Where: SC Bible Church, 440 Frederick Street, Room WC-10

When: Monday, July 18th from 6:30-8:30

See you there!

Who needs Liver detoxification?

If you live in the modern world, chances are you do!

A healthy Liver is absolutely vital to your overall wellbeing! In this day and age, where we are constantly exposed to pesticides and chemical pollutants, human beings need to have healthy livers to eliminate these toxins from our system. But how can we tell when our bodies are congested with toxins and could use our active assistance with detoxifying? Here are few common symptoms of toxic overload:

·      Feeling tired, sluggish, lethargic

·      Trouble concentrating and staying focused

·      Headaches

·      Joint pain

·      Catch colds easy

·      Trouble sleeping

·      Unpleasant body odor

·      Frequent gas, bloating or indigestion

·      Allergies and/or food sensitivities

·      Skin problems like acne, psoriasis, eczema

·      Constipation and other gastrointestinal irregularities

·      Depression

·      Irritability

·      Asthma

·      Muscle pain

·      Weak immune system

·      Hemorrhoids

·      Sinus congestion

There are fasts and Liver cleansing products out there, but, which one is best for you? Intensive Detoxification can be very difficult to do on your own. This is why Liver health expert, Dr. Maureen Rozenn, LAC, DAOM, FABORM and Jessica Parker, LAC, MTCM are offering a medically supervised Detoxification Program consisting of:  

·         Nutritional supplementation shown to enhance Liver detoxification phases 1 & 2

·         A reasonable, safe fast from potential inflammatory foods and allergens

·         Chinese herbal prescriptions

·          Weekly support group discussions

·         Specific detoxifying Acupuncture and Massage treatments

Diabetes is a complex disease in which the body can not properly regulate its blood sugar levels. People over 40 years old with hepatitis C are four times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Researchers first reported the association between hepatitis C and diabetes ten years ago. Since then evidence has shown that unstable blood sugar levels lead to chronic inflammation, and chronic inflammatory states, such as hepatitis, can produce erratic blood sugar levels. Further, people with diabetes tend to have trouble with fat metabolism, which besides causing high cholesterol can lead to fat accumulation in the liver. In a person with hepatitis C, fat in the liver can trigger even more liver inflammation, causing serious liver disease.

Chinese medical literature discussing both diabetes and hepatitis dates back over one thousand years. In 752 C.E. Chinese doctor Wang Tao asserted that pancreatic dysfunction is the cause of diabetes. Herbal formulas for hepatitis date back even farther. The Shan Han Lun, which is one of the oldest Chinese medical text books, describes a number of herbal formulas for epidemics. One of these formulas, classically used for liver and gallbladder disorders, has been found by Japanese researchers to inhibit liver inflammation. Traditional Chinese medical theory views hepatitis C as a toxin that enters the blood and disturbs the harmonious interaction between organs, resulting in disrupted organ function. One of the most common relationships that hepatitis C affects is the one between the liver and the spleen-pancreas-stomach organ system. The symptoms caused by this disharmony are often experienced by people with hepatitis C: poor appetite and digestion, fatigue, depression/irritability, and poor blood sugar control.

Asian medical treatment for diabetes and hepatitis C can rebalance the relationship between these organs. Goals of treatment are reduced liver inflammation, improved blood sugar regulation and a reduction in the symptoms of both hepatitis C and diabetes. These goals can be accomplished through a broad range of modalities including acupuncture, herbal therapy, nutritional supplements and diet and lifestyle counseling.

Please note: Dan Shen should not be combined with other herbs or drugs that thin the blood unless specifically prescribed by a medical professional. For best results patients should only take Dan Shen under the supervision of trained health care provider.

Topics include acupuncture treatment protocols, nutritional supplementation, herbal therapy and dietary regimens specific to hepatitis C. Common hepatitis C symptoms such as joint pain, digestive issues and fatigue will be addressed. Additionally, we will discuss illnesses related to hepatitis C such as fatty liver and diabetes. Last but not least, we will cover Western drug therapy and how to help patients though it by reducing the potentially overwhelming side effect of those drugs.

I am looking forward to the annual free talk I deliver at HELP!’s September meeting. I will be speaking on liver health and answering your questions on acupuncture, liver function, herbal do’s and don’ts, diet and nutrition and integrated Eastern/Western hepatitis C treatment.

* HELP! is a group dedicated to providing support and education for people affected by liver disease.

Monday~September 15, 2008 from 6:30-8:30pm.

Location and HELP! contact information:

C.N. & Ed Gordon ~ 831.462.2979 ~ help4hcv@yahoo.com

Santa Cruz Bible Church ~ 440 Frederick Street, Room WC-10 ~ Santa Cruz, CA 95062

S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe), is derived from an amino acid, methionine.  

What does it do?

SAMe supports healthy cell membranes, affects hormones, neurotransmitter formation, DNA, RNA, proteins and thus has far reaching affects on brain chemistry and liver detoxification.  

What is it used for?

SAMe has been the subject of many clinical trials involving osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, depression and viral, fatty and alcohol related liver disease. In my practice, I use SAMe when a patient has a combination of these conditions. For example, I commonly prescribe SAMe for patients with hepatitis C with depression and muscle/joint pain. I also prescribe SAMe for patients who have a difficult time producing and excreting bile. Toxins can easily build up without proper bile production and flow leading to irritability, flank pain, yellow stools and drug sensitivity.  

What is the dosage?

SAMe must be in a special form “enteric coated” for it to be properly absorbed orally. For this reason SAMe tends to be a more expensive supplement, leading people to under dose. The generally acceptable dose is between 400 and 1600 milligrams (mg) per day on an empty stomach. When I prescribe SAMe, generally I start people on the lowest dose of 200 mg twice daily. Most people find between 800 and 1200 mg to be an effective dose. I do caution people against upping their dose too quickly, as for many chronic conditions SAMe must be taken for at least one month before improvement becomes obvious.  

What if I can’t afford it? 

As part of my Hepatitis C Certification I attended a lecture by a very knowledgeable Naturopathic physician, Lynn Patrick, ND. According to Dr. Patrick all of the building blocks of SAMe: methionine, betaine, folic acid and B 12, are available from dietary sources. The following is her SAMe daily diet prescription:  

One of the following will yield 500 mg of methionine: 1 cup cottage cheese,4 ounces of fish, 5 ounces chicken, 1/3 cup sesame seeds or 2 cups lentils. 

500-3000 mcg of vitamin B12 is easily available from meat and fish (100 mcg/serving) or can be taken as an inexpensive supplement.

For 800 micrograms (mcg) folic acid: 2 cups cooked asparagus + 1 cup cooked beans (black, pinto, navy, etc). Other good sources include avocados, chickpeas, lentils, spinach, broccoli, peas, soy nuts and fortified foods such as rice and breakfast cereals. One of the following will yield 500 mg of betaine:1 cup cooked spinach, 2 cooked beets, 2 cups wheat bran cereal. 

• People with a compromised digestive system may need to take SAMe in supplement form.

Who shouldn’t take SAMe? 

I am very cautious when prescribing SAMe to a person who is currently taking antidepressants because of a possible synergistic reaction. I do not suggest people with bipolar or anxiety disorders take SAMe. Anyone who is pregnant, trying to get pregnant or nursing should ask their health care provider before taking SAMe.

Are there any side effects? 

SAMe is generally very well tolerated. Gastrointestinal side effects are the most commonly reported and seem to be dose dependent. 

Doctoral Fellows John Nieters and Maureen Rozenn at the second affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University.

For the last month I have been studying in China as part of my clinical Doctorate in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) and my PhD in Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western Medicine with a specialization in Women’s Health and Fertility.

So what exactly have I been doing all of this time, you ask?

Program Highlights  

·        Intensive Gynecology study in an integrated TCM-Western setting.

o       Hundreds of patients were successfully treated with custom herbal prescriptions every day.

o       Treatment principals were based on both TCM diagnostics and Western lab and imaging tests such as hormone panels, pap smears, basil body temperature charts (BBT) and ultrasounds of the ovaries and uterus.

o       Specific herbal formulas were used to treat infertility, irregular and painful menses, habitual miscarriages, PCOS, endometriosis, uterine fibroids and menopausal symptoms.

·        Intensive Acupuncture study with my PhD adviser, Dr. Fang.

o       A wide range of illnesses were treated with acupuncture in Dr. Fang’s busy clinic.

o       Tinnitus, hearing loss, vertigo

o       Neurological problems

§         Trigeminal neuralgia, numbness, sciatica, migraines

o       Post partum issues

o       Orthopedic diseases

§         Knee, back and muscle pain

§         Torn ligaments

§         Muscle atrophy

·        Intensive Internal Medicine study of various topics:

o       Childhood illnesses

o       Cardiovascular diseases

o       Dietary modifications to promote health and vitality

o       Modern applications of ancient herbal formulas for:

§         Liver disease

§         Autoimmune disease

§         Diabetes

I am not aware of any practice similar to a gallbladder flush in the Chinese medical literature. In Chinese medical theory, the gallbladder is regarded as an “extraordinary” organ whose function is vitally important for liver health. There are a number of regulating, gentle acupuncture treatments and herbal formulas geared towards supporting the gallbladder. In short, the Chinese medical perspective holds that is that it is far better to avoid making gallstones than it is to try to flush them out.

So what is the best way to spring clean? I like detoxification programs that focus on providing the liver with the specific amino acids, vitamins and minerals needed for optimal detoxification. Ensuring that the intestines and urinary system are working well will further enhance the body’s ability to neutralize and expel toxins. Ideally, people should following a detoxification program individualized for them and formulated by their health care provider.

Hepatitis C (HCV) is an epidemic, both in Santa Cruz County and across the country. Today, HCV is the most common liver disease, even more common than alcoholic hepatitis. While fatigue is the most common symptom,  HCV can also induce muscle and joint pain, depression and irritability, digestive difficulties, impaired memory, headaches, and immune system dysfunction. In response to the liver inflammation caused by the hepatitis C virus, the body starts laying down scar tissue. This process is called fibrosis. Some people have many symptoms and very little fibrosis, while others progress to cirrhosis without any symptoms.

At Cedar Street Healing Arts Clinic we offer an integrative approach to treating hepatitis C.

William Morris, MD and I treat patients from both a Western and Eastern perspective. Dr. Morris runs the Primary Care Hepatitis C Clinic on Mondays. He provides affordable high quality Western medical evaluation and treatment to those afflicted with the hepatitis C virus. Using Asian medicine principals, I design an individualized treatment plan for those with HCV encompassing: acupuncture treatment, herbal therapy, nutritional supplements, plus diet and lifestyle suggestions. While most HCV patients elect to see me in my private practice, for those with Medi-cal and financial constraints I offer a low cost teaching clinic every Tuesday afternoon at Five Branches University.

Dr. Morris and I have had HCV patients travel from as far away as South Carolina to be seen at Cedar Street Healing Arts Clinic. We are both on the provider committee of the Santa Cruz Hepatitis C Task Force and are advisory board members of the local hepatitis C patient advocate group HELP! (Help & Education for Liver Patients). Dr. Morris and I frequently consult with each other to provide our patients with the best possible integrated medical care.