Can You Cure Hep C Naturally?

When it comes to treating hepatitis C effectively and safely, there is no replacement for antiviral medication. In other words, there are no natural solutions or cures for a hep C infection. That includes popular supplements that can be dangerous for liver health. (More on this below.)

Your healthcare team has probably emphasized the importance of antiviral treatment. Its efficacy is rather remarkable: 97 percent of people treated with these drugs are cured of the infection, according to one study.

"The majority of patients are unable to get rid of it by their own immune system. Unlike other viral diseases that are acute and self-limiting, this one is typically chronic. You need the help of antiviral treatment," says Anurag Maheshwari, MD, a digestive health and liver disease specialist at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. Lack of awareness, insufficient quality screening, and low access to these powerful antivirals can pose barriers. They found that less than two-thirds of insured people with hep C received these treatments.

This may lead people with hep C to seek out alternative treatments.

While these won't cure hep C, lifestyle and diet changes can support your health while you receive treatment - and beyond. Remember to discuss any changes to your health routine with your care team to make sure they're right for you.

Diet and Nutrition Changes for Hep C

Diet alone will not cure hepatitis C, but it can support your body's function during treatment. "The liver is a very forgiving organ. We generally tell patients not to overdo or overthink anything," says Dr. Maheshwari. That said, here's what you can do.

Best Foods for Hep C

Focus on a Mediterranean diet pattern of eating, which includes minimally processed vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fish, and olive oil, as well as some dairy, eggs, and poultry.

Limit red and processed meat, highly processed foods, and sweets. "The Mediterranean diet has been shown to be beneficial to the liver," says Maheshwari. For example, one study found that this eating pattern was potentially protective against liver cancer for people who had chronic hepatitis infection.

Other research suggests that the Mediterranean diet helped reduce the risk of scar tissue formation in the liver in people who have fatty liver disease (one of the most common causes of liver disease).

Including foods with polyphenols like walnuts and mankai (also called duckweed or watermeal) may be particularly worthwhile for supporting liver health, research suggests.

Worst Foods for Hep C

Another step you can take is to avoid foods that increase the risk of fatty liver disease, says Judith Feinberg, MD , a professor of infectious diseases at the West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown. This disease, called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, is a buildup of extra fat in the liver that causes liver damage.

Avoid foods high in fat, sugar, salt, and high fructose corn syrup, like fast food.

In a nutshell, although hep C and fatty liver disease aren't the same condition, it's important to avoid foods that are known to cause problems in the liver in both cases.

Lifestyle Changes for Hep C

Other than taking antiviral medication as prescribed, you can get adequate sleep , stay active, and hydrate to support your immune system and sense of well-being, says Sudha Kodali, MD , a hepatologist with a clinical interest in hepatitis C at Houston Methodist in Houston. Here's more on how to do that.

Exercise

Hepatitis C infection may increase your risk of heart disease , according to research.

That's one reason exercise is so important. What's more, staying active is associated with a better sense of well-being compared with inactive people with hepatitis C, whether they were being treated for the infection or not, one study found. As the authors point out, moderate exercise helps maintain liver function, reduces excess fat in the liver, and improves body composition, blood sugar regulation, and blood pressure and blood lipids.

Get Enough Quality Sleep and Manage Stress

Sleep and stress can go hand in hand when you're being treated for hep C. "The body's immune system reacts negatively to lack of sleep, as well as physical and emotional stress," says Maheshwari. "Managing stress and getting sleep, as well as eating a healthy diet and avoiding alcohol will allow antivirals to do their job effectively."

For optimal liver health, aim for seven to nine hours of sleep.

Avoid Smoking and Drinking Alcohol

Steer clear of alcohol and tobacco use entirely. "Anything that is toxic to the liver is not a good thing. People should not drink alcohol," says Dr. Feinberg. Ask your care provider for support on making these lifestyle adjustments.

Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches for Hep C

Mind-body therapies such as meditation, yoga, and acupuncture may help reduce stress during treatment.

Probiotics are sometimes mentioned as a potential approach for hepatitis C , though the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) cautions against using them, because in certain immunocompromised people they can cause side effects. What's more, they haven't been shown to be useful for hep C treatment.

Avoid Herbal Remedies for Hep C

Experts advise against taking herbal remedies for hep C. "There are things touted on the internet as being presumably good for liver health. Ironically, a lot of these things are bad for the liver," says Feinberg. And those that aren't necessarily harmful haven't been shown to be beneficial either, she says.

Avoid using silymarin (the active ingredient in milk thistle), colloidal silver, herbal mixtures, chlorella, black cumin, licorice root (and its compound glycyrrhizin), and others, as these are unhelpful at best and can pose health risks at worst, according to the NCCIH.

In addition, there are possible issues beyond the active ingredients in supplements. "As there is no strict regulation in manufacturing, their quality and potency can vary. Most have fillers and ingredients that may actually affect the liver negatively and may cause a condition called drug-induced liver injury, which can be lethal and cause liver failure, needing transplantation in some patients," says Dr. Kodali.

One more caution: There's a risk that something you take can interact with a prescription medication. "We can cure this virus. Given that, why take a risk that anything could interfere with achieving a cure?" asks Feinberg.

The Takeaway

Antiviral medication is well tolerated among people with hep C and cures the infection in almost everyone who takes it. Healthy lifestyle habits, including a balanced diet, avoiding alcohol, and good sleep can support liver health while in treatment and long-term. Avoid herbal remedies and other supplements, as these have not been shown to be effective and some may be dangerous.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

Sources

1. Nguyen VH et al. Characteristics and Treatment Rate of Patients With Hepatitis C Virus Infection in the Direct-Acting Antiviral Era and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States. JAMA Network Open . December 7, 2022.
2. What Is the Mediterranean Diet? American Heart Association . May 15, 2024.
3. Turati F et al. Mediterranean Diet and Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Journal of Hepatology . March 2014.
4. Miryan M et al. Relationship Between the Mediterranean Diet and Risk of Hepatic Fibrosis in Patients With Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the RaNCD Cohort. Frontiers in Nutrition . February 22, 2023.
5. Yaskolka Meir A et al. Effect of green-Mediterranean diet on intrahepatic fat: the DIRECT PLUS randomised controlled trial. Gut . November 2021.
6. Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). American Liver Foundation . May 16, 2024.
7. Liver Disease Diets. American Liver Foundation . February 13, 2024.
8. Badawi A et al. Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Patients With Hepatitis C Infection: Results From Two General Population Health Surveys in Canada and the United States (2007-2017). PLoS ONE . December 12, 2018.
9. Hallsworth K et al. Association of Exercise Participation Levels With Cardiometabolic Health and Quality of Life in Individuals With Hepatitis C. BMJ Open Gastroenterology . March 24, 2021.
10. Yang J et al. Short Sleep Duration and the Risk of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sleep and Breathing . December 2022.
11. Hepatitis C and Dietary Supplements. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health . May 2018.

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Jonathan G. Stine, MD, MSc, FACP

Medical Reviewer

Jonathan Stine, MD, MSc, FACP, is an associate professor of medicine and public health science at Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania.

As an internationally recognized liver expert with a research and clinical focus on metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and exercise, he has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, including multinational consensus guidelines.

Dr. Stine is the recipient of multiple research grants and awards from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the American Cancer Society, and has maintained continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health since 2018.

Stine is the MASLD consultant to the American College of Sports Medicine's "Exercise is Medicine" initiative, and recently co-chaired the International Roundtable on MASLD and Physical Activity for ACSM. He serves as the Fatty Liver Program director as well as the Liver Center Research director for Penn State.

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Jessica Migala

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Jessica Migala is a freelance writer with over 15 years of experience, specializing in health, nutrition, fitness, and beauty. She has written extensively about vision care, diabetes, dermatology, gastrointestinal health, cardiovascular health, cancer, pregnancy, and gynecology. She was previously an assistant editor at Prevention where she wrote monthly science-based beauty news items and feature stories.

She has contributed to more than 40 print and digital publications, including Cosmopolitan, O:The Oprah Magazine , Real Simple, Woman's Day , Women's Health , Fitness, Family Circl e, Health , Prevention , Self , VICE, and more. Migala lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, two young boys, rescue beagle, and 15 fish. When not reporting, she likes running, bike rides, and a glass of wine (in moderation, of course).

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