Overview

We need to know the role of the liver in our body for a better understanding of why we need to take care of our liver health. The liver is the largest organ located inside our body. This organ regulates multiple functions to keep ourselves healthy. Bile produces from the liver and is an essential requirement for fat digestion. Bile helps to breakdown fats to generate energy. Albumin is another liver product that takes part in hormones, fatty acids, and drug carriage inside our body. Blood clotting factors are also synthesized in the liver. The liver also regulates bilirubin levels in the blood and prevents jaundice. The liver helps to remove toxic substances from the body. A healthy liver can destroy invading harmful organisms and strengthen immune functioning. Last but not the least, liver helps to control blood glucose levels by balancing blood-glucose uptake. [1]

Liver detoxification is a research-proven treatment approach to keep our liver healthy and offer a safeguard against liver failure. [2] Liver physiology gets negatively affected during drug metabolism that increases the risk of drug-induced liver injury. Therefore, unnecessary polypharmacy is not recommended. [3] Opting for natural health products is a better way to keep our liver healthy.

Common Liver Diseases

Different causative factors influence different types of liver diseases. Following are some diseases that affect our liver health.

• Viral infections causing liver diseases are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
• Drugs, alcohol, and toxic substances-induced liver problems are fatty liver disease and cirrhosis.
• Malignant growth in the liver causes liver cancer.
• Genetic reasons that lead to inherited diseases like hemochromatosis and Wilson Disease can negatively affect liver health. [4]

Every liver disease has its characteristic features. Some of the common symptoms include bruising, abdominal inflammation, leg swelling, alter the coloration of urine and stool, the onset of jaundice, yellowish skin, and eye color. Sometimes liver problems are asymptomatic at the initial stage. [4]

Three primary reasons to develop liver disease are obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, and undiagnosed hepatitis. Liver disease can be prevented by adhering to healthy lifestyle measures like healthy weight management, limited alcohol consumption, frequent handwashing habit especially before eating, limited exposure to chemicals and toxic substances, control blood sugar and cholesterol level, avoid smoking, be careful about using the medicine, not to share needle, razor or personal items, practice safe sex, and immunization against hepatitis A and hepatitis B infections. [1, 5]

Ayurveda and Liver Disease

World Health Organization recognized Ayurveda as one of the most established traditional whole medical systems (WMS) in South Asia. Although a lack of large size clinical trial data in ayurvedic treatment practice is a common issue. But several research studies showed that the ayurvedic treatment practice is potentially safe and effective to complement hepatic cirrhosis therapy and other liver disease conditions. [6]

Long-term conventional synthetic medicine often causes systemic toxicity which is harmful to liver health. The popularity of Ayurvedic medicine for treating liver illness is increasing due to reduced levels of drug toxicity. [7] Ayurvedic medicine has the potentiality to postpone liver transplantation requirements and increase the quality of life of patients suffering from a serious liver disorder cost-effectively. Ayurvedic practitioners have claimed that Ayurvedic medicine has the potentiality to cure chronic liver diseases. [7] Herbal drugs are an integral part of Ayurveda and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Some of the herbs have shown beneficial effects on liver diseases in human trials. Purnarnava is one of them. [6]

Gomutra prevents liver disease

Charak Samhita and Astang Samgraha Sutra sthan had mentioned that Gomutra (Cow urine) is a useful treatment for abdominal enlargement. A scientific journal published article has also reported that regular consumption of warm Gomutra with a dose of 1 – 2 ounces helps to treat liver cirrhosis. Oral intake of Gomutra has curative benefit against jaundice. [8] Besides these, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and immunostimulant benefits of Gomutra also provide hepatic safeguard. [8] In Ayurvedic medicinal practice, Gomutra is recommended to treat chronic liver diseases along with diet specificity like low salt diet with homemade buttermilk, cow ghee, moderate protein intake, etc. [7] Also the addition of Gomutra in herbal formulation impart additive benefits as it acts as a bioenhencer. [8]

Punnanava (Boerhavia diffusa) protects liver health

Indian medicine as well as the global medicinal system accepted Punnanava as a medicinal plant. Boerhavia diffusa is the botanical name of Punnanava. Punnanava is being used in Ayurveda for several hundred years for liver disorders. [9]

• The root of this plant is traditionally used for hepatoprotective indications. [10] This herb exhibits anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant effects. Herbal researchers considered this herb could be effective against hepatic cirrhosis. [6]
• Herbalist and Ayurveda physician prescribes Punnanava for Jaundice and other liver disorders treatment. [7]
• A pre-clinical study result found that Punnanava plant extract had hepatoprotective activity against toxic substances by stimulating bile flow due to its choleretic activity. [11]
• Pre-clinical study findings also reported that Punnanava plant extract improves liver function and also increases the life span of study participants with the cirrhotic liver. [12]
• Punnanava plant extract regulates blood serum parameters that indicate liver damage.
• Punnanava plant extract can lower down the increased level of serum glutamic pyruvic transaminases (SGPT), serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP), triglycerides, and total lipid with restoring cholesterol level.
• Traditional systems of medicine and ethnopharmacological reports give evidence that the Punnanava plant used to treat jaundice.
• Research evidence also suggested that the use of Punnanava extract acts against various hepatotoxins and hepatic disorders due to its hepato-protective effect. [10]
• Pretreatment with Punnanava plant extract reduces the risk of liver disease. This herb can reduce liver enzymatic activities and serum bilirubin enhancement caused by chemical exposure.
• Punnanava plant extract reduces the increased level of different liver enzymes like alkaline phosphatase, aspartate transaminase (ALT), and alanine aminotransferase (AST). This herb also restores serum Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level to maintain energy level through regulating carbohydrate (sugar) metabolism. [10]

Aloe vera reverse hepatotoxicity

For many centuries Aloe vera is used as herbal medicine for curative and therapeutic properties. More than 75 phytochemicals present in Aloe vera have been identified. Herbal researchers expected many more remain unidentified. Polysaccharides found in the inner leaf parenchymatous tissue of this plant possess many medicinal properties. However, a combination of all the phytochemicals provides synergistic action instead of a single chemical substance. [14] Aloe vera can reduce different liver enzymes like ALT, ALP, AST, ACP, bilirubin, total protein, total albumin, and total globulin levels in serum which are increased due to chemical exposure. Thus Aloe vera has hepatoprotective action and can reverse hepatotoxicity. [14]

You may check the Cow urine Gomutra Liver products here

References

1. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/liver-health#:~:text=The%20liver%20helps%20your%20body%20maintain%20a%20healthy%20level%20of,blood%20when%20there’s%20too%20much
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21824274/
3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11894-012-0299-8
4. https://medlineplus.gov/liverdiseases.html
5. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/liver-disease/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4539059/
7. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338570901_Ayurvedic_treatment_outcome_for_Chronic_Liver_diseases
8. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320163094_REVIEW_ARTICLE_BENEFITS_OF_COW_URINE_-_A_REVIEW
9. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2020/6428906/
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4053255/
11. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0378874191900156
12. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288212902_Effect_of_Boerhaavia_diffusa_against_dimethylnitrosamine_induced_liver_cirrhosis
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4053255/
14. https://ijpsr.com/bft-article/effect-of-aloe-vera-extract-on-the-hepatotoxicity-induced-by-isoniazid-and-rifampicin-drug-in-male-wistar-rats/?view=fulltext