At the time of fertilization, permutations of vata, pitta and kapha determine the constitution of the new individual. These three metabolic forces control all biological, psychological and physiopathological functions of the body, mind and consciousness and have subtle properties. They determine personality traits, and physiological structure. These basic traits will also be shaped by gender and other important factors such as diet, lifestyle, behavior, emotions, seasons, etc.

The unique individual constitution produces natural urges and individual tastes in food, flavor and temperature. They govern the maintenance and destruction of bodily tissue and the elimination of waste products. They are also responsible for psychological phenomena, including emotions of fear, anger and greed as well as the highest order of emotions; understanding, compassion, and love.

Functions of the Tridosha:

Together, they govern all metabolic activities; anabolism (kapha), catabolism (vata), and metabolism (pitta).

There can be up to seven different constitutions depending upon the permutation and combination of vata, pitta and kapha. The combination of the three humors remains unchanged throughout an individual’s lifetime and can indicate a person’s inherent strengths and susceptibilities. The combination can, however respond to environmental changes such as diet and lifestyle thereby providing the opportunity for the individual to maintain health or compromise it.

Life is considered a sacred path in Ayurveda; a ceaseless interaction between the internal, Tridosha, environment and the external environment, or the sum of cosmic forces. To counterbalance external change, an individual may create a balance in the internal forces by altering diet, lifestyle, and behavior.

For a free Dosha questionaire please send an SASE to The Ayurvedic & Naturopathic medical clinic.

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AYURVEDA AND LIVER CARE
Taking Care of Our Largest Glandular Organ

The liver is the largest glandular organ in the body. It performs many vital functions in addition to its main glandular function of producing and excreting bile. The liver’s functions include metabolizing carbohydrates, fats, and proteins; storing vitamins (A, B12, D, E, and K); reprocessing hemoglobin; maintaining body temperature; and detoxifying the body of poisonous substances by transforming and removing toxins and wastes.

Because of the significant role the liver plays in maintaining our health, we must do all we can to keep it functioning properly.

There are five main sources of body toxins and wastes that the liver deals with: toxins from food and alcohol; toxins from outside (drugs and environmental pollutants); internally produced chemicals, such as hormones, that are no longer needed; nitrogen-containing waste left over from protein re-use; and energy production. These toxins and wastes are converted into less harmful substances by the liver and then eliminated from the body. In this article, we’ll discuss the first two of these sources in some detail, review the most common liver disease, hepatitis, and then survey Ayurvedic treatment of liver disease.

Our food supply is often sprayed with pesticides while growing, and then preserved with additives such as yellow dye#5, BHC, monosodium glutamate, and others to increase its shelf life. These chemicals put stress on the liver.

Another stress on the liver is excessive alcohol use. It is one of the main causes of liver damage. According to one study, drinking just one ounce of alcohol or one glass of wine or beer will stop the function of the liver for two hours. According to another study, if we drink two to three glasses of wine or beer a week, our chance of getting cancer at least triples. In many cases, the body cannot keep up with alcohol detoxification. It expends all its energy trying to detoxify, and in the meantime cancer cells are generating, proliferating, and creating an imbalance that brings on the first stages of cancer.

Environmental toxins such as heavy metals, lead, viruses, and bacteria can impair liver function; so too, can drugs that we consider "safe," such as non-prescription and herbal drugs and prescription drugs.

Tylenol and aspirin: Taking Acetaminophen while drinking alcohol can cause liver failure. Recently one of President Clinton’s aides was playing golf after having a couple glasses of wine. He then took some Tylenol for a headache. He ended up in the emergency room a few days later with liver failure. Tylenol and aspirin can also cause Reyes syndrome in children under 15 years of age with acute viral infections. Reyes can be fatal in 80% of cases, depending on its severity.

Ameditane: Ameditane poisoning, caused by ingesting mushrooms, can paralyze the liver.

Pyrozolidine; A chemical present in herbs such as comfrey. It can cause liver toxicity, which is probably why the FDA wants to ban it. Some companies make pyrozolidine-free comfrey.

Herbs: Many herbs are toxic or harmful to the liver. Always read about the side effects of herbs you consider taking, or consult a health practitioner before taking herbs.

· Halothane: An anesthetic drug used in surgery. Approximately 1 in 10,000 people will suffer cirrhosis and necrosis of the liver (usually fatal) from using Halothane. Be aware of any family history of Halothane toxicity. Females who are overweight are at a greater risk of developing this toxicity with Halothane.

· Isoniazid: Anti-tuberculosis medication.

· Rifampicin: Anti-tuberculosis medication.

· Methyldopa: A medication used to treat Parkinson’s disease and other conditions.

· Phenytoin: A drug used for epileptic seizures and other disorders.

· Sulphur drugs

· Antibiotics

· Hormones like Estrogen and Progesterone

Among the many diseases that can affect the liver the most common is hepatitis (a viral infection of the liver). Hepatitis can be caused by drugs, viruses, bacteria, mushrooms, parasites like amoebas or giardiasis, and liver flukes from dogs or cats. The most common hepatitis viruses affecting the liver are named for letters of the alphabet: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D, and hepatitis E.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) takes 14 to 21 days after infection to cause symptoms. It is transmitted through food, meaning that in order to get this infection you have to ingest contaminated food; therefore, you must be very careful in what you eat and drink. The most common route for this infection is the fecal-oral route, i.e., the virus is shed with feces and transmitted by contact with contaminated feces. For example, a food service worker who has HAV neglects to wash after using the bathroom. The worker then passes on the germs from his or her hands to the food, and the food is served to customers.

Raw sewage going into the fields in de-veloping countries such as India, China, and Thailand is a source of HAV for travelers. Because the land and food have been contaminated, travelers often return from these countries with HAV.

Outbreaks of HAV have been reported in daycare centers, with children between the ages of one and two years being most commonly infected. Daycare center employees may also contract HAV.

In January 1994, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products AdvisoryCommittee recommended approval for an HAV vaccine to be used in selected groups including international travelers, the military, people living in or relocating to areas where HAV in endemic, and laboratory workers. The new vaccine is manufactured by SmithKline Beecham under the trade name Havrix.

Once infected with HAV, some symptoms such as dark yellow urine and fatigue will begin to appear within 25 days.

HBV is a serious illness that can be transmitted by pregnant women to their unborn children; therefore, it is very important for pregnant women to be checked for HBV.

Although an HBV vaccine is available, be aware that there is a 3%-4% risk that the vaccine will not be effective, and also there is a chance that of contracting HBV directly from the vaccination. For these reasons, I do not wholeheartedly support the HBV vaccine.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a truly serious disease with no known effective treatment. It is transmitted through blood and body fluids in transfusions, injections, the sharing of IV needles with drug users, and possibly by sexual contact with exposed partners.

Because of the methods of transmission for HCV, the people most at risk for contagion are IV drug users, those with occupational exposure to blood and blood products, and those who have multiple sexual partners. Although transmission by sexual contact is not clearly understood, I advise using protection when having sex. I have seen patients who have infected each other and I’ve also seen cases in which one partner is positive and the other is not. When dealing with any kind of hepatitis, caution is advised.

hepatitis D (HDV) only occurs in the presence of HBV. HDV can be a co-infection (simultaneous infection with both HBV and HDV) or a super-infection (acquisition of HDV after an HBV infection). The sudden worsening of an HBV patient suggests HDV super-infection.

HDV infection is primarily acquired through the same routes that HBV is acquired; that is, through blood and blood products, serum, saliva, feces, urine. Sexual transmission of HDV is less likely than sexual transmission of HBV.

hepatitis E (HEV) is another common type of hepatitis that has not broken out in the United States as yet, but which is common in developing countries. HEV occurs in epidemics. The infection route for HEV is fecal-oral, the same as the route for HAV; therefore, again, you must be very careful in what you eat and drink.

In developing countries, especially Asian countries, sea creatures such as clams and shrimp, which are scavengers that feed on waste products, can become contaminated with the virus. People who eat these seafood products can thus become infected.

I warn people who travel to these countries not to eat this kind of seafood while abroad. Although HEV has not been a problem so far in the United States, travelers returning from these countries will sometimes have it.

In addition to Asian countries, HEV is also very common in Africa, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Borneo, Mexico, Pakistan, Nepal, and other Middle Eastern countries. The sanitation problems in these underdeveloped countries is the source of their HEV epidemics.

Usually HAV is self-limiting. Most HAV patients will return to normal in between four to six weeks time. The antibodies that the body’s immune system develops kill the infection and also produce immunity to HAV.

Due to the potentially deadly outcomes of HBV and HCV, it is critically important for us to understand how to avoid these diseases, how to prevent passing them on to others, and how to help those who have already been infected.

In modern medicine, the only protection against hepatitis are the HAV and the HBV vaccines. There is nothing available for HCV protection so far. Therefore, limiting our exposure to hepatitis is the best prevention. We have to take the responsibility for prevention of hepatitis ourselves. This means using safe sexual practices, including limiting sexual contact to those you know well. Other preventative measures include taking precautions when exposed to blood and blood products; avoiding the sharing of IV needles; taking care to eat in restaurants that enforce hand-washing policies among their employees; and avoiding scavenger seafood when abroad. These measures can cut your chances of being infected with hepatitis to a minimum.

HAV can be taken care of very easily with herbs. Many of the Ayurvedic herbs have shown remarkable results in clinical trials and studies. One of these is Eclipta Alba, others are Boerhavia diffusa, and Picrorhiza kurroa.

There are approximately eighteen different herbs in Ayurvedic literature which have been well-researched for their use in treating different liver diseases. In HAV, I begin using Ayurvedic herbs when a person starts showing symptoms and they will begin testing negative for hepatitis within the first week.

I have treated hundreds of patients with HAV. Their liver enzymes drop significantly within the first week following treatment.

I recommend that people take these herbs on a prophylactic basis when traveling to parts of the world where hepatitis infection is a risk. I have a number of patients who opt not to get vaccinated when traveling, but who use Ayurvedic herbs formulated for liver care instead. Not one of them has returned infected with hepatitis.

HBV and HCV are more serious infections. We must be careful how we use Ayurvedic herbs for prevention of HBV and HCV. I have a 50% success rate in HBV treatment, that is, getting to negative test results for antibodies and antigens.

However, none of my HCV patients have gone negative so far. One of my HCV patients has become negative, but he was getting treatment with interferon as well as with Ayurvedic herbs.

I am very interested in using Ayurvedic medicine to protect the liver from cirrhosis and from liver cancer. The herbs I mentioned earlier have shown a protective action in HBV, and using them on a regular basis may be a good way to prevent HBV. Animal and clinical studies done with Phyllanthus Amarus, Phyllanthus Niruri, and Eclipta Alba have proven their ability to reverse HBV infections in approximately 60% to 70% of patients. More significantly, with these herbs we are able to stop the process which leads to cirrhosis and cancer of the liver.

So this means that even if we are not able to make some patients negative for HBV and HCV, we can still protect themfrom cirrhosis of the liver, in which the liver stops functioning, and liver cancer. I have not treated any patients with HDV and HEV, but I am confident that these herbs would have a positive effect in these cases as well.

In addition to the misuse of alcohol, if we use certain drugs, have improper eating habits, or fail to take common sense precautions in our sexual lives, the liver’s capacity to function properly can become overloaded and we may seriously compromise its fitness.

Case Study #1

Presentation: A 46 year old female had suffered extreme fatigue for nine months.

Case Study #2

Serology for Hepatitis B - Negative.

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RESEARCH
Hepatoprotective Plants

Andrographis paniculata

Andrographolide, the active constituent isolated from the plant Andrographis paniculata, showed a significant dose dependent (0.75 - 12 mg/kg p.o. x7) protective activity against paracetamol-induced toxicity on ex vivo preparation of isolated rat hepatocytes. It significantly increased the percent viability of the hepatocytes as tested by trypan blue exclusion and oxygen uptake tests. It completely antagonized the toxic effects of paracetamol on certain enzymes (GOT, GPT and alkaline phosphatase) in serum as well as in isolated hepatic cells. Andrographolide was found to be more potent than silymarin, a standard hepatoprotective agent.5.

Boerhavia diffusa

An alcoholic extract of whole plant Boerhavia diffusa given orally exhibited hepatoprotective activity against experimentally induced carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity in rats and mice. The extract also produced an increase in normal bile flow in rats suggesting a strong choleretic activity. The extract does not show any signs of toxicity up to an oral dose of 2g/kg in mice.7.

Eclipta alba (Ea)

The hepatoprotective effect of the ethanol/water (1:1) extract of Eclipta alba was studied at subcellular levels in rats against CC14-induced hepatotoxicity. The loss of hepatic lysomal acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase by CC14 was significantly restored by Ea. The study shows that hepatoprotective activity of Ea is by regulating the levels of hepatic microsomal drug metabolising enzymes.6.

Swertia Chirata

Terminalia belerica

Compound I isolated from fraction TB5 of Terminalia belerica and finally identified as 3,4,5 - trihydroxy benzoic acid (gallic acid) was evaluated for its hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride (CC14) - induced physiological and biochemical alterations in the liver. Administration of compound I led to significant reversal of majority of the altered parameters. Our results confirm the presence of hepatoprotective activity in altered parameters. Our results confirm the presence of hepatoprotective activity in Compound I.3.

Tinospora cordifolia

Kupffer cells are major determinants of outcome of liver injury. Their activity was therefore studied in a model of chronic liver disease. The effect of Tinospora cordifolia, an indigenous agent with proven hepatoprotective activity was evaluated on Kupffercell function, using carbon clearance test as a parameter. Rats were divided into two major groups. In Group I which served as normal control t 1/2of carbon was 9.48 +/-4.14 min. Group II recieved horse-serum in a dose of 0.5 ml/100 gm b.w. i.p. for a period of 12 weeks and was divided into three subgroups. In Gp IIA at the end of 12 weeks half-life of carbon was found to be significantly increased to 19.86+/-7.95 min. (p<0.01). Indicating suppressed Kupffer cell function in chronic liver damage. In Gp IIB treated with vehicle for 4 more weeks there was significant prolongation of half-life to 38.32+/-10.61 min (p<0.01), indicating perpetuation of damage in absence of damaging agent. Whereas in GpIIc, treated with Tinospora cordifolia t 1/2 was decreased to 14.24+/7.74min. (p<.01), as compared to vehicle control indicating a significant improvement in Kupffer cell function and a trend towards normalization.4.

Picrorhiza kuroa

References

8. Ansari RA, Tripathi SC, Patnaik GK, Dhawan BN. Antihepatotoxic properties of picroliv: an active fraction from rhizomes of Picrorhiza

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DR. KUMAR'S HEALTH TIPS
For Liver Care

1. Avoid alcohol, coffee and black teas.

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R-U-VED INC GROWING FAST:
Exciting New Ayurvedic Products on the Way!

Dr. Kumar and his staff have been busy formulating 13 new products to be launched this coming May. Included are teas, massage oils and cough lozenges. The Ayurvedic herbal teas will include Himalayan Green Tea which does not have the bitter after taste normally associated with green teas and is mild in flavor, R-U-Ved Energy Tea to fight fatigue, and to balance the doshas; Provata, Propita, and Prokapha teas.

A new full color catalog has been produced and is now available if you would like more information regarding the complete line of R-U-Ved products. Please call us at 1-800-925-1371.

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LARISSA'S CORNER
A Word From the Office Manager

Hello everybody!

AYURVEDA AND YOUR PET:
The Holistic Approach to Liver Problems in Pets Part I
By Dr. Tejinder Sodhi., D.V.M.

The most important organ of the body for detoxification is the liver. It helps us with digestion, assimilation and other vital body functions. It’s the center of manufacturing blood proteins, fats, vitamin K, and blood clotting factors. It stores fat soluble vitamins and iron. A major organ for drug metabalism, detoxification of chemicals and unusable substances that enter our bodies. Recycles hormones by inactivating them when they are no longer needed. A filter for harmful invaders like bacteria. It also, prepares by products, metabolized or toxic substances that are eliminated through the kidneys.

How can you recognize there is something wrong with your pets liver?

Fortunately for us and our pets, the liver has the ability to regenerate and heal. Therefore if we remove the harmful agent(s) and institute a proper diet, the chance for a complete recovery is quite good.

(Continued next issue)

Animal Wellness Center of Bellevue
(425) 455-8900.

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