Health benefits of coconut water
- The juice is packed with simple sugar, electrolytes, and minerals to replenish hydration levels in the body.
- Cytokinins in coconut water showed significant anti-ageing, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-thrombotic effects.
- Its water has much better composition of minerals like calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, and zinc than some of fruits like oranges.
- Its water is also a very good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pyridoxine, and folates.
- These vitamins are essential to replenish.
- Coconut water contains a very good amount of electrolyte potassium.
- 100 ml of water has 250 mg of potassium and 105 mg of sodium.
- Together, these electrolytes help replenish electrolytes deficiency in the body due to diarrhea (loose stools).
- Fresh coconut water has small amount of vitamin-C (ascorbic acid); provides about 2.4 mcg or 4% of RDA. Vitamin C is a water-soluble ant-oxidant.

The common digestive disorders are:
- heartburn or Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- constipation
- diarrhea
- gastritis
- hemorrhoids
- irritable Bowel Disease (IBS)
- gallstones

The other types of digestive disorders are:
- celiac disease
- peptic ulcers
- crohn’s disease
- ulcerative colitis
- diverticular disease
- colon cancer, rectal cancer and stomach cancer are also a part of digestive disorders.

Home Remedies for Common Digestive Disorders
- Drink fresh Aloe Vera juice.
- This is very high in vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients.
- This remedy is said to relieve diarrhea, constipation as well as other gastrointestinal problems.
- Probiotics, which are microbial organisms, are usually found in the digestive tracts of humans.
- They improve the digestive process in the body.
- Consume probiotic yogurt at regular intervals during the day.
- This alleviates the digestive disorders.
- Different types of tea can be very helpful.
- Ginger tea, chamomile tea, green tea and peppermint tea are the effective varieties of tea that alleviate digestive problems.

Use bitter digestive stimulants and herbs like:
- black cohosh,
- angelica,
- yarrow,
- skullcap,
- dandelion
- small quantities of wormwood
- mint,
- lavender,
- fennel,
- rosemary,
- juniper,
- valerian,
- lemon balm

Diet for Common Digestive Disorders
- Follow a healthy diet at all times.
- The BRAT diet is the ideal one which comprises of bananas, rice, applesauce, tea (or Toast).

Diet Aspects
- Eating a high amount of fresh fruits and vegetables can increase the amount of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
- Consumption of whole grains and cereals is also important.
- It adds fiber to your digestive tract.
- Fiber facilitates the movement of the waste matter in the digestive tract.
- High-fiber foods help alleviate constipation.
- Adequate intake of fluids, especially water.
- Make sure that you drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water through the day.

Other Home Remedies
- Ginger garlic with honey juice
- Decoction of Coriander, cardamom, ginger and cloves
- Lemon with honey
- Chamomile tea
- Holy basil with ginger and jiggery
- Cumin seeds with pomegranate
- Cabbage juice
- Papaya juice

The common digestive disorders are:
- heartburn or Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- constipation
- diarrhea
- gastritis
- hemorrhoids
- irritable Bowel Disease (IBS)
- gallstones

The other types of digestive disorders are:
- celiac disease
- peptic ulcers
- crohn’s disease
- ulcerative colitis
- diverticular disease
- colon cancer, rectal cancer and stomach cancer are also a part of digestive disorders.

Symptoms for Common Digestive Disorders

1. Heartburn or GERD Symptoms
- Regurgitation of sour liquid or food.
- Dry cough.
- Chest pain.
- Sensation of a lump in the throat.
- Sore throat or hoarseness.
- Dysphagia, which is difficulty in swallowing.
- Burning sensation in the chest, which could spread to the throat.

2. Constipation
- Experiencing a feeling of rectal blockage.
- Passing stools that are very hard.
- Having less than three bowel movements in a week.
- Straining excessively during a bowel movement.
- Pain in the abdominal area.
- Feeling a sensation of incomplete evacuation after passing stools.

3. Diarrhea
- Bloating in the abdominal area.
- Fever.
- Pain and severe cramps in the abdomen.
- Presence of blood in the stool on rare occasions.
- Bloody or black stool in severe and serious cases of diarrhea.

4. Gastritis
- Sensation of fullness in the upper abdomen after eating.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Pain or a burning ache in the upper abdomen.

5. Hemorrhoids
- Bleeding during the bowel movement.
- A lump near the anus, which is painful and sensitive.
- Pain or discomfort.
- Leakage of feces.
- Swelling around the anal area.
- Irritation and itchiness in the anal area.

6. Irritable Bowel Disease (IBS)
- Mucus in the stools.
- Alternate bouts of constipation and diarrhea.
- Flatulence or excess gas.
- Cramps and pain in the abdomen.
- Bloated feeling.

7. Gallstones
- Sudden and intense pain in the upper right portion of the abdomen.
- Pain in the right shoulder.
- Backache, which is worse between the shoulder blades.

Relevant blood tests for diagnosis of NAFLD are:
- erythrocyte sedimentation rate
- glucose
- albumin
- renal function
- coagulation related studies
- the INR (international normalized ratio)

Blood tests (serology) are usually used to rule out:
- viral hepatitis (hepatitis A, B, C, EBV, CMV andherpes viruses),
- rubella,
- autoimmune related diseases
- hypothyroidism

Treatment of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease NAFLD
Treatment of nutrition and excessive body weight:
- Nutritional counseling: Diet changes have shown significant histological improvement.
- Gradual weight loss may improve the process in obese patients; rapid loss may worsen NAFLD.
- A recent meta-analysis presented at the Annual Meeting of American Association for Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) reported that weight-loss surgery leads to improvement and or resolution of NASH in around 80 % of patients.
- Insulin sensitisers (metformin and thiazolidinediones) have shown efficacy in some studies.
- Ursodeoxycholic acid and lipid-lowering drugs, have little benefit.

Treatment also includes:
- Interventional Treatments for Liver Disease(Society of Interventional Radiology).
- Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America).

Alternative Therapy
- Dandelion (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
- Kava Linked to Liver Damage (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
- Milk Thistle (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)

Nutrition
- Diet and Your Liver(American Liver Foundation) .

Specific Conditions
- Acute Liver Failure(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research).
- Alagille Syndrome (National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse).
- Alcohol-Related Liver Disease(American Liver Foundation)
- Alcoholic Hepatitis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
-Benign Liver Tumors(American Liver Foundation)
- Blood Vessel Disorders of the Liver(Merck & Co., Inc.)
- Budd-Chiari Syndrome(Merck & Co., Inc.)
- Enlarged Liver(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Gilbert’s Syndrome(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Liver Cysts: A Cause of Abdominal Pain?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Liver Hemangioma(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease(American Liver Foundation)
- Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Also available in Spanish
- Portal Hypertension (Merck & Co., Inc.)
- Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Causes of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- Fatigue
- Malaise
- Dull right-upper-quadrant abdominal discomfort
- Mild jaundice
- Abnormal liver function tests
- Alcohol consumption of over 20 g/day
- Insulin resistance
- Metabolic syndrome
- Obesity
- Combined hyperlipidemia
- Diabetes mellitus (type II)
- High blood pressure

Secondary Causes
NAFLD can also be caused by some medications.
- Amiodarone
- Antiviral drugs (nucleoside analogues)
- Aspirin rarely as part of Reye’s syndrome in children
- Corticosteroids
- Methotrexate
- Tamoxifen
- Tetracycline

Symptoms present in advanced stages of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are:
- Lack of appetite
- Unexplained weight loss
- Nausea
- Small, red spider veins under your skin or easy bruising
- Weakness
- Jaundice
- Bleeding from engorged veins in your esophagus or intestines
- Loss of interest in sex
- Fluid in your abdominal cavity
- Itching on your hands and feet and eventually on your entire body
- Swelling of your legs and feet
- Fatigue
- Malaise
- Dull right-upper-quadrant abdominal discomfort
- Mild jaundice

Other techniques used to treat liver cancer are:
- Including inserting needles into the tumor.
- Destroying the tumor (ablation).
- Injecting a substance into the tumor to deprive it of the blood supply it needs (embolization).
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy

The best treatment for the liver cancer is based on:
- Age, overall health, and medical history.
- Extent of the disease.
- Stage of the cancer.
- Your tolerance of specific medicines, procedures, or therapies.
- Expectations for the course of the disease.
- Your opinion or preference.

Surgery
- Surgery is the only way to cure liver cancer.
- The most common type of surgery for liver cancer is resection (removal of the cancer).
- The presence of cirrhosis of the liver makes surgical resection less successful.
- It may require the entire liver to be removed and replaced with a donated liver (liver transplant).
- Surgery depends on whether the part of your liver that is not affected by the cancer is healthy.
- When part of your liver is removed, enough healthy liver tissue left is to be taken care of, to carry out all of the critical jobs of the liver.

Ablation
- Ablation destroys the tumor without removing it.
- It is a good option for patients with small liver tumors.
- This process uses high-energy radio waves, alcohol injections and very cold metal probes to destroy the tumor.

Embolization
- Tumors need the oxygen supplied by blood to grow.
- Embolization stops blood from flowing to the tumor.
- Embolization can be done by injecting substances that plug the artery.
- This is sometimes combined with chemotherapy (chemoembolization) or radiation therapy (radioembolization).

Chemotherapy
- Chemotherapy drugs kill cancerous cells.
- It works by stopping cancer cells from growing or reproducing, which kills the cells.
- Chemotherapy may be taken by mouth in pill form or injected into a vein or muscle.
- Sometimes it is injected into a hepatic artery through a thin tube (catheter).
- This process is known as chemoembolization.

Radiation Therapy
- Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
- Radiation therapy for liver cancer is usually delivered internally.
- It is done by inserting a radioactive substance into the body.

Targeted Therapy
- Targeted therapy blocks the steps involved in the growth and proliferation of cancer cells.
- Targeted therapy drug may be taken by mouth or in a pill form.
- The main targeted therapy for liver cancer is a drug called Nexavar (sorafenib tosylate).

Hepatocellular Carcinoma
- Partial hepatectomy to resect the entire tumor.
- Liver transplantation.
- Cryoablation.
- Chemoembolization.
- Radiotherapy.
- Sorafenib.
- Radiofrequency ablation.
- Radiofrequency ablation combined with local chemotherapy.

Cholangiocarcinoma
- Photodynamic therapy.
- Brachytherapy.
- Radiotherapy.
- Liver transplantation.

Hepatoblastoma
- Chemotherapy, including vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin.
- Radiotherapy.
- Liver transplantation.
- Surgical resection.

Diagnosis of Liver Cancer

Blood Tests
- Liver cancer depends so much on the vigilance of the physician screening with a tumor marker (alpha-fetoprotein) in the blood and radiological imaging studies.
- If the blood tests become abnormal or worsen due to liver cancer, this usually signifies extensive cancerous involvement of the liver.
- in liver cancer, the cancerous liver cells may take on the characteristics of other types of cells.
- For example, liver cancer cells sometimes can produce hormones that are ordinarily produced in other body systems.
- These hormones then can cause certain abnormal blood tests
- These include a high red blood count (erythrocytosis), low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and high blood calcium (hypercalcemia).
- High serum cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia), is seen in up to 10% of patients from Africa with liver cancer.
- The high cholesterol occurs because the liver cancer cells are not able to turn off (inhibit) their production of cholesterol.
- There is no reliable or accurate screening blood test for liver cancer.
- The most widely used biochemical blood test is alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)
- AFP is a protein normally made by the immature liver cells in the fetus.

In adults, high blood levels (over 500 nanograms/milliliter) of AFP are seen in only three situations:
- Liver cancer.
- Germ cell tumors (cancer of the testes and ovaries).
- Metastatic cancer in the liver (originating in other organs).

There are a number of other liver cancer tumor markers like:
- Des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP),
- A variant of the gamma-glutamyltransferase enzymes,
- Variants of other enzymes (for example, alpha-L-fucosidase).

Imaging Studies
These studies provide information
- as to the size of the tumor.
- the number of tumors.
- whether the tumor has involved major blood vessels locally or spread outside of the liver.

Ultrasound Examination
- It is usually the first study ordered if liver cancer is suspected in a patient.
- The accuracy of an ultrasound depends very much on the technician and radiologist.
- Computerized axial tomography (CT scan) is a very common study used in the U.S.
- The ideal CT study is a multi-phase, spiral CT scan using oral and intravenous contrast material.

Pictures are taken in three phases:
- Without intravenous contrast.
- With intravenous contrast (enhanced imaging) that highlights the arterial system (arterial phase).
- When the contrast is in the venous phase.