Liver transplant alternative

Dr. Burt Berkson at the Integrative Center of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, recently published a report detailing a treatment program he used to successfully treat three patients destined for liver transplant surgery. All three patients were suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, portal hypertension, and esophageal varices (easily ruptured varicose veins in the esophagus) secondary to chronic hepatitis C infections.

Since interferon and anti-viral medications are successful in only about 30% of cases, Dr. Berkson decided to try a triple antioxidant therapy using high doses of alpha lipoic acid, selenium, and silymarin (milk thistle extract). These natural remedies have been proven to both protect against free radical damage and viral proliferation.

Each patient was given 600 milligrams of alpha lipoic acid, 400 micrograms of selenium, and 900 milligrams of silymarin daily in three divided doses. He reports that all responded positively to the treatment within a short period of time and none required transplant surgery. All feel fine and returned to work without any problems.

Transplant surgery is not always successful. Often, the virus that remains in the blood infects the new liver. And when you consider how expensive, painful, and disabling transplant surgery is, being able to treat the problem with three natural antioxidants seems nothing short of a miracle. Dr. Berkson estimates that the cost of his three-antioxidant therapy is somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,000, compared to over $300,000 for transplant surgery. (Med Klin 99;94SuppI3:84-9)