In order to deal properly with hepatitis B or C we need to understand and — if possible — remove the underlying causes and risk factors. We need to ask: "What else is going on inside the body that might allow hepatitis B or C to develop?"
Accurate diagnosis of the factors behind hepatitis B or C consists of three steps:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Selenium Need | 90% | Confirm |
Immune System Imbalance | 30% | Unlikely |
Gluten Sensitivity | 1% | Ruled out |
Ulcerative Colitis | 1% | Ruled out |
Do you have Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C?
Possible responses:
→ Don't know→ No, tests are negative for both → Diagnosed with it, but few if any symptoms → Yes, and some liver damage has occurred → Yes, and significant liver damage has occurred |
Celiac disease has long been recognized as a cause of chronic liver pathology. [Lancet 1977;2(8032): pp.270-2]
It has been suggested that an impaired TH1 immune response appears to favor chronicity of hepatitis C infections. Whether impaired activity of the NK cells in chronic HCV infections is due to a dominance of TH2 lymphocytes remains to be seen.
Selenium is essential for healthy immune functioning. A large-scale study has shown that selenium supplementation reduces the incidence of viral hepatitis in selenium-deficient populations, presumably by enhancing immune function. [Yu S-Y, Li W-G, Zhu Y-J, et al. Chemoprevention trial of human hepatitis with selenium supplementation in China. Biol Trace Element Res 1989;20: pp.15-20]