Turmeric, the Hepatoprotective Functional Remedy

By Kyle J. Norton


Hepatoprotection is the action including the use of a substance such as herbal remedy to protect the liver against damage and injury.

Antihepatotoxicity is the ability that protects the liver against toxins.

Acute liver diseases in most cases are caused by drugs and long-term intake of certain medication. Most acute liver disease can be cured if the cause is found.

Chronic liver diseases (CLD) are any liver diseases that last more than 6 months. Most chronic liver diseases are caused by a genetic preposition or a variety of factors that damage the liver, including viruses and alcohol use.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver diseases in the world affecting 25% of the general population most of them in the Western world.

Some researchers suggested that the use of substances to protect the liver may involve several mechanisms, including strengthening the liver, gastrointestinal and immune system.

Dr. C. Girish, the lead scientists in the discussion of hepatoprotective effect, wrote, " The regulation of gastrointestinal system may improve the general well-being of the patients, as well as improvement of the constipation, may prevent the absorption of harmful substances and indirectly decrease ascites (Langmead and Rampton, 2001). The protection of liver cells against toxic materials including drugs, lipid peroxidation, and free radical injury may decrease inflammation, improve liver blood flow, and ultimately help in reduction of ascites and blood pressure (Yang et al., 2000)".

In other words, herbal medicine expressed liver protection not only by improving the blood flow to the liver but also through regating the gastrointestinal system against the building up toxins in the induction of free radicals and suppressing the normal function of the liver and improving the immune system against inflammation induced the lipid oxidation.

Turmeric is a perennial plant in the genus Curcuma, belonging to the family Zingiberaceae, native to tropical South Asia.

The herb has been used in traditional medicine as anti-oxidant, hypoglycemic, colorant, antiseptic, wound healing agent, and to treat flatulence, bloating, and appetite loss, ulcers, eczema, inflammations, etc.

On finding a potential ingredient for the protection of liver integrity, researchers examined curcumin, the active ingredient of turmeric therapeutic potential for the treatment of liver disorders.

Application of curcumin showed a liver protective activity by inhibiting the liver toxicity caused by long-term excessive alcohol drinking and acetaminophen, lindane, carbon tetrachloride (CCL4), diethylnitrosamine.

Furthermore, curcumin also restored the liver functioning in heavy metals induced hepatotoxicities models.

In the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common causes of the chronic liver disease model, researchers examined the Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), a polyphenolic compounds derived from the Curcumae Longae Rhizoma liver protective activity.

The study included C57BL/6J mice divided into five groups of normal (normal diet without any treatment), methionine choline deficient (MCD)-diet (MCD diet only), MCD + silymarin (SIL) 100 mg/kg group, MCD + BDMC 100 mg/kg group, MCD + SIL 50 mg/kg + BDMC 50 mg/kg group.

BDMC protected the liver against fatty change compared to severe hepatic fatty accumulation in the MCD- diet group.

BDMC increased liver function significantly, compared to that of the loss of liver function in the MCD-diet group.

Most importantly, BDMC showed an inhibitory effect on liver lipogenesis by reducing associated gene expression caused by the MCD-diet.

Moreover, combinations of BDMC with SIL had a synergistic effect against MCD-diet models.

Based on the findings, Dr. Kim SB, the lead scientists said, "our findings indicate that BDMC has a potential suppressive effect on NAFLD. Therefore, our data suggest that BDMC may act as a novel and potent therapeutic agent against NAFLD".

Taken altogether, turmeric and its bioactive compound curcumin may be considered a remedy for the improvement of liver functioning, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of turmeric in form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

How To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters 
Contrary To Professionals Prediction, Floaters Can Be Cured Naturally 

Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

Back to Kyle J. Norton Homepage http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca


Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) TMechanistic insights of hepatoprotective effects of curcumin: Therapeutic updates and future prospects by Khan H1, Ullah H2, Nabavi SM. (PubMed)
(2) Hepatoprotective Effect and Synergism of Bisdemethoxycurcumin against MCD Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Mice.
Kim SB1, Kang OH1, Lee YS2, Han SH3, Ahn YS3, Cha SW3, Seo YS1, Kong R2, Kwon DY. (PubMed)
(3) Herbal Drugs on the Liver by C. Girish, S.C. Pradhan, in Liver Pathophysiology, 2017, (Science Direct)