ARTICLE for Hep CBC

[Guest guest]

I recently wrote an article for the HepC Bull. This was my first article published and I am hoping to have time to continue to devote to writing (in between parenthood and jobs). See also my email today about Hep CBC.

I wanted to share this with all of you. If you have any ideas that might be interesting for future article I might try to put together please let me know. Thanks.

For your convenience, here is the article:

NATURAL MEDICINE AND HEP CThere are many "unproven" medicines and therapies from around the world. Conventional medicine offers us drugs/therapy evaluated and approved by the FDA. However, it is worth considering that there may be cures/therapies/medicines that have not been evaluated by the FDA, which may help you in your battle against hepatitis C. Can you afford to wait years, even decades for the FDA to approve these "alternative" medicines?NUTRITIONAL HEALING FOR HEP CEveryone should take an active part in the maintenance of his/her health and treatment of his/her disease, with the guidance of a qualified health care professional. The more we learn about nutrition and how it may help improve our condition or assist in treating our disease, the better prepared we will be to take an active role in our treatment.Leading experts in the field of Natural Medicine have based their natural healing therapies upon scientific investigation. In the past 20 years there have been tremendous advances in the understanding of how many natural therapies work to promote health or treat disease. This increased understanding is a result of more strict scientific investigation. In many cases, the scientific investigation has not only validated the natural approach, but has also led to significant improvements.Nutritional healing for hepatitis C (and other liver diseases) is focused on diet and nutritional supplements that can be categorized according to the beneficial role they play in supporting healthy liver function or enhancing the immune system:. Antioxidants. Liver herbs. Immune enhancers. Liver vitamins. Liver amino acids. Liver minerals. Liver foods. Natural interferon boostersThere are a variety of therapeutic effects of nutritionally-based treatments for hepatitis. Some reports and studies show an effect by accelerated decreases of liver enzyme levels, dramatic drops in viral loads and even elimination of the virus.Our e-books are intended to be informative by presenting a wide variety of views as well as the "alternative therapies" that are currently being used by other hepatitis patients and their reported benefits. E-books include clinical studies and research information whenever available. Click on the links for more information on each topic: <http://www.healthyhepper.com/ebooks.htm>http://www.healthyhepper.com/ebooks.htmHOW IMPORTANT IS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HEPATITIS C?Survivors of hepatitis C, medical doctors, scientists and nutritionists all agree that the immune system plays a crucial role in suppressing or eliminating the virus. In cases where hepatitis C patients successfully used "alternative" methods to decrease viral loads, decrease liver enzyme levels, or even eliminate the virus completely, there is a very consistent trend in their treatment: the tremendous emphasis on improving the immune system.Hepatitis C is a unique virus in that it has higher viremia (viral persistence) than other forms of hepatitis. For instance, unlike clearance of hepatitis B, spontaneous clearance of HCV (hepatitis C) is rare after chronic infection becomes established, according to Mandrell, and 's, "Principles and Practices of Infectious Diseases."Since hepatitis C is a virus, it stands to reason that ultimately the immune system's response is a key factor in the body's elimination of the disease. Since 15 to 20% of individuals with acute hepatitis C do not develop the chronic disease (85 % of cases go on to become chronic), it would seem that the immune system of those who did not become chronic carriers was able to successfully fight the infection. This is merely an opinion and not a scientific fact, but one might conclude that the immune system deserves some credit in such cases.With hepatitis C, the mechanisms of viral clearance are poorly understood because of limitations in experimental models and the infrequent recognition of natural acute infection (only about 5% of Hep C cases actually manifest an acute illness after the initial incubation of the virus).Viral persistence of HCV is indeed the topic of study for scientists trying to uncover this "evolved" virus which is known for its ability to evade immune responses!WHAT DOES SCIENCE KNOW ABOUT THE IMMUNE SYSTEM'S ROLE IN "CLEARANCE" OF THE VIRUS?Again this is a very technical area. It could be concluded from the available data that it is possible for the immune system to develop a response that eliminates the virus, however it is unclear what all the influencing factors are.Here are the technical "facts":#1 Clearance of viremia has been associated with a strong CD4+ T-cell response, especially in NS3 (amino acid).#2 A helper T-cell-1 phenotype and the associated cytokine profile also are associated with self-limited viremia.#3 Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL'S) are likely to play an important role in suppressing the infection, and the intensity of this immune response may affect the level of viremia. From reading the above information you have probably concluded that HCV is a very "strong" virus that is a challenge for anyone's immune system to handle. So what can you do to improve your immune system, so it can function at its optimum level?DEVELOP A SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT PROGRAMAccording to the book "Activate Your Immune System" by Leonid Ber, MD, "Keeping your immune system operating at peak performance should be your number one goal. Fortunately, there are many things we can do to stimulate a consistent, positive immune response."It goes on to name important aspects for optimum immune system function:. proper diet. healthy lifestyle choices. exercise/physical activity. the mind/body connection. nutritional supplementsIn addition to these are love, laughter, faith, a good attitude, and relaxation.Life style choices that have a negative impact on the immune system include lack of sleep, smoking, alcohol, poor diet, stress, and "toxic" relationships.Naomi Judd, the country singer, has been successful in her battle against this disease. Her healing program involved, among other things, an emphasis on the mind-body connection. Many experts report the positive effects of techniques such as visualization/guided imagery, biofeedback, spirituality, faith, prayer, positive thinking and meditation. Naomi Judd's program confirms this approach. The mind-body connection is being studied by scientists. The connection between the mind and the immune system is referred to as "psychoneuroimmunology".WHO CAN USE "NATURAL MEDICINE" FOR TREATMENT OF HEP C?Anyone interested in using natural medicine should consult a trusted doctor before making decisions about what course of action to take with regards to the overall approach of how they deal with Hep C. Some people choose to fight the virus with nothing; others chose conventional/traditional Western medicine; others chose alternative and natural medicines; still others chose a combination. Only you and your health care practitioners can decide what the best is for you. Most importantly you must get involved in your health and make choices based on well-researched information.Natural solutions for Hep C are sometimes ideal for interferon non-responders, those on interferon seeking adjunct therapy , those who seek all-natural treatment, and those who had to stop interferon.WHAT ARE THE THERAPEUTIC GOALS OF NATURAL TREATMENT FOR HEP C?The therapeutic goals of "Natural" treatment for hepatitis C are as follows:. Decrease viral load. Normalize liver enzyme levels. Enhance/regulate immune system function. Strengthen and promote healthy liver function. Protect the liver; prevent further damage. Virological response, i.e., viral clearance, viral reduction or elimination of the virus. "Starve" the virus by limiting levels of iron. Optimize cellular levels of glutathione in the body, making detoxification of the liver possible and enhancing the immune system. Stimulate regeneration of the damaged liver cells. Use antioxidants to combat the effects of free-radicals generated by the virus. Reduce inflammation. Slow viral replication. Replace all of the inflammation-damaged liver cells. Regulate immune function/prevent auto-immune problems. Take cancer-preventative measures. Reverse fibrosis to prevent and improve cirrhosisTo learn more about these goals you can visit our website at <http://www.HealthyHepper.com>HealthyHepper.com. Rockenbaugh, March 15, 2006<http://www.HealthyHepper.com>www.HealthyHepper.comNOTICE: Please update your websites, e-groups, webrings, support groups, newsletters and help us get the word about our website address change. Please remove any links to ObjectiveMedicine.com and change to HealthyHepper.com