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Liver-Assist, Antiviral Research ReviewSeveral years ago I began to research a Chinese herbal formula that I had been using successfully to lower elevated liver enzymes for my hepatitis patients. I was curious to find out if there were any studies backing up my experiences and good results. It was late at night and I was typing in the Chinese names of the formula only to find that the results coming back from cyberspace were slim pickings indeed! I then tried the English names of the formula, only to find slim pickings again. On a whim, I then tried using the Japanese names; this time, to my astonishment, I found more than 120 papers and human studies originating mainly out of research done in Japan. Over ninety percent of chronic hepatitis sufferers in Japan, some 1.5 million people, are taking a safe, natural medicine recommended by conventional physicians and proven effective in hundreds of papers and studies. To my knowledge, the community of Traditional Chinese Medical practitioners in the West knew nothing of this amazing research. Here was the treasure chest of information I had been hoping to find. After spending weeks reading the research, I found the results astonishing. Most interesting to me were two double-blind, five-year studies and one seven-year study. It appeared that herbal protection truly was available to prevent the progression of hepatitis into cirrhosis and cirrhosis into liver cancer. One study showed the herbal treatment was 50% more effective than the conventional control treatment. That we in the West knew nothing about it -- that this herbal protection was available and not being used to prevent suffering and progression of chronic hepatitis -- was both disappointing and shocking. This was my motivation to try to get this information in the hands of as many practitioners and patients as possible. I wrote an article that was published in several magazines, journals and physician’s newsletters.
Hepatoprotective, antiproliferative and immunostimulant However, this formula and article were only the first step. Since that time, I have researched and worked with hundreds of hepatitis sufferers and have developed a larger, more comprehensive and detailed protocol of how to work with the different stages of hepatitis. Unfortunately, herbal medicine is still relatively unknown and under-utilized in America. This can create a barrier against its use and recommendation by the conventional medical services. The formulation comprised of seven Chinese herbs will be studied by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center entitled "Sho-Saiko-To after Ablation for Non-Resectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Phase II Trial with Historical Control." Hepatocellular carcinoma
This herbal formula, studied by scientists in modern Japan, is from Ancient China. The formula name in english is “Minor Bupleurum,” first reported in the Shan Han Lun, “Discussion of Cold Induced Disorders,” written between 300 B.C. and 300 A.D. In China, one southern province of Guangdong is known to have one of the highest rates of hepatitis B infection in the world. Blood samples taken from patients during hospital visits indicate 10 million people, or 75% of the population of this Province, have Hepatitis B, according to figures collected by Luo Huiming of the Guangdong Disease Control and Prevention Center. Luo also said, in an interview posted on hivandhepatitis.com, that “earlier surveys have shown that two-thirds of China^s 1.26 billion people are infected with hepatitis”. If this is true, there is a staggering possibility that 420 million people have the virus in China. This compares with one in 20 Americans. China has the largest hepatitis epidemic in the world. Because of tradition, as well as cost concerns, China relies heavily on herbal medicine to treat this epidemic. Herbal medicine plays a significant role in the Chinese healthcare system; the experience gathered there about formulas and individual herbs is invaluable to the rest of the world. I have relied heavily on this research during the development of my herbal strategies and formulas for hepatitis. This natural medical and herbal approach is still unknown in the West to the millions suffering viral hepatitis in the United States. Studies have shown that the chief herbal formula used to treat hepatitis in China and Japan, sho-saiko-to, or Minor Bupleurum, strengthens the immune system, reduces viral loads, and can stop the progression of chronic viral hepatitis into serious liver damage, cirrhosis and even liver cancer. I hope you will suspend any bias you may have and read through the information contained in this article with an open mind. Then decide if you can use this herbal protection in your Veterinary practice.
According to the Hepatitis Foundation International, the Hepatitis B and C viruses have infected 520 million people globally, 6 million in the U.S. alone, and most do not know they are infected. Hepatitis is not a single disease but is actually a term meaning "inflammation of the liver." This disease has been plaguing human beings for millions or years. There are reports describing hepatitis in the literature of traditional Chinese medicine going back thousands of years. Hippocrates noted occurrences of jaundice epidemics around battlefields with the concentrated populations of soldiers Other viruses, (such as Cytomegalovirus and Epstein Barr) can cause hepatitis and can also activate sleeping hepatitis viruses lying dormant in liver cells. Hepatitis can also be chemically induced. Hepatitis A (HAV), once known as infectious hepatitis, is short-term and selflimiting. HAV is the least dangerous of the hepatitis viruses, with an incubation period of 2 to 6 weeks. HAV is spread by direct contact from an infected person or through fecal infected food or water. It can be stopped with injections of gamma globulin. Hepatitis B (HBV) is more serious and, like HCV, is known as the "silent killer." It was clinically distinguished from (HAV) in the 1930^s, and has an incubation period of 6 weeks to 6 months. Fortunately there is a vaccination for HBV. Classified as a venereal disease, it can be passed by seminal fluid, vaginal secretions, contaminated blood, and blood products or via tiny cuts and abrasions, using an infected needle or even toothbrush, body piercing, dental work or childbirth. Before routine testing of the U.S. blood supply in the 1990^s, HBV infected and killed thousands of people. It is 100 times more infectious than HIV, and every year 5,000 Americans die from cirrhosis and 1,000 from liver cancer caused by HBV. Some Symptoms of HVB according to CDC: Hepatitis C (HCV) is transmitted through tainted blood, sharing of needles, personal care items or transplant of infected tissue. It is not easily spread through sex. It is responsible for up to 4 million infections nationwide with 30,000 new cases and 8,000 to 10,000 deaths reported each year. HCV infection is expected to triple in the next 10 to 20 years. It is estimated that 75% to 85% of those infected will be infected for life, and 70% may develop chronic liver disease. According to the Center for Disease Control, 15% will go on to develop cirrhosis (a scarring of the liver), and 20% to 30% of those will develop liver cancer. Of every 100 persons infected with HCV about: 75 to 85 persons may develop long-term infection (if 100%=80 average then 70 persons may develop chronic liver disease (if 100% =80, then of those
Hepatitis D (HDV) only thrives in the presence of HBV, worsening its symptoms. It survives and thrives off Hepatitis E (HEV) is rare in the United States, confined to tropical areas after flooding, producing a similar Hepatitis F (HFV) is very rare. HFV is passed from primates to humans. Hepatitis G (HGV) is mild and does not commonly cause serious liver damage, yet it accounts for 9% of all hepatitis infections. HGV has been recently identified as a group of three virus sub-types of HCV. HBV and HCV are the most serious of the whole "alphabet soup" of hepatitis viruses and according to some sources, 10% of HBV and 85% of HCV can develop into chronic forms.34 Symptoms range from asymptomatic, to mild flu-like symptoms, dark urine, light stools, jaundice, chronic fatigue, serious liver damage and even death. HCV has the ability to escape detection by our immune system and thus leads to the high chronic infection rate. Experts agree that sub-type HCV:1b leads to the most aggressive disease and is the least responsive to Interferon treatment.
HIV and HVC Infection. Herbal Treatment of Hepatitis What does the herbal formula SST (sho-saiko-to) do? SST has demonstrated that it can treat viral hepatitis. In a clinical trial the efficacy of SST on 222 The anti-tumor activity of this formula is well documented, especially for liver cancer, but also lung SST also proves effective in preventing or stopping the progression into liver cancer for patients with SST has been shown to increase the effects of prednisolone.14,15 It showed the mild anti-inflammatory
SST is an interferon inducer. There are some cases where HBV and HCV patients have A major anti-viral agent, SST has been shown to be useful against other viruses. In HIV studies it was SST has also been used traditionally against the influenza virus when used at a certain stage of Bupleurum is one of the main ingredients of SST and recent studies indicate that the particular species Sales of Sho Saiko To in Japan in 1999 were 111 million dollars.
Footnotes for the Hepo-Protect Formula including Andrographis
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