Condition
Encephalopathy
Hepatic encephalopathy is a decline in brain function that happens when a damaged liver can't clear ammonia, a gut-made toxin that then reaches the brain and causes confusion and personality changes. The evidence is strongest for probiotics and L-ornithine L-aspartate, which are thought to lower ammonia by changing gut bacteria and aiding its breakdown. Branched-chain amino acids and zinc have moderate evidence, while support for vitamin D and omega-3s is limited.
- Supplements studied
- 1
- Graded outcomes
- 1
- Trials
- 1
- People studied
- 99
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety Symptoms Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 99 people | |||
| Depression Symptoms | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 99 people | |||
Studies that measured depression symptoms | ||||||
| Cognitive Decline | Improves (the measure goes down) | 99 people | ||||
Key findings
- Anxiety SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
The Hepatic Encephalopathy Supportive Care protocol
2 primary supplements · 6 supporting supplements
- ProbioticsMulti-strain, 20–50 billion CFU daily (or VSL#3-type formulation)
- L-Ornithine L-Aspartate (LOLA)6–9 g daily in divided doses (oral) or as prescribed IV
Studies cited
4 studies from PubMed