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Alpha Lipoic Acid: Miracle Nutrient for Liver

Disease
Julian Whitaker, MD
In 1977, John and Eunice were admitted to the hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, in the throes of acute
liver failure after ingesting deadly poisonous amanita mushrooms. Liver transplants were not
common at that time, and death was inevitable. The chief of medicine assigned their case to Burton
Berkson, MD, a medical resident at Case Western Reserve who had never had a patient die under
his care, and the chief felt he needed the experience.
Although his instructions were clearobserve and report on these deathsDr. Berkson contacted
Fred Bartter, MD, at the National Institutes of Health and asked if he knew anything that might be
helpful. Dr. Bartter mentioned alpha lipoic acid (ALA), citing animal studies showing that it helped
with severe liver damage, and offered to overnight several vials. The next day, Dr. Berkson began
administering intravenous ALA to these patients. Its effect was miraculous. ALA stimulated rapid liver
regeneration, and within two weeks, they were discharged from the hospital in good health. John
and Eunice are alive today at age 90, forever indebted to Dr. Berkson.
Hero or Villain?
Youd think that this young physician would have been lauded and applauded for saving the lives of
these patients. Instead, he was harshly chastised for his failure to follow orders and hospital
guidelines by using an unapproved therapy. Quit fooling around with lipoic acid, he was told, And
get on the bandwagon and recommend transplants.
Yet when other patients arrived at the hospital in similarly dire liver failure, he couldnt just stand by
and let them die. Against hospital mandates, he again used ALAand again the patients recovered.
Because of his insubordination, Dr. Berkson was accused of harming patients. The hospital went so
far as to alter records in their attempts to besmirch him, and he eventually left Case Western and
opened a private practice, now located in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Regenerates the Liver
With the support of Dr. Bartter and his influence at NIH, Dr. Berkson continued his work with ALA,
and the two physicians conducted a study of intravenous ALA for severe liver failure. Of the 79
patients who were treatedpatients who would have undergone liver transplants or died75
survived. Of the four who did not, two never received the therapy and the other two didnt get the
recommended dose.
Dr. Berkson also developed an oral protocol, triple therapy, which weve been using at the clinic for
years to treat hepatitis, fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, and elevated liver enzymes. This combination of
ALA, silymarin (from milk thistle), and selenium replenishes glutathione stores, promotes liver cell
regeneration, and puts the brakes on viral replication. One of our patients, a schoolteacher with a

very high hepatitis C viral load, came to us as a last resort before beginning interferon. We started
him on triple therapy and his viral count plummetedwithout drugs.
Opposition to Effective Therapies
Whenever I see virulent opposition to an unconventional approach, I am usually convinced that the
approach works and likely works very well. The animosity Dr. Berkson encountered is, in my opinion,
testimony to the value of intravenous ALA. Although this treatment could save lives, it is ignored
because it would largely eliminate the need for expensive liver transplants and protracted drug
regimens.
Pharmaceuticals usually get approved for the treatment of one disease or indication. ALA is also an
exceptionally effective therapy for diabetes, neuropathy, cardiovascular disorders, and
neurodegenerative diseases. In the profit-driven world of patented drugs, this works to its
disadvantage. And because ALA is unlikely to get picked up by a pharmaceutical company, it will
never gain a toehold in hospitals and teaching institutions.
Youre on Your Own
If you or a family member is hospitalized with acute liver failure, youre not going to be told about
ALA. Nor will you hear about it from the physician managing your neuropathy, diabetes, hepatitis,
etc.even though its clearly superior to what they have to offer.
Here at Whitaker Wellness, we can help our stroke and trauma patients regain function with
hyperbaric oxygen. We can use intravenous therapies to remove toxic metals from the body, boost
the immune system, and replenish antioxidant stores. We can relieve acute and chronic pain with
microcurrent, high-intensity laser, and prolotherapy, and help patients overcome anxiety and
insomnia with neurofeedback. None of these therapies would be acceptable in hospitals or large
group medical practices. Thats why physicians like Dr. Berkson and me stepped outside this
confining, irrational system decades ago.
Recommendations

For information on receiving treatment at the Whitaker Wellness Institute, call (866) 9448253.

Triple therapy for liver disorders consists of alpha lipoic acid 600 mg, silymarin (milk thistle
extract) 900 mg, and selenium 400 mcg, taken daily in divided doses.

References

Bartter FC, Berkson B, et al. Thioctic acid in the treatment of poisoning with alpha-amanitin.
Amanita Toxins and Poisonings.

Faulstich H, et al. Eds. Baden Baden: Wizstrock; 1980:197202.

Modified from Health & Healing with permission from Healthy Directions, LLC. Photocopying,
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