From Proyar Laboratory we want to share with you the 1st part of an exclusive article for our clients, written by Dr. Jorge Alonso. Physician, MN 67.640, Director of the Phytomedicine postgraduate program at U.B.A. and President of the Latin American Society of Phytomedicine.

Hepatic Plants (Part 1)

The liver, gallbladder and bile ducts play a very important role during the digestion process, since the choleretic function of the liver, the cholagogue function of the gallbladder and good tonicity of the bile ducts must work harmoniously to achieve the goal. Daily bile production is about 500 to 1200 ml, which is prepared to act through the arrival of food to the small intestine mucosa, a signal that allows the release of cholecystokinin, a hormone that activates the vesicular contraction mechanism, with the consequent opening of the sphincter of Oddi, allowing the final arrival of bile to the intestine.

Functional deregulation between the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts can be due to different factors, including a decrease in solubilizing substances such as lecithins and bile salts, an excess of cholesterol, pigments or calcium salts that when precipitating behave as lithogenic elements (gallstone generators), or both mechanisms at the same time. In dysfunction cases, one can resort to plant drugs with cholagogue, choleretic, mixed and hepatoprotective activity.

Choleretic Activity
This is the activity that will allow greater bile formation. In the past, ox bile was used in commercial presentations of hepatic products. Today it is hardly used. If the increase is at the expense of the concentration of bile acids in the bile, the plants that act this way are called proper choleretics. Choleretic plants are contraindicated in cases of bile duct occlusion and in hepatic degenerative states (cirrhosis) since hepatocyte stimulation can aggravate the pathology. Among choleretic plants we have burdock root (Arctium lappa), celandine flowering top (Chelidonium majus), chicory leaf and root (Cichorium intybus), turmeric rhizome (Curcuma longa), sage leaves and aerial parts (Salvia officinalis).

Cholagogue Activity
Determined by plants that favor the evacuation of bile from the liver to the gallbladder and from there to the small intestine to collaborate in the fat digestion function. As with choleretic plants, in cases of bile duct occlusion, cholagogue plants would be contraindicated due to the adverse effects they cause. Among the main cholagogue plants we have the leaves of aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis), carqueja (Baccharis articulata), olive (Olea europaea) and radish root (Raphanus sativus). In the case of aloe vera, low doses are used to achieve cholagogue effects.

Continued in second part.