The prevalence of liver disease is a "national disease", and people in Taiwan Province Province also like to take medicine to protect their liver. They always think that "food is the guarantee", and they eat a variety of liver protection products, including medicines and food, and even some remedies recommended by relatives and friends. Let's take a good look at the ingredients and uses of common liver protection products on the market.
At present, all kinds of liver-protecting foods on the market are dazzling. Since it is constantly emphasized that "authentication" and "nature" are the only ways to protect the liver, what are the most common liver-protecting foods?
If we say "Schisandra chinensis", "Sesame ingot", "Ganoderma lucidum", "Clam essence" and "Garlic essence" now, many people should directly associate them with the liver, but what are their functions? Next, we will discuss them one by one.
First, analysis of common liver-protecting components
1. Schisandra chinensis
Schisandra chinensis contains more than 30 kinds of lignin (such as schisandrin A), which is considered to promote metabolism and help the liver detoxify. Studies have shown that Schisandra chinensis lignin can activate glutathione, glutathione (GSH) and help the liver eliminate harmful substances.
Animal experiments show that Schisandra chinensis can improve liver function and resist hepatotoxicity by destroying mouse hepatocytes with carbon tetrachloride, and similar benefits have been seen in human studies. It was found that taking 260 mg of Schisandra chinensis extract and 10 mg of sesamin every day can improve liver function and reduce ASL/ALT of liver index.
2. Sesamin
Sesamin is a rich substance in sesame, which can play an antioxidant role in the body, reduce blood cholesterol and blood pressure, and strengthen liver function. One of the most remarkable effects of sesamin is that it can improve the liver function index. Animal experiments show that sesamin can alleviate the liver injury caused by alcohol or carbon tetrachloride through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
However, sesamin in sesame only accounts for 0.5%, so it is difficult to achieve the effect by eating sesame alone. Therefore, there are extracted health foods on the market for people to choose from. On the one hand, they can get the recommended amount, on the other hand, they will not eat a lot of sesame seeds for sesamin, which will make the oil intake too high. Are all good choices.
3. Ganoderma lucidum
The main components of Ganoderma lucidum are polysaccharide, terpenoids, ergosterol, protein, polysaccharide, resin, mannitol and organic germanium. Ancient books more than two thousand years ago have recorded various therapeutic effects of Ganoderma lucidum, including detoxification and liver strengthening.
The protective effect of Ganoderma lucidum on liver seems to have universal protective effect. Literature pointed out that Ganoderma lucidum can protect the liver from cadmium, carbon tetrachloride and general oxidative stress, improve the detoxification ability of the liver, promote the regeneration of hepatocytes and promote the production of antibodies and interferon, so it can be used to treat chronic liver diseases. Ganoderma lucidum is also the first health food with liver protection effect since the implementation of the Health Food Law in China.
Ganoderma lucidum, in particular, seems to have antiviral effect. In vitro studies have proved that it can inhibit the replication of hepatitis B virus, and it may have synergistic effect with the roots of Sophora flavescens.
Actually applied to human body, a randomized, double-blind, multi-center study * * * included 90 patients with chronic hepatitis B and high AST, and were given Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide 12 weeks every day. The results show that Ganoderma lucidum can reduce the amount of HBV DNA, but it only has a significant effect on 25% of the subjects in the experimental group, showing its antiviral effect, but its reliability is different.
In 20 17 years, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study confirmed that taking 225 mg of Ganoderma lucidum extract (rich in 7% triterpenoid ganoderic acid and 6% Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide) every day for six months can effectively reduce the oxidative stress of the body, improve the total antioxidant capacity, and even reduce the GOT/GPT, thus achieving the effects of antioxidation, anti-aging and liver protection.
4. Antrodia camphorata
The composition of Antrodia camphorata is complex. Triterpenoids are one of the most important chemical components of Antrodia camphorata and the source of bitter components in Antrodia camphorata extract. According to the current research results, there are about 20-50 kinds of triterpenoid fingerprints in each Ganoderma lucidum, while there are more than 200 kinds of triterpenoid fingerprints in a single variety of Antrodia camphorata.
At present, triterpenoids of Antrodia camphorata are known to inhibit the growth of blood cancer cells in mammals, while triterpenoids of Antrodia camphorata have been proved to inhibit colorectal cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer and lung cancer cells by human cancer cell culture experiments. In addition, the triterpenoids of Antrodia camphorata can effectively inhibit the production of reactive oxygen species in cells, and achieve the effects of reducing free radical content and anti-inflammation.
Another anti-inflammatory index of Antrodiol A is the content of Antrodiol, but it only exists in the fruiting body of Antrodiol. But is the fruiting body better? In fact, Antrodia camphorata quinone alcohol produced by Antrodia camphorata mycelium (unique to mycelium) has been proved by experiments to have the effect of inhibiting the proliferation and growth of cancer cells such as liver cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer, and has also been proved to have the activity of inhibiting hepatitis B toxicity.
When it comes to improving human immunity, the most important thing is the content of β -glucomannan, which can activate important immune-related functions such as human complement system, macrophages and natural killer cells and improve human immunity.
According to its culture methods, Antrodia camphorata can be divided into wild Antrodia camphorata, basswood culture, solid culture and liquid fermentation.
■ Wild Antrodia camphorata has high content of active ingredients, but it is easy to pollute and expensive.
■ The content of effective components in cultivated Tilia amurensis fruiting body is the same as that in wild Antrodia camphorata, but the cultivation time is long and the cost is high, so the price is not high.
■ Solid-state culture mycelium has a short culture time and contains similar (but different) components to wild fruiting bodies. The culture time of liquid fermentation is the shortest, although generally high polysaccharide content (including nutrients in the culture medium) can be obtained, but the disadvantage is that the unique three-post (bitter) components of wild Antrodia camphorata can not be obtained.
On the whole, Antrodia camphorata has more mycelium in pharmacological research, and it has high evaluation in tumor inhibition, anti-inflammatory, liver protection, hepatitis virus inhibition and immune regulation (but most of them are animal and in vitro experiments). However, the overall anti-cancer ability and anti-inflammatory ability of fruiting body are better than that of mycelium (because of its high triterpenoid content), and there is little difference in other aspects.
Therefore, we appeal to the people that not only the fruiting body is called Antrodia camphorata, but also it is true as long as it is cultivated with strains of Antrodia camphorata.
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5. Clam essence
The main components of Meretrix meretrix essence are choline, amino acids, glycogen, vitamins B2, B6, B 12, taurine, zinc, calcium and phosphorus. It provides indispensable nutrition for repairing damaged cells in the liver.
But careful analysis of the ingredients, in fact, the ingredients in the clam essence are very similar to ordinary foods, such as protein, vitamins, or some rare elements, which are at best easier to absorb and utilize. Instead of protecting the liver, it is not enough to replenish energy and provide raw materials for liver repair.
6. Liver essence
Various liver protection products on the market often contain liver essence, which is actually concentrated and extracted from the liver, usually from the liver of pigs. They are rich in vitamins, heme iron and various amino acids. After all, they only provide sufficient nutrition and energy for the human body and assist the human metabolism. Suitable for people who often socialize and work hard, and for students who stay up late to study. It can also enhance physical strength and help maintain a high mood.
7. Polyene phosphatidylcholine
Generally speaking, phosphatidylcholine (PC) extracted from egg yolk and soybean has saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids. And a few people with double unsaturated fatty acids are "1, 2- dioleoyl phosphorylcholine (DDP, abbreviated as LPC)", also known as polyunsaturated fatty acid phosphatidylcholine (abbreviated as PPC).
PPC can promote the activity of collagenase, strengthen the metabolism of collagen fibers accumulated in liver cells, inhibit the transformation of alcohol or inflammatory substance * * fat cells into Ito cells, and reduce the release of collagen, so it can prevent and treat liver fibrosis.
But what needs to be clarified here is that PPC can prevent the deterioration of chronic alcoholic hepatitis in the "initial stage", that is, when there are more collagen fibers in the liver, but it has not caused the death of hepatocytes. However, if the hepatocytes die, PPC will not survive after death. In addition, taking PPC can't help sober up or stop drinking, because it only prevents the production and coordination of free radicals, and still metabolizes alcohol into acetaldehyde, so it doesn't help hangover.
8. Artichokes and milk thistles
The extract of artichoke/silybum marianum is rich in flavonoids, and there are four kinds of * * * according to their different structures, including silybin, silybin, silybin and isosilybin, collectively referred to as silybin, and the main component is silybin, which has the most significant liver protection effect. Even after enterohepatic circulation, the concentration in hepatocytes is still higher than that in serum.
Studies have confirmed that silymarin has:
■ It regulates the role of inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor, TNF), nitrooxidoreductase and interleukin -6, so it has anti-inflammatory effect.
■ In addition, silymarin can consolidate cell membrane and directly protect liver cells.
■ It can also reduce the abnormal changes of lipid in liver and gallbladder, promote the secretion of liver and gallbladder, accelerate the excretion of toxic substances, and prevent jaundice and gallstones with the antioxidant effect of flavonoids.
■ At the same time, promote the normalization of liver metabolism to protect liver tissue from fat infiltration, degeneration or sclerosis; But also can repair damaged liver tissue and activate and regenerate liver cells.
Second, how to choose liver-protecting ingredients?
The first choice to protect the liver is definitely not to spend money on health care products, but to implement the basic dietary principles of protecting the liver-"eat more foods, eat a balanced diet, change more", prohibit smoking and drinking, get enough sleep, and the most important thing is "regular physical examination"! The purpose of writing this article is to clarify the function and applicability of various liver-protecting ingredients.
For those who work hard or often stay up late, especially those who are obviously tired after waking up, you can choose nutritious "clam essence" or "liver essence".
If the liver index is slightly higher or between critical values, Schisandra chinensis or sesamin can be considered as a liver-protecting component. Sesamin may be more helpful if blood pressure and blood lipid are slightly higher.
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For hepatitis B and hepatitis C, you must follow the doctor's advice and take antiviral drugs on time. If you want to buy artichoke/milk thistle products, Ganoderma lucidum or Antrodia camphorata products, it is more suitable to choose Ganoderma lucidum or Antrodia camphorata rich in polysaccharides.
As for people who drink alcohol for a long time or have chronic alcoholic hepatitis in the early stage, in addition to supplementing Group B to help alcohol metabolism, they can also choose PPC liver protection products to reduce liver fibrosis.