HERBS AND HEPATITIS/LIVER DISEASE
Recent surveys have indicated that Americans now make more visits to healthcare professionals who specialize in alternative medicine than to doctors who practice conventional medicine. (Alternative medicine is any therapy used to treat an illness that is not within the realm of conventional and/or accepted medical therapies.) People with liver disease are no exception to this trend. For example, most people with chronic hepatitis C have tried (or have at least inquired about) the herb milk thistle. Well, why not? It is now commonplace to find an entire aisle at the local drugstore or even the supermarket devoted to herbal remedies, some of which claim to help protect liver cells and help support liver function. Dozens of publications and books proclaim the proficiency of herbs for the treatment of medical conditions including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and other liver diseases. Some of these books have even made it to the New York Times bestseller list. On the Internet, numerous websites proclaim the effectiveness of herbs for treating liver disease. However, as you will learn, there is much more information to consider.
HOW TO EVALUATE THE RESEARCH ON HERBAL MEDICINES
WHAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT HERBAL MEDICINES
THE DIETARY SUPPLEMENT AND EDUCATION HEALTH AND EDUCATION ACT (DSHEA) OF 1994
MILK THISTLE—THE MOST WIDELY USED HERB FOR LIVER DISEASE
OTHER HERBS USED FOR HEPATITIS AND LIVER DISEASE
All contents of this article are Copyright © Melissa Palmer, MD
Melissa Palmer, MD is the author of " Dr. Melissa Palmer's Guide of Hepatitis and Liver Disease". (Published 2004. Penguin Putnam).
Dr. Palmer is an internationally renowned hepatologist who has been practicing medicine since 1985. Prior to 2012, she maintained perhaps the largest medical practice devoted to liver disease in the United States. Dr. Palmer is Clinical Professor of Medicine at New York University Medical Center. Dr. Palmer graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. and was trained in hepatology (as well as medical school) at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
Dr. Palmer is Board Certified in Gastroenterology and in Internal Medicine.
She has authored numerous scientific publications in the field of hepatology in such peer-reviewed journals as Hepatology, Gastroenterology, Seminars of Liver Disease, Transplantation and Archives of Internal Medicine.
She is frequently called upon by the media for her opinion on various topics related to liver disease. Dr. Palmer has appeared many times on television as a liver disease expert and has been quoted in such publications as TIME magazine, Cosmopolitan magazine, Prevention magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and Newsday. She also has appeared in numerous videos and CD-Roms aimed at educating doctors and the public about hepatitis C and other liver diseases, such as primary biliary cirrhosis. Dr. Palmer lectures to the medical and general public on liver disease-related topics on a regular basis.
Dr. Palmer has performed numerous clinical trials on various experimental medications for the treatment of hepatitis.
Dr. Palmer is currently available for lecturing, investor and hedge-fund consultations, consultations to industry, and media interviews and appearances-- including television. For such matters, she can be contacted through hepatitismedia@gmail.com.
Return to liverdisease.com home page