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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A plant found in the mountains of China and Russia may one day have a role to play in protecting the liver from damage.
A new study out of India suggests the leaves from the sea buckthorn can help keep the liver functioning properly, even when a liver damaging agent is injected into the organ.
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The research was carried out in rats that were divided into six different groups. The first group received a harmless saline solution for five days and served as the control group. The second group received saline for four days, then was given an injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCI4) -- a known liver damaging agent. The third group received a daily dose of silymarin (milk thistle extract, which is thought to have a positive effect on the liver) for five days, followed by CCI4. And the final three groups received varying doses of the sea buckthorn leaf extract for five days before being injected with CCI4.
Rats who didnt receive the leaf extract before being injected with CCI4 suffered significant liver damage, while those who received the two highest doses of the extract (100 milligrams and 200 milligrams) had only minimal damage from the CCI4.
Previous research linked the berries of the sea buckthorn plant to lower cholesterol, but this is the first study to identify a health role for the leaves, although doctors have long known the plant is rich in healthful components like antioxidants and essential fatty acids.
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SOURCE: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, published online May 23, 2008
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
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