steve1906
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posted
Here's some info on (good & bad food) for the liver...
What you eat and how well you take care of yourself CAN affect how well your Liver works. Therefore it�s important that you choose foods that will help maintain and support your Liver. Good nutrition can also help to rebuild some damaged Liver cells and help the Liver form new cells.
The Liver has two detoxification pathways called Phase One and Phase Two. The work of each of these phases requires specific vitamins and minerals. These vitamins and minerals in turn need other nutrients called phytochemicals and amino acids to help them. The Liver has a big job to do and as you will see, it requires a team effort.
During Phase One, which changes a toxic chemical to one that is less harmful, free radicals are formed. Free radicals are unstable particles that react with the body and damage the body�s cells. If too many free radicals are made, they can hurt the Liver cells. In order to get rid of or reduce these free radicals, our bodies need foods with a lot of antioxidants and phytochemicals. The antioxidants beta carotene, vitamins C and E, and selenium and many different phytochemicals are found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. One of the most important antioxidants is an amino acid called glutathione. Glutathione is made by the body and is also found in some foods. The B vitamins including folic acid are also very important in this Phase One process.
During Phase Two the Liver adds a substance to the now less harmful chemical to make it water soluble. It can then be moved out of the body in urine or . During this Phase Two process, foods rich in sulphur compounds are needed. Some of the foods with a lot of sulphur compounds are (you knowthe kind, they smell when you cook them) cabbage, brussel sprouts, and broccoli.
Following are some more foods that have the nutrients needed to help Phase One and Phase Two work as well as they can:
Foods to Help Phase One Detoxification
Beets contain antioxidants such as beta-carotene, other carotenoids and healing flavonoids. Antioxidants help to limit the damage caused by free radicals, thus they have a healing and cleansing effect on the Liver; beets also have folic acid which is necessary for Phase One detoxification.
Broccoli contains B vitamins and vitamin C both of which help Phase One detoxification; it also is a source of folic acid.
Brown Rice provides B vitamins and the antioxidant selenium.
Carrots contain beta-carotene and other carotenoids that help to protect the Liver.
Eggs supply B vitamins.
Garlic has selenium and glutathione, both of which act as antioxidants.
Spinach provides folic acid and other B vitamins.
Tomatoes have vitamins C and E which are both needed for Phase One detoxification. They are also a good source of the antioxidant lycopene.
Wheatgerm contains selenium and vitamin E and is an excellent source of phytochemicals.
Melons and peppers are good sources of vitamin C.
Tomatillos, papaya, plantains, carambola and guava are good sources of the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin C.
Foods to Help Phase Two Detoxification
Broccoli contains natural sulfur compounds which are needed to enhance Phase Two detoxification.
Cabbage like broccoli, contains natural sulfur compounds.
Eggs contain methionine, a sulfur-containing compound needed for detoxification.
Brazil Nuts contain selenium, an antioxidant needed for detoxification.
Garlic has methionine which is needed for detoxification; also contains glutathione, a powerful antioxidant.
Onions have sulfur compounds which are important in both detoxification pathways; also a source of glutathione.
Asparagus and Watermelon are rich, natural sources of glutathione which is important for Liver detoxification.
Papaya and Avocado help the body to produce glutathione.
Mushrooms have a lot of glutamic acid which is needed to produce glutathione and help with Liver detoxification.
Foods for the General Health of the Liver
Soy Beans contain lecithin which helps the Liver break down fats and helps reduce high cholesterol levels; lecithin also helps maintain healthy membranes around Liver cells.
Cayenne Pepper contains many phytochemicals including beta-carotene and lutein and is rich in certain B vitamins as well as vitamins C and E. It also aids in digestion.
Lemon is a bitter, acidic food which is helpful for general cleansing of the body.
Walnuts are a source of arginine which helps the Liver detoxify ammonia, a waste product in the body; they are also a rich source of glutathione and omega-3 fatty acids. Wheatgerm has arginine and essential fatty acids.
Caraway Seeds contain many flavanoids and carotenoids which act as antioxidants. Caraway is helpful in Liver and gallbladder disease and helps produce glutathione in the body.
Note: The foods listed above benefit the Liver and they also have many other advantages that are not described.
General Tips for Foods that are Especially Good for the Liver
Eat plenty of fresh fruits and lightly cooked vegetables especially dark green, leafy vegetables and orange, yellow, purple, and red colored fruits and vegetables�they contain living enzymes, fiber, vitamin C, natural antibiotic substances, and anti-cancer phytonutrients.
Eat foods that are rich in glutathione or help to produce glutathione in the body. Asparagus, watermelon, broccoli and boldo are good sources of glutathione while papayas and avocados are foods that help the body to produce glutathione.
Bitter foods like dandelion greens, mustard greens, bitter melon, Romaine lettuce and broccoli raabe can help in cleansing the Liver.
Herbs like dill, caraway seeds, garlic, onions, boldo, turmeric and cayenne are easy to use in cooking and can help protect the Liver.
Green tea has immune-boosting properties and contains less caffeine than coffee.
Drink lots of water (6�12 cups per day) because it helps the kidneys to get rid of the toxins that the Liver has broken down.
Omega-3 fats are very helpful. These fats are found in cold water fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines and halibut. Other good sources are ground flaxseeds, flaxseed oil and walnuts.
Nuts, seeds, and avocados are good food sources of polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats that are less harmful to the Liver than saturated fats.
Foods that can Make the Liver Work Harder
Saturated fats are harder for the Liver to process. Limit high fat meats like sausage, bacon, salami, hot dogs and high fat dairy products like whole milk, ice cream and cheese, which contain saturated fats.
Other foods to limit that have a lot of saturated fat are french fries and high fat snack foods like potato chips, Doritos and Cheese Doodles.
Limit processed foods like white bread, white rice, cakes, cookies, donuts and candy. Add whole grains like whole grain breads and cereals, brown rice, quinoa and barley to your diet.
Limit caffeine to 2-3 cups/day. Caffeine is broken down by the Liver and may make it more difficult to cleanse the Liver. Coffee, tea and most sodas contain a lot of caffeine.
Eat light meals more frequently. Eating a light evening meal can help to reduce the Liver�s work during the healing hours of sleep.
Things to Avoid
Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is known to be a powerful toxin that will damage the Liver. Recreational drugs can also be stressful to the Liver.
Limit, as much as possible, chemicals such as food colorings, flavorings and preservatives as well as toxins such as insecticides and pesticides because these substances make the Liver work harder.
Avoid multi-vitamins that contain iron - Iron is stored in the Liver and supplementing with iron may increase the risk of iron toxicity.
-------------------- Everything I say is just my opinion! Posts: 3529 | From Massachusetts Boston Area | Registered: Jul 2008
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17hens
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posted
Steve, this is THE BOMB!! Thank you!
-------------------- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26
bit 4/09, diagnosed 1/10 Posts: 3043 | From PA | Registered: Dec 2009
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steve1906
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posted
hens, I'll try and add to it when I can, as you well know; we all need to take care of our livers.
-------------------- Everything I say is just my opinion! Posts: 3529 | From Massachusetts Boston Area | Registered: Jul 2008
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sparkle7
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posted
Great info. Thanks!
I didn't really think of walnuts as being good for the liver. I think someone told me they were good for the brain because they looked like miniture brains - LOL...
I'm sure alot of the "non" recreational drugs are hard on the liver, too.
Some people here are trying the simplified methylation protocol as per Rich VanK. & Dr. Y... This methylation protocol directly relates to liver disfunction. So, it's really good to study all of this.
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steve1906
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16206
posted
All nuts and seeds are rich in l-arginine, which gives strength to viruses, particularly the herpes viruses, which include EBV, HHV-G, and CMV. Citrus does the same.
Nuts also contain lots of mold--a definite no-no for Lyme patients.
Nuts also irritate the gut and are thus stricken from any gut-healing protocol.
Watermelon? Papaya? Ooooooh, no no no no no. Too much fructose, high glycemic index. They feed Lyme, feed candida, and cause inflammation. The only fruits you can really eat in moderation are granny smiths, avocados, pears, maybe some strawberries and blueberries if you surround them with kefir.
Mushrooms are a fungus. They contribute to fungal problems that Lyme patients notoriously have. Mushrooms are a no-no.
Grains including brown rice are gut irritants and are stricken from any gut-healing protocol. This includes quinoa, amaranth, spelt, all that stuff.
Eggs are highly allergic when people have leaky gut and should be stricken from the diet if you want to heal the gut. The sulphur is in the yolk, which also contains the bad cholesterol. It's the proteins that trigger the antibodies.
You want sulphur? Take garlic or avocado. Not eggs.
Omega-3 fatty acids are good for lowering cholesterol and inflammation. Omega's 6&9 increase CRP inflammation in the heart and vascular system, so I'm not sure that the flax seeds or flax seed oil is a good idea.
Fish? Forget it. Loaded with mercury. A defininte no-no for a Lyme patient. Wild caught Alaskan Salmon or Steelhead Trout are not as bad as others as far as toxins are concerned, but the farm-raised salmon that you buy in most stores is no good. Sardines are also lower in mercury than other fish because they're at the bottom of the food chain. So if you must have fish, these are the ones to eat infrequently and in small amounts.
Limit your caffeine? Yeah, limit it to NONE! Caffeine is a toxin. That's all there is to it. Lyme patients have all kinds of toxins being generated by bugs peeing and pooing and dieing inside their bodies and it's enough trouble trying to detox all that stuff and it's the TOXINS that compromise the gut and keep the immune system down. And if you're taking antibiotics, yo, y'all, talk about toxins!!! And to say limit caffeine to 2 cups a day? That's like saying if you're going to shoot yourself limit yourself to 2 or 3 bullets in the head, but not 4 or 5.
Under normal circumstances, moderation is the key, but in the case of Lyme disease, there are certain things for which there is ZERO TOLERANCE and taking in toxins is one of them.
Coffee enemas are an exception because they eliminate more toxins than they introduce and they keep bile flowing which is critical, not to mention boosting glutathione.
I don't mean to be a killjoy, but there really isn't much you can eat if you have Lyme and want to heal the gut.
-------------------- -chaps �Listen to the bell, Borrelia. It tolls for thee!� Posts: 631 | From A little place called, "we'll see." | Registered: Apr 2010
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sparkle7
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posted
So, what can we eat? It's kind of a bad situation to consider that most of the foods we eat are not healthy, poisonous or inedible. I'm saying this from a psychological point of view, as well. It may be true but we have to survive.
I guess we have to try to limit the toxicity but we do have to eat, breathe, & drink water - all of which can be loaded with toxins these days. It's a shame that most of the things we traditionally associated with being healthful are now considered poisons. Whole grains, non-organic foods, tap water, even breathing or just sitting in my house & absorbing EMFs from my neighbors potential cordless DECT phone or WIFI... not to mention the new roving X-ray machines that are being driven around urban areas.
I'd like to have all the latest organically grown foods, water purifiers, air filters, insulation from EMFs, etc. but it all costs a fortune. I just think that the psychological effect of thinking that everything we are surrounded with is killing us is not all that healthy, either.
We have to eat, drink & breathe something... Cutting everything to the bone & limiting any potential pleasure is surely depressing. I guess we have to make consessions & decisions based on what is do-able & what can make us happy & healthy. It's tough.
PS - I didn't look at the links about walnuts yet but black walnut as an herb (usually green, black walnut hulls) is different than eating regular waluts. Just thought i'd mention it.
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AuntyLynn
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Great Post! Thanks!
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posted
Sparkle7, I feel ya. I felt the same way you do, and I've made the same kind of comments that you've just made on this forum before.
I've been griping about it for 2 years that when you look at all the things you can't eat because they feed Lyme, or they feed yeast, fungus, parasites, or they cause inflammation, they have too much sugar, toxins, allergens, irritate the gut, and God knows what else. Then you try to stay away from meats because they're acid-forming, but you can't have beans to get your protein because they're starchy and feed candida. So after taking all of this into consideration, what are you left with? WATER! I even read somewhere that organic popcorn is loaded with fungus!
Well, I've narrowed it down to a few things that I can eat and I cycle those foods to avoid developing food allergies to them.
Yes, my diet is limited and I have lost weight, but I'm feeling well enough to get into the gym and do some anaerobic exercise and hopefully build some muscle and put weight back on---the good kind.
I can't say that I've got the food selection thing completely perfected, but it really is one of the most difficultt puzzles in beating Lyme disease. I think this is one of the reasons so many people are unsuccessful in beating Lyme. They haven't figured out the gut healing and the diet part.
-------------------- -chaps �Listen to the bell, Borrelia. It tolls for thee!� Posts: 631 | From A little place called, "we'll see." | Registered: Apr 2010
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glm1111
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Member # 16556
posted
Okay, I went through not eating all of the no, no foods that chaps is referring to and at the same time having good benefits as Steve has mentioned. I got sick of starving myself and not enjoying my food.
I solved the problem by taking digestive enzymes, extra HCL, cloves and antiparasitic herbs when eating.
It kills all of the bad bugs while I was still able to benefit from foods that are chocked full of vitamin and minerals and that i enjoyed.
I eat watermelon everyday with sea salt and reap the benfits of the glutathione. I agree that healing the gut is KEY in getting rid of Lyme.
I also added Aloe juice and gel for the wonderful healing benefits that I had forgotten about. I guess everyone has to do what they feel is right for them.
Gael
-------------------- PARASITES/WORMS ARE NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE NUMBER 1 CO-INFECTION IN LYME DISEASE BY ILADS* Posts: 6418 | From philadelphia pa | Registered: Jul 2008
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sparkle7
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I liked steve1906's post because it seems so positive & hopeful. I know it's tough to be overly food conscious. Organic food costs a small fortune these days. Organic broccoli is about $4 a pound!
I think little by little we can condition ourselves to eat foods that are good & relatively healthful. Rotation diet is a good idea as chaps mentions. Since I cut way back on sugar - if I eat something with any sugar, I see how much we actually eat without even thinking about it.
I saw this article in a "tabloid" style newspaper but this lady was an inspiration...
It's not about Lyme but in small measures we can try to get away from all the carbs & sugars. I had to deal with yeast after killing the parasites & I didn't realize how addicted I was to carbs & sugar...
I'm not necessarily an advocate of being a vegan but it's nice to try new things & we still have to eat something. I think it helps to try to be positive & visualize that what we are eating is helpful rather than toxic - whatever it may be.
Sometimes we can't always buy a grassfed organic steak at $27 or drink quarts of freshly made green juice but we can try in small ways to do what we can.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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quote: I solved the problem by taking digestive enzymes, extra HCL, cloves and antiparasitic herbs when eating.
Some experts would respond to this by saying that eating things that feed fungal pathogens, especially candida, and then taking herbs to try and kill the candida at the same time only strengthens it and builds up its resistance to the herbs.
Furthermore, I don't understand how taking HCL and herbs is going to counteract a food's natural tendency to irritate the gut. Nuts can irritate the gut of even a person with a perfectly functioning digestive system. It's just that it's not as big a deal because their mucosal lining is intact and they can handle a little irritation here and there.
Not to go off too far on a tangent, but if someone takes essential oils, such as oil of oregano to kill fungal agents, essential oils are high in ketones that if taken in excess are neurologically harmful and also mucolytic, which raises the question of whether or not they destroy the mucosal lining, when what we really want to do is build it.
Don't forget that the nuts are loaded with mold. I WISH killing mold in the body was as simple as taking a few herbs when I eat.
Candida is notorious for its ability to build up a resistance, even to Nystatin and Diflucan. Heck, a person can kill themselves taking that stuff before they kill the candida!
Dr. K in Seattle even has a slide presentation that addresses candida by recommending 3 months of diflucan and he says to keep an eye on the whites of the eyes and the skin tone. If they turn yellow (jaundice) back off the drug. WHAT? Oh yeah, that's what we need. To die from cirrhosis or other liver disease trying to kill a yeast overgrowth in our bodies.
Steve1906 posted about foods that are good for the liver. I came on and pointed out that while many of these foods might be good for the liver, they are actually bad for Lyme patients because of the adverse way they affect the gut, and the gut is the key to beating Lyme disease. There are other things that are good for the liver that don't hurt the gut, such as milk thistle, yellow dock, silymarin, lemon water, and dandelion root.
I once spoke to the author of the book and proprietor of the website "The Candida Yeast Answer" and he told me that watermelon is one of the worst things a person with candida can eat. High sugar, high glycemic index, etc.
So for a Lyme sufferer, eating watermelon to help the liver is like pulling out a pistol and shooting a gnat that has landed on your foot.
So let me get this straight: We should eat watermelon to help our liver. By doing so, we will feed candida to the point where it becomes systemic. Then we will have to take Diflucan to the point where it kills our liver while trying to kill the candida.
Doesn't it make just a little more sense to avoid the watermelon in the first place and help the liver in the many other ways that are easily available???
For those who read my post and are disappointed that my message wasn't more "positive and hopeful" I make no apologies. There's nothing "positive" about having Lyme and you don't get well just by being "hopeful" while eating anything you want. If people want to remain in denial about the truth because it's not what they wanted to hear, that's their prerogative. I guess that's why some people get better and others don't.
I'm not going to come on this forum like a cherub sprinkling angel dust and rose petals around and blowing smoke and sunshine up peoples' butts. If you want that, go listen to Joel Osteen. I'm just a Lyme sufferer trying to share information in the spirit of helping others suffering from the same problem. If a person uses how "positively and hopefully" I package the information as a gauge for the credibility of the information itself, then my heart goes out to them.
There are some with Lyme who continue to drink alcoholic beverages even though they've been told how deadly this is. It's all relative. There are those that will somehow in their own minds continue to justify eating the wrong foods, too.
I agree wholeheartedly with the following quote:
quote:All truth passes through three stages.
First It Is Ridiculed
Second It is Violently opposed
Third It Is Accepted As Self Evident
So the question is, is my post being ridiculed or violently opposed right now?
-------------------- -chaps �Listen to the bell, Borrelia. It tolls for thee!� Posts: 631 | From A little place called, "we'll see." | Registered: Apr 2010
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glm1111
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chaps, It was NOT my intention to offend you in any way, it was just meant to give another option to a difficult dilemma.
I speak from personal experience and not from someone who has written a book. The other thing I should mention is that i am not on abx and haven't been for years.
I did have systemic yeast and was able to get rid of it when I got rid of the parasites which Dr. K. stated is an important part of getting rid of candida.
I also took a lot of coconut oil to help get rid of candida. I should mention that nuts were not a part of my diet and eating watermelon was not part of my diet when I had active candida.
Everyone has to do what they feel is right for them. Personaly i was sick of starving myself and feeling weak, so I just found another way to deal with it and it worked.
I was not ridiculing you, just giving another point of view. Sorry if you took it that way.
Gael
-------------------- PARASITES/WORMS ARE NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE NUMBER 1 CO-INFECTION IN LYME DISEASE BY ILADS* Posts: 6418 | From philadelphia pa | Registered: Jul 2008
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steve1906
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So the question is, is my post being ridiculed or violently opposed right now?
I�ve never claimed to be an expert on Lyme disease, and I have never found a doctor that has ALL the right answers � NONE do.
Doctors change protocols with patients because we�re all different and react to meds in different ways.
chaps, I appreciate all your input, and your educated thoughts on all these diseases. I think the one thing we have to remember � we all react differently to meds, food, exercise, stress etc.
I�m not saying all the foods I listed are the right foods for everyone; (Lyme or Liver) it�s just a general list of information.
The first couple of years with Lyme I had real problems with eating peanuts. I�m still sick, not as bad � now I eat nuts every day for the health benefits, and I have no problems today.
Mold in nuts & other foods � we all know some foods have mold, including nuts. I believe the health benefits of eating peanuts, far outweigh the tiny amounts of mold found in them.
We suffer each and every day with these diseases, we have to remember to have some fun, smile, laugh, and enjoy life to the best of our ability.
(FOOD for thought) - What works for one, doesn�t always work for the other. I agree diet is very important in order to get well!
I�m enjoying reading all your responses on this subject, keep them coming!
Thanks, Steve...
-------------------- Everything I say is just my opinion! Posts: 3529 | From Massachusetts Boston Area | Registered: Jul 2008
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I don't claim to be an expert, either. I ask more questions than I answer on this forum.
Just tryin' to help.
-------------------- -chaps �Listen to the bell, Borrelia. It tolls for thee!� Posts: 631 | From A little place called, "we'll see." | Registered: Apr 2010
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sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
This thread is about things for the liver - not yeast...
Not everyone has a big yeast issue. I didn't until I got rid of the parasites. It may be due to other things but I started getting a yeast problem after I got rid of parasites. I wasn't taking abx.
Not everyone who has Lyme is treating it with abx. Some treat it in different ways.
I'm just saying that if we dwell on how negative everything is - we will not get well. I can write pages & pages of things to be negative about but it doesn't really help in the long run.
When I first found out I may have Lyme - I was horrified when I read all that stuff about Plum Island & how disease was being weaponized by black budget agencies.
So - I'm not a "new age, airy, fairy" type by any means. I researched it quite alot. I found alot of disguesting stuff going on that is being financed by our tax money. Not to mention how much disinfo is being spewed about Lyme & related illnesses...
BTW - stress is a major trigger of yeast from what I have read.
I guess you have to pick & choose which things are helpful. I love watermelon juice but I won't drink it now because I'm dealing with yeast & it's off season. I like watermelon in the summer better. Not everyone has a yeast problem, though.
Also - berberine is very effective in a synergistic way with diflucan for yeast. I believe it's also helpful for the liver, too.
As a traditional medicine or dietary supplement, berberine has shown some activity against fungal infections, Candida albicans, yeast, parasites, and bacterial/viral infections.[4][5] Berberine seems to exert synergistic effects with fluconazole even in drug-resistant Candida albicans infections.[6]
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Liver Morevover, berberine reduces hepatic fat content in the rats of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).[54] Berberine also prevents proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which are central for the development of fibrosis during liver injury.[38]
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