Liver tonics not sure guard against liver diseases

Star: PETALING JAYA: Those who take liver tonics regularly should not think it is a passport to continue living unhealthily, says Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican.
“They must be very sure of what they are doing. If they consume excessive alcohol, no amount of preventive agents is going to prevent the liver from becoming cirrhotic or diseased,” he said in an interview with The Star.
“It does not give you the passport to go on a spree and practice an unhealthy lifestyle.”
Dr Ismail, who is also Malaysian Liver Foundation (MLF) president, emphasised that having a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise to prevent obesity, was still important in preventing liver disease that can cause fatty liver.
Such tonics are supposed to protect the liver by ridding the body of toxins.
He added that there was also an interest in herbal therapy to produce similar agents but cautioned the public to “not get carried away with every herb in town”.
The MLF estimates that 2.5 million Malaysians have hepatitis and most are unaware that they have the disease until they are informed too late that they are suffering from complications.
About 25% of individuals are at risk of serious infections and eventual death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.
In 67 cases of hepatocellular cancer at Selayang Hospital between 2003 and 2004, it was found that 63% was due to chronic Hepatitis B infection and 15% because of chronic Hepatitis C infection.
Only 8.9% of the cases were suitable for curative treatment, which is liver resection.
Dr Ismail also reminded the public that vaccinations against Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B were disease-specific, as there were instances of patients thinking that one type of vaccine covered both strains of the virus.
He added that the younger generation was at risk of contracting Hepatitis A if they had not been vaccinated because they did not have the antibodies.
“There is a danger that you will get more serious diseases if you get it when you are older compared to when you are younger,” he said.
“Get vaccination against Hepatitis A and B. That is the best thing to do.”
There is no vaccination against Hepatitis C.