Dark chocolate contains antioxidants that are great for liver health. (Photo Credit: Creative Commons)

Chocolate has been known uplift the spirit – but what great news that it’s good for our liver too! Dark chocolate, in particular, contains rich antioxidants that help cleanse the liver and control blood pressure, which is important for people suffering liver cirrhosis. Researchers have used different types of chocolate and studied its effect on patients with liver disease. Their findings showed that those given white chocolate did not exhibit significant improvements. They believe that this is because white chocolate does not have antioxidants.

On the other hand, patients who were given dark chocolate with their daily meals reacted favorably – showing minimal increase in their ost-meal blood pressure. Heart diseases and liver cirrhosis usually cause high blood pressure or hypertension. Our bodies have veins that span from the intestines to the liver. Livers with cirrhosis, however, amass scarred tissues, making it difficult for blood to flow properly, and causing blood to build up in the veins. This puts cirrhosis patients at great health risk should the blood vessel burst.  Build ups also cause damage to the inner lining of the blood vessels, which can possibly lead to stroke and heart attack.

So how can dark chocolate play an important role in liver health? Cocoa beans, from which dark chocolate is made, contain flavonoids that have antioxidant qualities. These antioxidants help keep the blood vessels healthy.  It aids the arterial flow to prevent blood buildup and high blood pressure. Flavanoids have also been found to improve the body’s overall blood flow, especially through the heart and the brain. It promotes vascular health, enabling the blood to clot in cases of open wounds.

Dark chocolate contains higher amounts of cocoa. Other chocolate variants like milk chocolate typically has less cocoa content, and are thus not as beneficial as dark chocolate. Many dark chocolate brands have over seventy percent of cocoa, while milk chocolate contains around twenty to thirty percent cocoa solids. So choose dark chocolates to treat your sweet tooth and your liver!

Vaccination is important to protect children from hepatitis and other liver diseases. (Photo Credit: Creative Commons).

Children can be very vulnerable to the hepatitis B virus (HBV), especially those infants and small children who do not show any symptoms of infection.  Children and infants who are infected with HBV have a 90 percent chance of developing serious liver infections. Since signs are often subtle, recognizing the signs can be difficult.  ADRLF has an HBV overview to help better protect your children from this silent but deadly disease:

Infection with hepatitis B can range from acute to chronic.  During the first six months of infection, children experience an acute stage of illness; symptoms may be mild to severe requiring medical attention. While some children may fight off the infection during the acute stage, many succumb and the infection becomes chronic. When this happens, the hepatitis B virus begins to cause serious health problems.

What to look for

Older children may manifest symptoms of hepatitis that are similar to adults. These include frequent tiredness, appetite loss, pains in the muscles and joins, stomach aches and nausea. More serious signs are fever, discoloring of urine, and jaundiced (yellow color) skin and eyes.

What ways the infection can spread

Hepatitis B is spread through contact of infected blood and other body fluids. People who are infected but do not show any symptom are still carriers of the virus. Infants may get these from their infected mother, contaminated vaccine needles and contaminated food. Children can also acquire the virus by touching open wounds of a person with hepatitis, from using contaminated personal belongings such as toothbrush, utensils and glasses.

What ways to prevent infection

Parents can protect their newborns by giving them a hepatitis B vaccine even before they leave the hospital. In fact, the vaccine containing hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) is most effective when given within 12 hours of birth, especially if the mother has hepatitis. The second dose is usually given after 1 to 3 months, and the third when the child is 6 to 18 months old.

Older children who were not vaccinated as infants should be given the shots as soon as possible. HBV vaccines usually don’t have serious side effects other than arm sores and slight fever.

Ensure your child’s happy, healthy and hepatitis-free childhood. Vaccinate. Don’t hesitate.

Simprevir and sofosbuvier promise hepatitis treatments without weakening side effects.

Christmas came early this year for people with Hepatitis C, as two much-anticipated treatments were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the last two weeks. Simprevir and sofosbuvier promise hepatitis treatments without the weakening side effects of interferon injections that most Hepatitis C patients have been painstakingly dealing with.

Simeprevir, brand name Olysio, is a protease inhibitor that has been approved for use in combination antiviral hepatitis treatment. Its full effect is achieved when used with peginterferon-alfa and ribavirin, two drugs that have been available to Hepatitis C patients.

Sold under the brand name Sovaldi, sofosbuvir contains a nucleotide analog inhibitor that prevents the Hepatitis C virus from replicating. It comes as a pill to be taken once a day without the need to inject any interferon drug. Sovaldi can also be used in a combined antiviral treatment with ribavirin, or with the combination of ribavirin and interferon.

Gilead Sciences has taken the lead in developing this drug, which can also treat four other strains of hepatitis C. Sovaldi is especially helpful to patients who cannot tolerate the side effects of interferon injections and combined antiviral treatments that range from insomnia, flu and anemia.

The main difference between the two new drugs is that sofosbuvir can be taken alone, while simeprevir must be paired with another drug.

To date, over 3 million people are suffering from chronic Hepatitis C in the United States. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) believes that the real number may actually be greater, especially among those from the baby boomer generation. Since last year, CDC has been pushing adults between 48 to 68 years old to get hepatitis screening and get appropriate treatment. Thus, these two drugs mark major advancements not only in treating hepatitis C, but also in preventing the spread of the virus.

For more information, check out the press releases from the FDA site:

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm376449.htm

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm377888.htm

The virus is transmitted when people share used and unsterilized needs, as well as infusive paraphernalia such as filters and cookers. (Photo Credit: Creative Commons)

It can often be scary to read information in the news about hepatitis C outbreaks affecting hundreds of people, even in what we think of as a safe place such as a hospital. Unlike other liver diseases, hepatitis C is transmitted through blood contact with a person infected by the hepatitis C virus (HCV).  Most new cases of hepatitis C transmission are injection-related. While it’s easy to feel nervous about the possibility of transmission in hospitals as these outbreaks ensue, it will absolutely help to know what YOU can do to protect yourself and your family from hepatitis C infection.

Hepatitis C can be passed between people who are in regular contact with injection needles, such as medical syringes and illegal narcotic injectables.  It is well known that those who have a history of intravenous drug and sharing needles, are at high risk of acquiring HCV. The virus is transmitted when people share used and unsterilized needs, as well as infusive paraphernalia such as filters and cookers.

Compared to HIV, hepatitis C is more easily spread through injections. This virus is persistent – it remains active and infectious even if the blood source has been outside of the human body for days. A small amount of blood with hepatitis C is enough to infect another person upon contact.

The dangers of HCV transmission can be avoided by making sure to use new and sterile needle or syringe for each injection. For those who need to inject medication regularly, it is advisable to have your own cookers and filters to sterilize your needle. When somebody else is administering the injection and you’re not sure of the quality of the equipment, don’t hesitate to request new syringes and needles still enclosed in their packaging.  It is OK to ask to see the needle coming out of its sealed package.

Sharp objects such as razors, manicure equipment, tattoo and body piercing needles could also be carriers of HCV. Whenever you use any sharp object, make sure there are no traces of blood and that the sharp objects are always sterilized before use.

To date, no vaccine has been developed against HCV. There are circumstances when injections are inevitable so keep a sharp eye on cleanliness and proper sanitation to let only the healthy stuff in, and keep HCV out.

Aflatoxin-rich food such as rice and corn has been linked to cervical and liver cancer. Vigilance in choosing a healthy diet is a must! (Photo Credit: Creative Commons)

We are what we eat. Listening to the truth of this timeless adage is more crucial than ever with experts finding significant connections between food toxins and liver cancer.

A new research by Mexican scientists shows carcinogenic effects on human beings with a diet high in aflatoxins.  Aflatoxins are present in food such as rice, corn tortilla, chicken, eggs, and processed sauces. These scientists found that consuming such aflatoxins leads to liver and cervical cancer.

This notable research was given the National Award in Food Science and Technology given by the Mexican Coca-Cola Industry and the National Council of Science and Technology.

While some types of cancer are caused by hereditary genes, others are caused by external factors called carcinogens. Aflatoxins are common carcinogens that are typically found in chemicals used in the processing of many foods.  Looking into the presence and behavior of aflatoxins is therefore important in studying cancer and related diseases.

For this research, experts from the National Autonomous University of Mexico looked into massive food samples including over ten types of chili pepper, over a hundred pounds of tortilla, rice and corn.  They studied the how aflatoxins from these types of food are retained in animal tissues.

Aflatoxins are produced by the fungi called Aspergilus flavus and A. parasiticus. These high temperature-resistant fungi appear as green molds in refrigerators.

Considering that the foods involved in this study are staple and common, researchers believe that each person takes in amounts of aflatoxins that accumulate in the body over the years. And while these toxins do not pose immediate danger, it’s important to avoid them by properly storing food, and avoiding the intake of processed goods after indicated shelf-life.

Moral of the study? Eat healthy and eat safely.