injections often help you to feel better. Most of the body's B12 is stored in the liver. These stores are effected by liver diseases.

Much of the damage sustained by the liver during inflammation is due to oxidation and free radical damage. This is the process by which we grow old. When we have an inflamed organ like in hepatitis that aging process is fast forwarded!

Vitamin E is the body's most important antioxidant and free radical scavenger. I usually recommend 400IU/day of clear base vitamin E plus selenium 50 - 150 IU and vitamin C 1000-3000 mg/day. Vitamin E doesn't work without selenium and is regenerated in the body by vitamin C.

Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, enhances immune system activity, is anti-viral, and has many effects similar to interferon.

There has been some exciting research showing that intravenous vitamin C can greatly improve acute viral hepatitis in 2 - 4 days. This is a procedure that only some naturopathic physicians and specially trained MDs are familiar with.

Many patients with advanced liver disease develop a multitude of skin lesions. These usually clear up quickly with zinc supplements. White spots in your finger nails can be a sign of zinc deficiency. Zinc also reverses neurological damage caused by Wilson's disease (a copper storage disease of the liver). A dose of 10-15 mg/day of zinc citrate or zinc picolinate is safe and effective. Higher doses should be taken under an N.D. or M.D. 's supervision.

One of the most important metabolism functions of the liver is a process called methylation. S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) is the liver's most important methyl donor. A healthy liver can make as much SAM as it needs. Unfortunately SAM production is impaired in hepatitis. Oral administration of SAM (800 mg/day) has been demonstrated to improve symptoms of pain, moods, fatigue, morning stiffness, bile flow, general malaise, digestive disturbances, allergies, chemical sensitivities, PMS, constipation, and is protective against liver cancer in patients with chronic liver disease. Not bad for something that's cheap and has no side effects.

And finally, remember this: even doctors are warned not to treat themselves. You can not be objective and therefore effective when self medicating. Seek the help of a naturopathic physician before using these substances. Natural is not a synonym for safe, so natural medications need to be treated with respect.

Stay tuned for more on glandulars and the homeopathic treatment of hepatitis C.

©1997 Dr. David Bayley for HepC BC.

All Rights Reserved.

Correspondence can be directed to Dr. David Bayley.