Avoid Standard Treatments That May Worsen Hepatitis C.

Some 4 million Americans have an extremely serious liver disorder called hepatitis C. Caused by a viral infection, it damages the liver and greatly increases the risk of liver failure as well as cancer.
The standard treatment for hepatitis C is a powerful antiviral    drug called interferon, along with other medications. The treatment lasts a year, and it causes fever, muscle aches, and other flu like symptoms in about 60 percent of people who take it.

What's worse, the treatment doesn't always work. Even
when it banishes the virus for a while, there's no scientific evidence that it prevents liver failure.
Alternative practitioners believe that, in many cases, there is
a better way to treat this disease. "Interferon and other pharmaceuticals can actually delay the healing process by toxifying the body," says Christopher Hobbs, an herbalist and expert in

Traditional Chinese Medicine in Santa Cruz, California.
Probably the best way to strengthen the body against hepatitis C is with liver-protecting herbs, says Hobbs. Along with nutritional therapies, herbal treatments can help your body recover from this dangerous viral assault. If you think you have hepatitis C or have been diagnosed as having it, seek medical care. Talk to your doctor or your alternative practitioner before trying these or other alternative remedies.

MILK THISTLE: Rebuilds Damaged Cells
The herb milk thistle contains a group of chemicals called silymarin, which stimulate the synthesis of protein in liver cells and actually help the liver regenerate itself. Hobbs recommends taking two 150-milligram tablets or capsules of milk thistle extract, standardized to contain 70 to 80 percent silymarin, three or four times a day.
Another option is to take a multi herb supplement. Look for one with a standardized silymarin extract of 10 to 50 percent that's blended with other liver-protecting herbs such as turmeric, artichoke leaf, gentian, and ginger. Follow the dosage recommendations on the label.

HERBS: Kill the Virus and Build Immunity
There are many herbs that help protect the liver from hepatitis C, says
Hobbs, including lemon balm, St. John's wort, shiitake mushrooms,
schisandra, and garlic. Each of these herbs is taken in a different way,
according to Hobbs.

• Lemon balm: Make a tea by adding 1 teaspoon of dried or fresh herb to 1 cup of boiling water. Steep for 15 minutes, strain, and drink two to three cups a day.
• St. John's wort: Take one 300-milligram capsule twice a day. Look for an extract standardized for 0.3 percent hypericin, Hobbs advises.
• Shiitake: Take 1,500 to 2,000 milligrams in capsule or tablet form twice a day with meals.
• Schisandra: Take a 100-milligram capsule standardized to contain 9   : percent schisandris twice a
• Garlic: All forms are effective. You may want to eat a few cloves a day of fresh or cooked garlic or take a daily dose of two or three capsules containing 3,000 to 4,000 micrograms of allicin each.

The Anti-Hepatitis C Diet
Ramona Jones is a certified nutritional consultant in Shawnee, Oklahoma. She also has hepatitis C.
By using natural methods herbal remedies and nutritional supplements along with a body strengthening diet she has managed to remain symptom-free and healthy.

Jones has found that a healthful diet is essential for people with hepatitis C because it's the liver's job to filter and detoxify all of the potentially harmful substances in your body. Your goal should be to avoid taxing your liver with foods such as the following, which are hard for the body to detoxify.

• Animal products, especially red meats, which are loaded with antibiotics, growth hormones, and steroids. Meat complicates the digestive process, stressing the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas, Jones explains. It is one of the hardest foods to digest, she adds
• Dairy foods, which put added strain on the liver.
• Alcohol, which is notorious for its liver-harming effects. Caffeine, which stimulates and stresses the liver. Look for it not only in coffee, tea, and colas but also in many over-the-counter medications.
• Tap water, which often contains much more than you bargained for, including chlorine, fluoride, inorganic chemicals, and compounds that the liver is unable to process. Drink distilled water only, Jones suggests.
• Junk food, which is not only a poor source of nutrition but is also chock-full of the things we should avoid to minimize stress to the liver sugars, fats, hydrogenated oils, chemical additives, and preservatives.
• Fruit juices, which arc high in concentrated sugar. Sugar is a shock to the liver, it stresses the digestive process and the pancreas, and it may "feed" the hepatitis C virus, Jones says. » Artificial sweeteners, which are extremely hard for the liver to process. Your poor liver doesn't even recognize what these substances are, Jones says. Use liquid stevia, derived from an herb, instead.

As for foods that you should eat, Hobbs recommends easy-to-process sources of protein such as fish, organic chicken and turkey, and soy products. And don't forget beans, he says. Lentils, chickpeas, and adzuki, navy, pinto, and mung beans are all great choices.
In addition, he recommends eating lightly steamed green vegetables, along with squash. Summer squash and zucchini are especially good. "They're the easiest on digestion," he says.
Fresh fruit is always good, although Jones advises not having more than three servings a day. "Too much sugar in any form stresses the liver," she says.
Finally, be sure to eat plenty of whole grains, which are loaded with liver-strengthening B vitamins.