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MILK THISTLE
Articles by a Naturopathic
Doctor ( N.D.)
Milk Thistle is great for
cleansing your liver ... |
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MILK THISTLE |
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Milk Thistle can
help protect you
liver from the
pollution in the
environment |
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Milk
thistle was used
historically as a digestive
aid, to promote the flow of
digestive juices, and as a
tonic for nursing mothers,
to increase milk supply.
Nowadays it’s popularity
stems from its ability to
detoxify and protect a very
important organ, the liver.
Our liver is responsible for
filtering out most
everything that should not
be in our body and
processing it so that it
doesn’t cause damage to
other cells. |
It also
metabolizes hormones and
fats, and makes sure that
the transportation system
for fats (cholesterol) is
working properly. The
livers secretions, called
bile, carry metabolized
waste products out into the
intestine where they can be
excreted. The
medicinal activity of milk
thistle is in a molecule
called silymarin. It
causes liver cells,
hepatocytes, to
resist toxic
compounds and
regenerate
themselves. It also
increases
glutathione in the
liver.
Glutathione
is an antioxidant
that the liver uses
to catch damaging
free radicals that
are created when the
liver changes toxins
into harmless
chemicals. Silymarin also
blocks the toxic
effects of drug
overdoses and
poisonings. Milk
thistle is a bitter
herb that causes the
release of digestive
juices and bile,
thus helping with
indigestion and
intestinal
cleansing. Natural
health practitioners
recommend milk
thistle for liver
toxicity,
indigestion,
poisonings, drug
overdoses,
hepatitis, jaundice,
gallbladder
dysfunction and high
cholesterol.
Milk thistle can be
purchased as
encapsulated herb,
dried herb, tincture
or liquid extract.
Milk thistle’s
active components
are not soluble in
water and therefore
there is little
medicinal value in
drinking it as a
tea. Concentrated
extracts or capsules
are the best forms
to use. Milk
thistle is found as
a component of many
cleansing formulas.
In order to help
with digestion,
bitter herbs must be
tasted, like when
you take in a
tincture or tea.
Encapsulated herbs
are swallowed, thus
bypassing the taste
buds, and will not
stimulate
digestion.
Milk thistle is a
very safe herb but
it does have
detoxifying
properties.
Individuals with
serious liver
disease or high
levels of toxic
compounds in their
body should use milk
thistle under the
guidance of a health
professional. |
Milk
Thistle–
QUICK FACTS
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PARTS USED
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·
Seeds. |
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APPLICATIONS |
·
Liver
detoxification,
liver and
gallbladder
conditions,
drug
overdose,
poisoning. |
OPTIMUM
DOSAGE
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·
80-400mg
daily
(standardized
to 80%
silymarin).
(Clinical
doses may be
higher as
recommended
by your
practitioner). |
WORKS WELL
WITH
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·
Detoxifying
herbs,
lipotropic
factors,
antioxidants. |
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IMPORTANT
INFORMATION
click for products
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·
Individuals
with serious
liver
disease or
high levels
of toxic
compounds in
their body
should use
milk thistle
under the
guidance of
a health
professional.
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For
informational
purposes only.
Please consult your
health care
practitioner before
taking natural
health care
products. Click here
for full disclaimer. |
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All articles
copyright National Nutrition
2001 - 2011. For educational
purposes only. Please note
that while National Nutrition
supports your right to use
natural health care products for
any therapeutic purpose that you
see fit, that the information on
this website should not be
considered as a claim or as a
substitute for medical advice. |
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