Hi All,
I like to know. Is it beneficial to take D3 supplement. Anyone taking it ? How it will be with or without D3 supplement.
1 Like
Hi @HopeForCure, vitamin D is definitely a worthwhile supplement to take, especially for those who do not work regularly outdoors. Most of us are âsunshine deprivedâ and thus, have low vitamin D levels. With the Covid pandemic, even Dr. Anthony Fauci revealed that he takes vit D supplements. I take D3 with my calcium pills every day to prevent my osteoporosis from progressing. Itâs making a difference. But if youâre asking whether it will help with your hep b, then the answer is probably not. You can ask your health care provider to request a simple vit D blood test to see whether your levels are ânormalâ if you want to be certain itâs worthwhile or necessary. Hope this helps. Always, Joan
4 Likes
Hi HopeForCure,
About 6 months ago, my GP tested my Vitamin D and it was low, so she put me on 1000 unit supplement. Then, about a month or so ago, she found that it was still low, so she doubled the dose to 2000 units. (Donât know if thatâs milligrams, it just says units on the bottle.)
I donât know if it is doing anything or not, nothing noticeable enough to be able to point out. Hopefully itâs doing something beneficial that just doesnât show outwardly. I also donât notice that itâs doing anything negative either.
-Paul
3 Likes
Hi Both,
thank you for inputs
2 Likes
Regarding the last link you provided. Does it mean that only protein from animals should be consumed with caution?
I know that people who work out and want to gain muscles should consume 2g of proteins per 1kg weight.
But there are also vegan proteins. Do you think theyâre safer?
2 Likes
For the most part, once you eat proteins, it doesnât matter where they came from you get amino acids and it all looks the same.
Regarding the last link, which was about fats, you canât really divide them among animal vs. plant. You can have saturated fats from both animals (e.g. butter) and plants (e.g. coconut oil).
Thomas
Hi @joan_block - Iâm female mid 30s trying to understand more if iron deficiency can be related to a Hep B diagnosis. The GP assumed it was heavy periods and now perhaps the inability to absorb iron or related to the chronic medical condition.
Results currently have eroded back to 1 year ago since the first and only iron infusion. It was handled by a GP so I wasnât able to make the connection to ask the specialist. I am on daily medication, so the viral load should be undetectable. My fatigue levels at the moment is not in a good place.
What are the risks / implications of taking regular iron infusions. I did read that a large boost of iron can also damage the liver, which is not great for Hep B. Can @HealthExperts shed some light?
Sorry to hear about your iron levels. Iâm 60, been chronic HBV 40 years, on treatment about 5 years.
There was only one time a few years ago that my iron levels were low so I had a course of iron tablets. I remember my energy levels were very low, feeling tired all day. Not very nice.
Unfortunately I canât answer your question but know from experience, someone will soon.
There are great professional people here.
Welcome
1 Like
Thanks @Caraline I was told to take iron tablets too along the years but they never got me back to a healthy range. My diet is balanced, so it was not as if I was avoiding meat.
2 Likes
Dear Anonymous,
Sometimes the liver damage which can accompany chronic HBV infection can cause iron overload. Other than this phenomena, there is no reliable direct connection established in the clinical literature between iron deficiency and HBV infection. On the other hand, optimal immune function is important to maximize control of HBV infection even when someone is taking antiviral medication. Iron deficiency is frequently associated with anemia and fatigue with can impact immune function.
It is important to first understand the basis of iron deficiency in the blood (a problem with the stimulation of the production of red blood cells or poor iron absorption) to understand if and how iron supplementation can help with iron deficiency. You doctor can help you with this.
In correcting iron deficiency, it is important to understand the the very best absorbtion and incorporation of iron occurs with iron in its natural (heme) form as it occurs in the body. Thus meats like beef, lamb and ham are the best sources. The next best forms of iron are those which are complexed with protein and are found in other meat sources (turkey / chicken / eggs / seafood) and some vegetables (spinach, kale, chard for example). The poorest absorbed forms of iron are supplements with inorganic forms of iron (unfortunately the cheapest and most common).
Iron supplementation is best done with dietary modification but failing this, can be best achieved with an iron supplement containing an amino acid chelate form of iron (such as iron glycinate or iron succinylate).
Hope this helps.
4 Likes
Hi all, jumping in to add my two cents to the iron discussion. I agree with Andrew that the best source of iron for maximum absorption is from the food we eat rather than supplements. I also agree that itâs important to determine what the cause of the iron deficiency is first before starting any therapeutics. With that said, I had a major work up to figure out why I had such low ferritin levels (the amount of iron stores vs. circulating hemoglobin that is measured in a CBC test result). My hemoglobin levels were normal, but my ferritin or stored iron levels were significantly depressed. After being scoped at both ends, numerous blood tests, and ultimately refusing a bone marrow biopsy (!!), the cause was never determined. So I just get checked regularly and try to eat as much iron-rich foods as possible. Although red meat is the very richest source of iron, I just canât get myself to eat much red meat to avoid other health issues for other health reasons. So my advice is that once itâs determined (or not) what the cause of iron deficiency is, then it will be a matter of weighing the pros and cons of any potential therapeutic. Personally, I would be reluctant to try iron infusions for the reasons that Andrew outlined in his message. The risks of iron overload could be more detrimental than a deficiency. Hope others jump in as well since ALL of thoughts are PERSONAL, not to be meant as medical advice! Always, Joan
1 Like
Thanks @Joan_block @availlant for your responses. My specialist wasnât overly concerned about the iron infusion. Still investigating the cause of iron deficiency.
2 Likes
Hi @Joan_Block
I missed this conversation but just one question. I heard many times that coffee is good for liver and coffee contain caffeine.
Thank you
2 Likes
Hello,
Is saw palmetto supplement safe for hbv patients?
My daughter has acne (22 yrs old) and I learned that sometimes the saw palmetto supplement can help according to the functional medicine doctor. My daughter has been on spironolactone for over a year and it seemed to help but I am worried that she is on it for so long. Her specialist said it is ok but Iâm still concerned. I learned that saw palmetto would be the natural form of spironolactoneâŚ
Has anyone taken saw palmetto and what is your experience with that given hbv condition?
Thank you in advance for any comments.
1 Like
Hi @catcher.007,
As talked about in this thread, the ingredients in supplements like palmetto are not well-regulated, so it is difficult to say what is in a particular brand or even batch of palmetto supplements. It is best to stick to things that are regulated so you know exactly what is in them.
Hope this helps,
Thomas
1 Like
Hi, yes I agree. But just aside from confirming the ingredients, if I am able to find legitimate supplement for saw palmetto, is it safe to take saw palmetto for hbv?
Has anyone taken saw palmetto and has had no side effects on the liver?
If so, what brand did you use for this particular supplement?
Or is there a way to consume saw palmetto natural way and avoid supplement for it?
Thank you so much!!
1 Like
Hi catcher. 007
I know you are as old as I am in this forum. However, what I think I have learnt from our experts here unlike you is that they discourage any use of herbal supplements as they are in regulated.
Kinoti
3 Likes
Coffee here means black coffee? Can we take coffee with milk or milk powder
1 Like
I believe these studies have shown positive effects for both black and white coffee (great for me because I drink flat-whites, the greatest contribution of Australia to world gastronomy).
TT
2 Likes
A month ago I found out that Iâm an inactive HBV carrier with normal medical results and the liver in a good condition.
I would like to mention that before finding out about the infection, I used to drink occasionally alcohol/commercial juices and smoke 2/3 cigarettes daily (tobacco with cannabis).
But in the meantime I gave up all bad habits and now I have a healthy lifestyle with tea, low-fat foods, quit smoking , exercises, fruits and vegetables.
But I still have a weakness and I would like to ask you about it.
I would like to know if I would smoke 2/3 times a month (one cannabis joint per time), what would be the impact on my liver?
Would it be a risk too high to develop a serious liver disease? All my healthy lifestyle would be canceled by this occasional habit ?
Or isnât something I should worry about?
From my research over the internet what Iâve found is that currently there is no human data regarding the role of cannabis with cronic hepatitis B , but it has been found that in vitro cannabis has no effect on the virus.
Thank you.
1 Like