Every day, we get letters from HSI members and e-Alert readers with questions, comments, and concerns. We get an extraordinary amount of mail, so we can’t possibly answer every one personally. But occasionally I’ll notice a common thread running through the mail, a question or topic that seems to come up again and again. That’s just what I’ve been seeing lately – and fortunately, I have a powerful answer.
Just over the past week or two, I’ve noticed a lot of questions about hepatitis C. When you think about it, it’s not so surprising; hepatitis C is currently the most common chronic blood-borne infection in the U.S. It affects about 4.5 million Americans – and according to public health officials, those numbers are expected to keep growing. Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop calls it “an even graver threat to our public health” than HIV and AIDS. So it’s to be expected that many of you have been touched by hepatitis C personally, or through one of your loved ones.
It’s not just the sheer numbers behind this disease that make it so frightening; it can also be deadly. About 90 percent of the time, hepatitis C transforms into primary liver cancer. It can also lead to cirrhosis, a debilitating liver disease.
What you need to know about hepatitis C
The good news is, there are ways you can protect yourself from hepatitis C – and if you are already infected, there’s a potent natural remedy that shows promising results against this deadly virus.
First, the basics: Hepatitis C is caused by a virus, which is contracted through contact with contaminated blood or organs. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, you are at increased risk of hepatitis C if you received a blood transfusion or a solid organ transplant before 1992; if you received blood product for clotting problems produced before 1987; if you have ever been on kidney dialysis; or if you have existing liver disease. The disease can also be spread by illegal intravenous drug use, tattoo and piercing equipment, and rarely, through sexual contact. If you think you are at risk, you can ask your doctor for a blood test to determine if you are infected.
There is no vaccine for hepatitis C at this time. Tighter screenings on blood and organ donations have helped lower that area of risk, and through education efforts, many people are able to avoid the major risk factors.
Mushroom extract may help halt disease progression in just months
But what can you do if you are already infected? The mainstream treatment approach usually centers on interferon injections alone or in combination with ribavirin, an antiviral medication. But there can be considerable side effects. Interferon can cause flu-like side symptoms, depression, and hair thinning, as well as depressing the production of white blood cells and platelets. Ribavirin is known to cause serious birth defects and is contraindicated for fertile women and men. It can also cause severe anemia. And there have been reports of people on combination interferon/ribavirin therapy having suicidal impulses.
That’s why all of us at HSI were so excited to learn about new research from the AHCC Research Association, which showed that this powerful breakthrough cancer treatment and immune-booster may also be a potent treatment for hepatitis C. (We first told HSI members about this hybridized Japanese mushroom product in the January 2002 issue of the Members Alert newsletter and about this new research earlier this year, also in the January newsletter.) At the AHCC Research Association’s 8th symposium in Sapparo, Japan, researchers presented studies and individual patient cases indicating that AHCC could effectively fight hepatitis C and other liver diseases.
A doctor from the Centers for Integrative and Complementary Medicine in New York reported that AHCC had helped hepatitis C patients drop their viral load by as much as 89 percent in as little as four months. In a Japanese study, 40 hepatitis patients treated with AHCC experienced more energy and appetite, increased platelet counts, and a halt in the progressive development of cirrhosis. Scientists also presented data at the symposium supporting AHCC’s use in fighting cirrhosis and liver cancer.
If you or someone you love is battling hepatitis C, consider adding AHCC to your regimen. The product we featured in our Members Alert articles is called ImmPower. For more details on how ImmPower can be used for hepatitis, the article from January 2002 can be found at http://www.hsionline.com/hsi/hsi_0201_b.shtml.
And keep writing to us with your thoughts and questions. We are committed to bringing you the most urgent advances in modern underground medicine – and to bringing you the information you want to know.
Copyright 1997-2002 by Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C.
