Zinc
Among
its many functions in the body, the
mineral Zinc plays a key role in
the breakdown of alcohol that is
accomplished in the liver. Zinc
deficiency causes a reduction in
the ability of the liver to carry
out its function of breaking down
alcohol. Depressed levels of Zinc
have been associated with an
increase in the rate and severity
of Cirrhotic disease in
alcoholics. [1,
2,
3]
Vitamin A
Vitamin A aids in fetal
development, and play vital roles
in both vision and immunity.
It has been observed that liver
disease, caused by alcoholism,
produces
symptoms similar to those seen Vitamin A
deficiency, including, poor night
vision and skin problems. Low
Vitamin A levels have been
measured in Cirrhotic patients and
have been corrected with the
dietary supplementation of oral
Vitamin A. Supplementation
of this vitamin has also resulted
in marked improvements regarding
the eye's adaptation to the dark. Vitamin A
supplementation has been
shown to also improve taste and smell
perception in cirrhotic patients. [4,
5,
6,
7]
Carnitine
Carnitine is an amino acid that is
synthesized from two other amino
acids, Lysine and Methionine. Carnitine plays a role in the
metabolism of fats, triglycerides,
and fatty acids. Supplementation
of Carnitine has been shown to
reduce the severity of the fatty
liver formation that can take
place as a consequence of alcohol
consumption. Fatty liver is the
first step in the process of more
severe liver damage; a
progression caused
by chronic alcohol consumption. [8,
9]
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an essential
antioxidant nutrient that is
necessary for human health. Vitamin C must
be obtained from diet, as the
human body lacks the ability to
naturally produce this
water-soluble vitamin. A majority of patients
with liver disease
caused by alcoholism have low Vitamin C
levels. Vitamin C levels are also
related to the rate of alcohol
clearance from the blood, as high alcohol levels
are directly
linked to lower Vitamin C levels. Vitamin C has also shown efficacy
in the treatments and prevention
of Hepatitis, with a reduction in
symptoms such as jaundice. [10,
11,
12]
B-Complex
Vitamins
Vitamins of the B complex variety play a
wide variety of roles in the human
body. These processes range from hormone
inactivation in the liver to
energy metabolism. It is common
for alcoholics to have a deficiency
in one or more of the B vitamins,
most commonly Thiamin (B1). B-compound deficiencies can severely
impair the liver's ability to
detoxify alcohol and other
harmful substances. [13,
14,
15,
16]
Selenium and
Vitamin E
Selenium and vitamin E are
antioxidant nutrients that are
important for many functions in
the body, including the quenching
of free radicals. Free
radicals are formed during the
detoxification of alcohol and
lower antioxidant levels have been
measured in the blood of
alcoholics. Antioxidant
supplementation can also help to
mitigate the damaging effects of
alcohol consumption on the liver
when the antioxidants are taken
prior to drinking. [17,
18,
19,
20]
Liver Extracts
Extracts of liver have been shown
to be effective in mitigating
damage to the liver caused by
hepatitis infection. Liver
hydrosylates are also effective
for promoting the regeneration of
liver tissue. [21,
22,
23]
Thymus Extracts
Extract of the Thymus gland is an
effective treatment for many viral
infections and has been investigated
for use in hepatitis
infection. Thymus extract has
been shown promote the declination of
specific liver enzyme levels, when administered to Hepatitis B
patients. [24,
25,
26]
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