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Condition

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver that can cause ongoing inflammation and, over time, damage. Among supplements, TUDCA, a bile acid, has the most research behind it, and in one very small study of five people, liver cell content went up. That evidence is limited, and it shows nothing yet about the virus itself or how people felt, so the picture is still early.

Sources: PMID 8541578

Supplements studied
5
Medicines and peptides
1
Graded outcomes
3
Trials
5
People studied
661

Evidence by supplement

  • Strong
  • Moderate
  • Limited
  • Very limited

5 supplements

TUDCA

TUDCA: outcomes studied for Hepatitis C
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Liver Cell Content

Small Increase

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect1 study5 people

Studies that measured liver cell content

Liver EnzymesChanges; see studies4 studies155 people

Studies that measured liver enzymes

and 1 more on the TUDCA page

Black seed

Black seed: outcomes studied for Hepatitis C
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Bilirubin

No effect

NoneNo effect30 people
Blood glucoseChanges; see studies2 studies30 people

Studies that measured blood glucose

Red Blood Cell CountImproves (the measure goes up)1 study30 people

Studies that measured red blood cell count

HCV Viral LoadImproves (the measure goes up)30 people
Liver EnzymesChanges; see studies30 people
Serum AlbuminImproves (the measure goes up)30 people
White Blood Cell CountImproves (the measure goes up)30 people

Silymarin

  • Liver Enzymes: changes; see studies
Silymarin: outcomes studied for Hepatitis C
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Liver EnzymesChanges; see studies6 studies202 people

Studies that measured liver enzymes

and 3 more on the Silymarin page

S-adenosylmethionine

  • Early Virologic Response: improves
S-adenosylmethionine: outcomes studied for Hepatitis C
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Early Virologic ResponseImproves (the measure goes up)1 study21 people

Studies that measured early virologic response

Spirulina

  • HVC Viral Load: improves
Spirulina: outcomes studied for Hepatitis C
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
HVC Viral LoadImproves (the measure goes up)1 study66 people

Studies that measured hvc viral load

Prescription medicines and peptides studied, for context

These are not supplements. Most need a prescription, and some are research compounds with no approved use. They are listed so the supplement evidence above can be read against them.

1 medicine or peptide

Thymosin Alpha-1

  • Viral Load Reduction: improves
Thymosin Alpha-1: outcomes studied for Hepatitis C
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Viral Load Reduction

Small Decrease

Improves (the measure goes down)Small effect3 studies290 people

Key findings

  • Liver Cell ContentTUDCAImproves (the measure goes up)
  • BilirubinBlack seed

The Hepatitis C Supportive Care protocol

2 primary supplements · 3 supporting supplements

See the full protocol

Studies cited

19 studies from PubMed

  1. Historical review of thymosin α 1 in infectious diseases.Expert opinion on biological therapy, 2015 · PMID 26098768
  2. Thymosin alpha1 treatment of chronic hepatitis B: results of a phase III multicentre, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled studyJ Viral Hepat, 1999 · PMID 10607256
  3. Efficacy of thymosin alpha1 in patients with chronic hepatitis B: a randomized, controlled trialHepatology, 1998 · PMID 9581695
  4. A multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial comparing the efficacy and safety of TUDCA and UDCA in Chinese patients with primary biliary cholangitis.Medicine · PMID 27893675
  5. Ursodeoxycholic and tauro-ursodeoxycholic acids for the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis: a pilot crossover study.Aliment Pharmacol Ther · PMID 9146783
  6. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid for treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis. A dose-response study.Dig Dis Sci · PMID 8674405
  7. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid for the treatment of HCV-related chronic hepatitis: a multicenter placebo-controlled studyHepatogastroenterology · PMID 9840118
  8. Does tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) treatment increase hepatocyte proliferation in patients with chronic liver diseaseItal J Gastroenterol · PMID 8541578
  9. Spirulina platensis versus silymarin in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. A pilot randomized, comparative clinical trialBMC Gastroenterol · PMID 22497849
  10. Effects and tolerance of silymarin (milk thistle) in chronic hepatitis C virus infection patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Biomed Res Int · PMID 25247194
  11. An updated systematic review with meta-analysis for the clinical evidence of silymarin.Forsch Komplementmed · PMID 18334810
  12. Effect of Medicinal Plants and Natural Products on Liver Enzymes in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Patients in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Int J Prev Med · PMID 35958359
  13. The therapeutic effect of silymarin in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty disease: A meta-analysis (PRISMA) of randomized control trialsMedicine · PMID 29245314
  14. Impact of Silymarin in individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysisNutrition · PMID 33418491
  15. Effect of silymarin on biochemical indicators in patients with liver disease: Systematic review with meta-analysis.World J Gastroenterol · PMID 28785154
  16. S-adenosyl methionine improves early viral responses and interferon-stimulated gene induction in hepatitis C nonrespondersGastroenterology · PMID 20854821
  17. supplementation improves cardiometabolic indicators in population with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Front Nutr · PMID 36034891
  18. Effect of Nigella sativa seeds on the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitusIndian J Physiol Pharmacol · PMID 21675032
  19. Effects of Nigella sativa on outcome of hepatitis C in EgyptWorld J Gastroenterol · PMID 23674855