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Friday, January 25, 2013

Be Kind To Your Liver

Here are some suggestions to be kind to your liver. One supplement that I have taken for a long time without any ill effects is Milk Thistle. If your lifestyle is on the run as most Americans, taking one or two milk thistle capsules can be part of a healthy regimen.

In addition to that, drinking green smoothies and eating more vegetables and fruits are beneficial. In your green smoothie, you can use celery,  apples, an avocado, whole beets, baby spinach, flax seed, cucumbers, red seedless grapes, kale, tangerines, oranges, bananas, and other fruits and veggies and mix and match to taste. MOST of us to not eat enough green leafy vegetables and making a green smoothie is a great way to increase your intake every day.

Other supplements in a good quality multiple or as individual supplements could be zinc, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin D3, vitamin B12, vitamin A.

Dan

A LINK on Milk Thistle below:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/508159-does-milk-thistle-cleanse-the-liver/

Another link on Milk Thistle:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/485291-does-milk-thistle-help-to-rid-the-body-of-toxins/

EXCERPT:

Does Milk Thistle Help to Rid the Body of Toxins?


Jul 5, 2011 | By Linda Tarr Kent


Does Milk Thistle Help to Rid the Body of Toxins?
Photo Credit Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images
If you want to detoxify, milk thistle may be a good aid. This herb enhances your liver function, which in turn helps your body rid itself of toxins. Milk thistle has a 2,000-year history of use for treating liver ailments and is the best-researched plant for treating liver disease. However, the herb's liver-protective potential still needs more scientific investigation, notes the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This herb can have side effects and interact with medicines, so consult a doctor before using it.

Effects

Milk thistle has three effects on your liver. It blocks the entrance of toxins by binding to the outside of your liver cells, it helps regenerate dead or dysfunctional liver cells, and it has free-radical scavenging action. This scavenging action helps prevent damage due to pollutants and toxins by preventing free radical damage.

Use

Milk thistle theoretically may be used to counter toxic effects of alcohol, nicotine, carbon monoxide pollutants, cadmium, poison from the death cap mushroom and dry-cleaning fluid, according to "The Complete Herbal Guide," by Stacey Chillemi and Michael Chillemi. It also may be effective against liver damage due to acetaminophen, radiation, iron overload and phenylhydrazine and is purported to rid your liver of accumulated digestive byproducts and unwanted fats. If you want to take it, seek a standardized milk thistle product that has 100 to 200 mg silymarin per dose. To support liver function, the recommended dose is 100 to 200 mg silymarin twice a day. Standardized products will state silymarin values. Silymarin is the main active ingredient in milk thistle.

Status

In the United States, the National Institutes of Health advises you that there is not enough scientific evidence to recommend milk thistle for uses such as death cap mushroom poisoning, liver damage due to excess alcohol consumption, liver disease caused by chemicals and hepatitis. Germany's Commission E, that country's regulatory body for herbs, approves milk thistle for treating liver complaints along with gallbladder complaints and dyspeptic symptoms like bloating and heartburn.

Considerations

Milk thistle can cause gastrointestinal side effects as well as allergic reactions. It also may lower your blood sugar levels. If you are diabetic, hypoglycemic or take supplements or medicine that affects your blood sugar levels, do not take this herb without consulting a doctor. Milk thistle may be harmful if taken with acarbose because it can raise the risk for adverse effects from this drug. It may interfere with the action of phentolamine. It also may have estrogen-like effects, so do not use it if you have a hormone-sensitive condition like breast cancer.

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