Is Houttuynia cordata helpful for patients with liver disease?

Generally speaking, whether Houttuynia cordata (fish腥grass) is beneficial for patients with liver disease depends on the specific condition. For mild liver disease accompanied by damp-heat symptoms, Houttuynia cordata may have certain auxiliary effects. However, for severe liver disease or non-damp-heat types of liver disease, Houttuynia cordata typically has no significant effect. Detailed analysis is as follows:

If a liver disease patient is in a stable phase and presents with damp-heat symptoms, such as bitter taste in the mouth, dry mouth, yellow urine, yellow and greasy tongue coating, the heat-clearing, detoxifying, diuretic, and swelling-relieving properties of Houttuynia cordata may help alleviate related discomfort and assist in reducing internal accumulation of damp-heat, thereby exerting a certain regulatory effect on liver metabolism.

When a patient suffers from severe liver disease, such as decompensated cirrhosis or severe hepatitis, or when the liver disease is caused by a deficiency-cold constitution, presenting symptoms such as cold intolerance, diarrhea, pale tongue, and white tongue coating, Houttuynia cordata will not provide therapeutic effects. In such cases, liver function is severely impaired and requires standardized medical treatment. Moreover, due to its cold nature, Houttuynia cordata might exacerbate symptoms of deficiency-cold and hinder recovery.

To maintain liver health, patients with liver disease should avoid alcohol consumption and reduce intake of high-fat and high-sugar foods in daily life. Additionally, they can appropriately consume fresh vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins to provide nutritional support for liver repair.