Liver Disease, General

Liver Disease, General

Related Terms

Liver Support; Liver-toxic Herbs; Herbs, Liver-toxic; Gilbert Syndrome; Cholestasis

The liver is an organ in the upper right part of the stomach. It keeps the blood filtered and clean. Liver disease causes the organ to stop working as it should. This may cause problems like fatigue, nausea, and yellow skin.

Healthy habits can help promote liver health. Natural therapies have been used to ease symptoms of liver disease. They should not be used in place of standard care.

Natural Therapies

Likely Effective

Fish oil is a nutrient that can be taken as a pill or oil. It is likely to reduce triglycerides and raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels.A2

May Be Effective

These therapies may be effective:

  • Probiotics are good bacteria that can be taken as a food product like yogurt or as a supplement.A1
  • S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) is a compound found naturally in the body.A6

Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.

Herbs and Supplements to Be Used With Caution

Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse.

References

Herbs and Supplements

A1. Liu JE, Zhang Y, et al. Probiotic yogurt effects on intestinal flora of patients with chronic liver disease. Nurs Res. 2010;59(6):426-432.

A2. Zhu W, Dong C, et al. Effects of fish oil on serum lipid profile in dialysis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Lipids Health Dis. 2014;13:127.

A3. Bjelakovic G, Nikolova D, et al. Vitamin D supplementation for chronic liver diseases in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Nov 3;11:CD011564.

A4. Hong M, Li S, et al. Current Status of Herbal Medicines in Chronic Liver Disease Therapy: The Biological Effects, Molecular Targets and Future Prospects. Int J Mol Sci. 2015 Dec 2;16(12):28705-28745.

A5. Martí-Carvajal AJ, Solà I. Vitamin K for upper gastrointestinal bleeding in people with acute or chronic liver diseases. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Jun 9;(6):CD004792.

A6. Guo T, Chang L, et al. S-adenosyl-L-methionine for the treatment of chronic liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2015 Mar 16;10(3):e0122124.

Nutritional Support

B1. Koretz RL, Avenell A, et al. Nutritional support for liver disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;(5):CD008344.

Last reviewed November 2019 by EBSCO NAT Review Board Eric Hurwitz, DC

EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at healthlibrarysupport@ebsco.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days.

Home |Terms and Conditions |Concerned About Privacy? |Accessibility |Careers |For Employers and Medical Plan Providers

You may also be looking for: CVS/pharmacy | MinuteClinic | Specialty Pharmacy | SilverScript | Accordant