Hi guys.
Does beetroot help the Liver at all? Also milk thistle?
Cheers!
🍀
Beetroot : Hi guys. Does beetroot help... - British Liver Trust
Beetroot
Written by
White-feather
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
64 Replies
•
beetroot probably wouldnt help at all, it may make things worse. Its full of Iron and struggling Liver would not thank you!
Milk thistle is supposed to aid healing, but it wont heal scarring.
Any supplements should be approved by a doctor and even better a Liver doctor.
White-feather in reply to
Thanks loads, ralph2014. Glad I checked as there's so many opinions flying around about diet at the moment. Also, I have heptologist in July.
🍀
Google Serrapeptase. I've read some interesting things about this enzyme that supposedly can help with scarring in organ tissue.
White-feather in reply to
Bless you. Thanks. I will.
How are you doing? 😀
🍀
in reply to White-feather
I am good. Things are well. Hope you are doing good as well.
in reply to
I've taken Serrapeptase first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. I also have taken Essential Forte. These are strictly from my own research and not endorsed by a medical physician. FYI
Waiting2Run in reply to
Hidden ~ Oh please lets me know what which enzymes, I'm in cirrhosis due to aggressive AIH and PBC. Thank you. 😊
Sorry, just read it. 😀 Thank you.
in reply to Waiting2Run
I also should comment that Serrapeptase thins the blood. So if platelet counts are low I would definitely not take it .fyi
in reply to Waiting2Run
Serrapeptase is the enzyme I take first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. I also take Essentiale forte. I took these both to my Hepatologist and he had not heard of them and therefore wold not endorse them. So please know I take them without medical advice. I want everyone to know that. I've just researched on my own. I also juice everyday. Beet juice, carrot juice and aloe juice. I am more than happy to share my experiences but at the same time know I have not been diagnosed with cirrhosis but fatty liver. God bless and I hope this helps you.
I drink lots of juiced beet roots. It definately gives the liver strength. It also will cleanse the gut of everything in it that will not move easily thru the digestive system. Thats exactly what I need as I do not want any fluids or foods staying too long in my gut or bowel and creating toxins that can hit the blood stream and brain. Its great fuel for the liver...
in reply to Catfishjumpin
I drink beet juice and carrot juice every morning mixed with Vegan protein powder and also 1/4 cup of Aloe Juice.
White-feather in reply to
Wendy, who suggested beet juice to you if you don't mind me asking? 🌼
I think we are all desperate to help our Livers and would be beneficial to us all, including family and friends to know the do's and don't s.
I got myself in this mess, I know I can't fix what's broken but every little helps?
🍀
in reply to White-feather
I read online about beet juice being beneficial to the liver. Also carrot juice in moderation. As Vitamin A isn't water soluble but rather fat soluble which means the excess doesn't get flushed out. It gets stored in fat cells. I drank too much carrot juice before I knew better and turned orange. Lol. When you have liver disease and turn orange it tends to freak you out. 😁 So be careful with fat soluble vitamins. Water soluble vitamins such as Vitamin C get flushed. Ask about any vitamins as I got those down 😃
White-feather in reply to
Cheers, Wendy007 . Where you get the juices from? I take of they are organic? I have watched and read so many things about what really goes in carton 'fresh juice'
🍀
Waiting2Run in reply to
Cheers Hidden , I'm so glad I read this post. I had no idea. I always juice carrots and yes that would have freaked me out had I turned orange. Lol Thank you much for this info. 😀
I'm a little confused. Hidden said it has lots of iron and wouldn't do our livers any good? I am glad I posted this as it is a topic of discussion. Maybe different dieticians,hepatologists etc etc say different things? But why do they? Confused.com 😦 lol
🍀
I totally disagree. I am cycling 40 miles with liver cancer and I take no medications. It works for me now for years. I never have blood labs that say I have a high iron content. But its fine with me the decisions others make. I do what works for me. I do not eat meat. It putrifies in the gut and creates toxins.
You are an inspiration! 👍 Have you always cycled? Or have taken it up since? Hope you don't mind me asking. My body aches so much after trying to hoover! Let alone cycling! I must be so therapeutic though. Good for you! 🌟
Also, do you make your own juiced beetroot?
🍀
I had hep c 42 years. I took cycling up 5 years ago but I have always loved the feeling of riding a bike but now jts an endurance sport for me. It circulates blood and oxygen. I am also a hoop dancer for 6 years. Its another endurance exercise. I guess I replaced the alcoholism with endurance exercise. Its really good for the brain and no one needs to do it as hard as I do. My body hurts all the time. I make myself exercise because I believe its the best thing I am able to do for myself. Yes, I bought a juicer years ago when my bile production slowed down too much. Check your blood work, see if your iron is high, if not, you can drink it too.
They sound like brilliant replacements! 👍 Good on you!!
Are there plenty of nice areas to cycle where you are? Must be really stimulating! ☺
I love swimming. Trying to do yoga at the moment to help replace muscle wastage but I find it boring. It is surprising how quickly my muscles are building up again . . . or maybe its because there's no toxic fluid around them?! Other than that I train my dog! 🐕 Lol!
🍀
in reply to Catfishjumpin
People should touch bases with their Liver doctors on this. Your cause of Liver damage is Hepc, different causes affect the Liver differently. Alcohol Liver damage is what I have spent 2 years studying and I havent read one good thing about Iron and a Liver struggling through alcohol damage. White Europeans also have about a 10% chance of having Liver storage problems anyway.
I do vouch for what you are saying about cycling, I cycle alot too I have a nice Trek Madone 4.7 and have cycled 100 miles! The professionals use beets too! But if someone didnt exercise with Hepc and took loads of Iron, it could make things worse.
In short every case is different and needs to be treated as such, what is ok for you may not be for someone else.
Out of interest the Iron labs arent normally a full set with regards to saturation etc, it has to be specially ordered. Have you had the full set of bloods?
Catfishjumpin in reply to
Yes,I have had a full set. I had to have blood removed a quart at a time for a year in 2004. Now it runs low or normal. I did say I have low platelets with a low hemo crit and I did say confer with your doctor. I have been drinking lots of freshly made beet juice for years now and its been great for me. A Madone, I wish! But I have two race road bikes, one 2016 specialized, both racers as well as a new specialized 2014 mountain bike. I love to cycle. Any choices I make for my health are mine, I do research, I listen to what my doctors have to say but in the end, I choose and I take responsibility for those choices.
Hi white-feather. I'm confused too! Is it good for you or bad? I think I'll have to be doing a bit on the net and talk to my doctor when I see him. If I get any update I'll post it. Stay well. Adele
they say diffirent things because a lot of doctors want us to take pharmaceutical medicine. they are so stuck in giving out presctiption drugs and many get paid for giving out certain medicens. its disgusting and i know this for a fact that the pharaceutical companies invite doctors to seminars and tell them all about there new medicine and how good they are and pay the doctor to prescribe them you may not believe this but i KNOW its true.i think you are doing fantastic trying to help yourself and feed your liver good healthy food and orgnic too. the same as me. im not sure about beetroot but i drink it when i can get it as its hard to get raw beetroot where i live. i have lots or organic celery and cucumer and some carrots. i laughed at wendy's post about going orange, i was the same. you could google DR SANDRA CABOT, she is a liver doctor and has written a few books about liver freindly food and knows about hepatitis as well. i grind up all organic 2 teaspoons sunflower seeds 1 teaspoon of almonds and 3 teaspoons of flaxseeds and keep it in the fridge i only do small amounts at a time as i dont want then to go rancid and i put them in soups, and porridge i got that idea from doctor sandra cabots healthy liver book. all the very best to you,xxx
My doctors do not offer me perscription drugs not yet, even with untreated cancer I am on no meds and the cancer is more than 2 years old. If I had to take them I would but I am managing on my diet I created. My doc at the transplant center looks at me and says, "its something you are doing" great but scary as what happens when I no longer get the results I need from food and exercise. This disease is a long long road to travel. I live one day at a time and am so thankful for each new morning.
i think thats great that you have created a diet that works for you.as you say one day it might not give you the results you need from food and exercise. the same thing can happen with drugs and you would not get the same results its the same thing.. at least at the moment you are not having any side affects from your diet that you would definately get from drugs.i think that its remarkable that you'v had cancer for two years and your not on medication, try not to spoil the moment and the now that you are well by thinking of a time that has not come, anything can happen in this world today, we could die of anything not just by the ill ness we already have,be happy and glad as the only time you have is NOW. if you spell that word backwords you will see that you have won, now is all we really have, i have to think like this as i am just out of hospital after 6 days i had a terrible attack of pain i'v got a stone stuck in my bile duct and they can not remove it yet so i have a stent in at the moment and stents can fall out.im in pain right now. i had blood poisoning.so i have to try and live now not in what if this stent falls out. i dont tell anyone to do what i cant try to do myself. as i feel thats wrong, someone is looking after you. xx
This helps so much, thank you. There is nothing like support backed by experience and anothers own personal sufferings with this disease. I so hope somehow that stone is dislodged from your bule duct. It sounds extremely painful. My cancer is one encapulated tumor. They wanted to do a surgery in which they put a neddle into it and burned it to kill it but the surgeon made it very clear that for me and how much cirrhosis I have, it was very dangerous and I could end up with some complex issues I do not have now. I think you have been very lucky, blood posioning seems so dangerous with liver disease.
thanks iv to go in for a bigger operation to have it cut out and to reconstruct the bile duct. as soon as my body recovers from the last episode.so it wont be to long i'v got to try not to think about that also. i hate hospitals im 65 and as well as wearing those horrible tight socks they are giving me injections into the stomach every night. i couldnt wait to get out. so im trying to enjoy even the television as im so weak.bless you. someone is looking after me too.
Oh that sounds tough. Yes enjoy your peace for now. It seems to be how we must live. One complication to the next with some time off in between. My mind has been being tricky lately warning me, its over 2 years since any bad health episodes with this disease so it must be time for something to go wrong. Then i begin trying to unhinge from that attitude and hope for the best. I hope for the very best for you!
2 years since bad health issues but a lifetime of hope. Wishing you well.
Chin up 👍
🍀
yes two years since any bad health issues you'v found something that works nothing will go wrong. i'v been thinking about you and you are an inspiration,
White-feather , me too. 😀 I know everything that is good for the liver is not good for a sick liver so I think that's how we need to Google our info. "Are beets good for a diseased liver?" Btw: it wouId be awesome if there were a confused.com to clear all confusion. 😀
Waiting2Run Confused. com to clear all confusion'
That's brilliant! I love it! It made me smile. Do you think someone will set up a page on here! Lol! Lol 😀😀😀😀
White-feather - Hopefully so, but it was your idea, I was in agreement. 😀😀😀 But seriously, it would be nice to have a liverconfused.com. A place to go that had all the links of latest liver info and natural liver health. 😀
My dietician advises me as to what is good for my liver so I can eat the food at mealtimes without the need for suppliments. You may wish to ask yours.
regards
jules
Thanks. I'm seeing dietician,heptologist,Dr all in mid July so I'll hit them ALL with the question!
Hope you feel better soon.
🍀
good luck xx
Everybody is different and our bodies react differently.
My husband had a LT 3 years ago and these things worked both before and after for him.
Fresh pears or Pear juice, twining cleansing tea containing milk thistle and mint and beetroot freshly cooked to give extra roughage.
Even now a Pear a day will cleanse the body of toxins. Brilliant fruit.
Hope this helps.
Hi all. Just done a quick web search (although I'll continue) and found this....
bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide.... Suggests beetroot is a bit of a superfood for the liver.
Be glad to hear if anyone has anything contradictory.
Stay well. Adele
My dad was Polish and swore by beetroot
White feather juicing with a juicer
Lots of recipes and juicing is a whole new world Jason Vale aka the juice master is a good bloke
It is all a matter of choices
I'm sure I saw him on a daytime programme. I will check him out. Thanks!
How are you bearing up?
🍀
Hi, I totally agree with Ralf please don't take any supplements until you speak to your consultant ....pineapple is very good for the liver there is an excellent book written by a doctor , 'the liver cleansing diet' it will provide you with good dietary advice .
White-feather in reply to
I'll look out for that book, blue-bells, thanks. It sounds as though a lot of fruits are good for the liver. I eat so much. I was talking to Matt about the natural sugar content in fruits, strawberries in particular are sweet. I love organges but don't eat them because of the acid? I, like others have acid reflux and a hiatus hernia. Sometimes, I wish I lived abroad where there it more choice? SAMBS , Catfishjumpin , Hidden (I think are overseas?) Do you have !ore variety of fruits?
🍀
I am in Hawaii
in reply to White-feather
I live in California. I juice every day. Again, I can not endorse my regime medically. Please know that. Here's what II do 1/4 cup pure organic beet juice, 1/4 cup carrot and 1/4 cup aloe juice. I buy mine locally and it is organic. I mix also some mornings a teaspoon of Tumeric powder and Vegan protein. I do not eat meat. My iron levels as of March are all normal.
Wendy Xx
Catfishjumpin in reply to
I never take supplements my doctor in New York City told me they are all hard on the liver, maybe milk thistle is fine. She said to eat well so I have always followed her advice. Her husnand was a liver cancer doctor in China.
Before taking supplements it's well advised to run it past a heptologist first. I've heard beetroot is good but I suspect when your liver is cirrhotic its like trying to put out a fire with a water pistol. Unfortunately I don't think there's much you can eat to improve your liver but I think you can maintain a diet of high protein and low salt to help it.
RodeoJoe I'm sure someone mentioned on here that we need to no 'over load' with protein? (I might be mistaken) Although my dietician has put it in every meal\snack that I have 😀
🍀
I am careful with protein, it causes ammonia to build and that ammonia can hit the brain then I am stuck with HE which many here have struggled with.
Hi Rodeo, your post is why I go along with what my dietician tells me as I've done a liver detox diet and I ended up with liver failure. That was because I wasn't taking in the protein and carbs required to feed my liver and enable it to do its work properly. You are right about high protein and low salt and plenty of water in my case. Coffee in the mornings and warmed soya milk as a hot drink in the afternoon.
best wishes
julie
Yes exactly, I hate all this sudo science\medical nonsense. Usually does more harm than good. Stick to what your Dr gives you and what the dietician tells you. Use your common sense and eat as much fresh unprocessed food as possible.
Potions and supplements are no good for liver disease and at worst harmful.
This is the kind of rubbish that's all over the internet at the moment, steer well clear:
youtube.com/watch?v=DnnlnAs...
I agree no supplements not for me anyway, I was warned years ago
in reply to RodeoJoe
Eat food that's not processed and packaged. Eat food in its natural state. I guess that's not so hard to do. No doctors advice needed on that or disclosures.
I guess I've been lucky. When I first got sick in the US, I was given like 5 pages of do and don't for the liver. Pertaining to diet alone.
Here in the UK, at Addenbrookes, where I have attended clinic prior to transplant and after, there is always a dietician waiting to speak to me..lol. They are extremely helpful. Diet tends to be a very tough thing, as we lose our appetites. I did, and was placed on yogurt supplements for over a year. In fact, the other two women who I was in hospital with for a month also had those same yogurt drinks, except I got the American brand.
Anything thats not good for the liver, such as sodium, in any form, sodas, olives, pickles, table salt, etc. is bad. You often find more sodium in pre made or packaged and canned foods. So, cooking all your own food, buying organic is the best. The only problem is once your ill, the energy to cook from scratch goes downhill.
I love beets, but was told no. I've heard of Milk Thistle, and I love herbal supplements etc, but I was told there was no science one way or the other on milk thistle. I tend to think science matters, and I have no doubt that there have been extensive studies on Milk Thistle.
This is only my opinion, for what it's worth. I'm not doctor, and as far as I know, none of us should be prescribing, only advising.
Sorry to sound so harsh, but I worry over folks saying they know better than doctors. Maybe they do..but for me, I'll wait for proof..testing and retesting for same results.
cheering you and everyone on!
XXXXX
I have never heard yet anyone saying here they know better than doctors.
neither have I..I was just mentioning it..
Hi, totally agree with you Kim
Julie
Thanks.
I meant no offense, but we often don't know, and on here I hear about docs not even mentioning diet, which is key to the liver. You know?
And then I feel bad for folks out there googling and wow, some of the crazy info they bring back can really harm them.
I was told, the minute after I was diagnosed, to NOT Google, and to only trust sites like the NIH in the US and this site for info,advise and support.
Like anything high in iron, not good, our livers can no longer process it. No sodas or even fruit drinks, unless they are pure juice or we make the juice ourselves.
On and on it goes.
Like I said, it's only my opinion. I'd just hate to see anyone get sicker, or to speed up their illness from NOT knowing.
I think I got really lucky. At addenbrookes they really cover you from head to toe..And the personal assistant book they give you while waiting for a transplant answers every single question I had..even about getting dental work done! Lol..that's a lot of info!
Ok, enough out of me and my big mouth!
Hugs to all!
xxxxx
Hi White-feather, I've read milk thistle is of great help, but my gastroenterologist and hepatologist seem to think while it's ok to take, it's of little benefit. I personally disagree because I'm always in hopes of anything natural that will help.
As for the beets, I've read all the wonderful benefits and was sometimes juicing it in with my other vegies, but my mom sent me a powder called "Super Beets" and a couple days after I began using it, I began to swell like crazy.
I've stopped using it until I could speak with my hepatologist, but now that I read what Hidden said, I believe he is absolutely correct. I have read that too much iron is hard on the liver, and while I had stopped taking iron, I had not considered the iron that is in beets or the "Super beet powder". Thank you much ralph2014. The information is greatly appreciated.
Oh if this helps anyone, I was taking aloe vera capsules and adding aloe juice to the veggies I juice. I began having side effects and just happened onto info that stated, while aloe is great for so many things, it is very bad for a damaged liver. I stopped using it and my side effects went away.
I just wanted to also share this with you Hidden , just in case you would like to know. I'd also be very interested to learn more about the veggie powder that you mix with juicing if you would not mind. Thank you. 😊
Please check with your hepatologist to take these supplements. From a layman perspective taking milk thistle won't do any harm if any help to liver function.
Waiting2Run , a confused.com would be a good idea wouldn't it? I'll put another post on here to see if people would be interested? In the meantime, I'll look in to it. I have no idea about how to set one up! But that would be a challenge which in the end would help us all?
It would be a page of advise\suggestions from us! ☺Maybe on Facebook?
Cheers!
🍀
