Protect Your Liver with Herbs

One of the organs of the human body that is at greatest risk, due to diseases such as hepatitis, is the liver. Excessive consumption of alcohol can also lead to severe liver damage, as can inadvertent use of powerful medication. Unfortunately, there are hardly any allopathic drugs that protect the liver or treat a damaged liver. Research is currently being carried out both in India and Japan to seek natural remedies for curing liver ailments based on the traditional Indian medical system of Ayurveda and its Japanese equivalent, Kampo.

The Department of Pharmacy at the Punjab University, under the leadership of Professor Handa, has identified some indigenous plants that are mentioned as being beneficial for the liver in ancient Ayurvedic texts.

Currently research is being carried out on Andrographis paniculata (Andrographis paniculata), Picrorhiza kurroa (Picrorhiza kurroa), and Bhoomyamalkai (Phyllanthus niruri). The effectiveness of the juice of the Andrographis paniculata in protecting the liver of laboratory test animals has already been conclusively demonstrated; however its effectiveness on humans has yet to be gauged. The Indian Council of Medical Research and the Central Drug Research Institute are jointly carrying out trials on a substance called Picroliv to determine its effectiveness in cases of hepatitis. In South India, research is being carried out by Dr. Dixit and Dr. Achar to determine the effectiveness of Bhoomyamalkai in protecting the liver.
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Research work in Japan is also progressing at a rapid pace. It is only a matter of time before all the clinical trials are completed and an effective drug for protecting the liver is synthesized from these herbal ingredients.

Submitted on January 16, 2014