Milk Thistle Complex

Milk Thistle Complex — Nutritional and Herbal Support of the Liver

Why is the liver the largest internal organ in the human body?

The answer is that the liver is responsible for detoxifying the body of toxins... and toxins are in just about everything we eat, drink or breathe. If that weren't enough, toxins are produced (including highly poisonous ammonia) inside our bodies as part of our cellular metabolism.

If detoxifying the bloodstream wasn't enough of a job, the liver is, also, responsible for the production of bile, which breaks down fats in the small intestine during digestion. The liver is also responsible for the production of transport proteins the circulate in the blood such as cholesterol. If that weren't enough the liver converts excess glucose into glycogen. It also regulates the blood levels of amino acids and ensures that iron (important in hemoglobin for carrying oxygen) is not lost when blood cells die, but is recovered and used in the new blood cells that form. It also clears bilirubin (toxic breakdown of proteins) from the blood.

So, the work of the liver is very large and never stops day or night. Without a liver, you would survive only a few days before those toxins would kill you.

Here are some of the important ingredients in our Milk Thistle Complex Product

(Please note the disclaimer at bottom of the page. Studies referenced must not be construed as product claims. They are presented only for educational value.)

• Sylimarin - Milk Thistle Extract — Milk thistle is a flowering plant that comes from the same family of plants as the daisy. It grows in Mediterranean countries and is used to make teas and traditional health remedies. The active ingredient in milk thistle, silymarin, acts as an antioxidant by reducing free radical production. Traditionally, milk thistle is considered to have a detoxifying effect and relieve stress on the liver. Some studies show that milk thistle extract has been able to help normalize the liver's production of cholesterol. Other studies have shown that it has been able to help reduce insulin resistance in the liver. Other studies have shown its ability to help reduce inflammation in the lungs and skin. Although the studies to date are not yet conclusive, nevertheless, there is a preponderance of traditional use and studies suggesting many benefits for the liver, lungs, and skin (all of which are organs associated with detoxification).

• N Acetyl Cysteine — NAC is valued primarily for its role in antioxidant production. Along with two other amino acids — glutamine and glycine, NAC helps to make and replenish glutathione, the body's most important antioxidant that helps cells avoid free radical damage and stay young longer. Glutathione, made with the help of NAC, also plays an important role in the body's detoxification process, attaching to toxins and carrying them out of the body. NAC is often used by doctors, given intravenously to combat acetaminophen overdose and reduce kidney and liver damage. NAC also helps regulate levels of glutamate — the most important neurotransmitter in your brain. This has helped some people with things like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and addictive behavior. NAC also has been shown to help relieve symptoms of respiratory conditions by acting as an antioxidant and expectorant and by loosening mucus in your air passageways.

• Turmeric Extract (95% Curcumin) — Oxidative stress has been considered a key causing factor of liver damage induced by a variety of agents, including alcohol, drugs, viral infections, environmental pollutants, and dietary components, which in turn results in the progression of liver injury, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, non-alcoholic liver disease, liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Scientists have noted that curcumin has the ability to significantly reduce the damage of free radicals (oxidants), thus helping to protect the liver. It also has been known traditionally for its ability to improve digestion and for its anti-inflammatory properties, making it helpful for reducing inflammation in stiff joints and muscles, as well.

• Artichoke Extract — Artichokes are commonly thought of as a vegetable, but they are actually flower buds. The artichoke is a relative of the famous milk thistle. Artichokes stimulate bile flow, which helps to carry toxins from your liver out of your body. Artichokes have been used as an indigestion remedy in Europe for more than a century. Artichokes contain soluble fiber numerous nutrients. They have been shown in several studies to help prevent damage to gastrointestinal linings and to help liver cells to regenerate. They have a traditional use at improving short-term memory as well.

• Super-oxide Dismutase — this fast-reacting antioxidant is arguably the foot soldier in the war against free radicals. It has a great ability to reduce free radical damage to the skin, therefore preventing wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots and it also helps with wound healing, softens scar tissue, protects against UV rays. . What it does externally on the skin it also does internally. It has been shown to have a strong association in preventing cognitive decline. Its inclusion in this formula is to help prevent damage to the liver, as the liver is the most assaulted organ of the body, dealing with virtually every toxin that enters the body.

• Beet Leaf Powder Beet leaves have been used since Roman times as a medicine. Unfortunately, the power of beet leaves is quickly lost in the refrigerator, so a powdered extract is the best way to get its powerful nutrient tools. Beetroots have been shown to improve circulation, blood pressure, memory and to increase the rates of detoxification. They possess antioxidant properties due to numerous phenolic compounds, beta-carotene, Vitamin C, etc.

• Boron Reported beneficial actions of boron are numerous including bone growth and maintenance, central nervous system function (including memory improvement), hormone facilitation, immune response, inflammation reduction, and oxidative stress reduction. It increases the production rates of exogenous antioxidants and greatly improves healing rates, both internally and externally. It increases the production of SAM-E (a feel-good hormone). Its inclusion is to help the liver recover more quickly from toxic damage. It protects against heavy metals, pesticides, and much more.

Milk Thistle® – Frequently Asked Questions

Who Should Take Milk Thistle®?

Milk Thistle® is recommended for the following types of people:

1. Those who wish to live as long as possible. As the liver goes, so goes one's overall health. It's kind of like saying, which cars should have oil filters and periodic tune-ups? All cars, because internal engine cleanliness reduces friction from contaminants and lets the car engine last longer.

2. Persons who are exposed to toxins... so that the liver can clean those toxins out of the body more effectively.

3. Persons who have high blood sugar... so that the liver can avoid glycation damage.

4. Persons suffering from inflammation... because the milk thistle complex ingredients will help lower inflammation throughout the body, as well as within the liver.

Studies and Research About The Ingredients in Milk Thistle Complex®

(Please note the disclaimer at bottom of the page. Studies referenced must not be construed as product claims. They are presented only for educational value.)

Milk Thistle

• Silybum marianum or milk thistle (MT) is the most well-researched plant in the treatment of liver disease

• Silymarin/Silybin and Chronic Liver Disease: A Marriage of Many Years

• Modulatory effects of silibinin in various cell signaling pathways against liver disorders and cancer - A comprehensive review

• Hepatoprotective effect of silymarin

• "Silymarin", a promising pharmacological agent for treatment of diseases

• Neuroprotective potential of silymarin against CNS disorders: insight into the pathways and molecular mechanisms of action

• Effect of silymarin on biochemical parameters of oxidative stress in aged and young rat brain

• Silymarin attenuated the amyloid β plaque burden and improved behavioral abnormalities in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model

• Silibinin: a novel inhibitor of Aβ aggregation

• Antiosteoclastic activity of milk thistle extract after ovariectomy to suppress estrogen deficiency-induced osteoporosis

• Silymarin in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

N-Acetyl Cysteine

• A Review on Various Uses of N-Acetyl Cysteine

• Cysteine metabolism and metal toxicity

• The chemistry and biological activities of N-acetylcysteine

• N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) in Young Marijuana Users: An Open-Label Pilot Study

• Efficacy of Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) and/N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) Supplementation on Nutritional and Antioxidant Status of Male Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Patients

• Efficacy of oral long-term N-acetylcysteine in chronic bronchopulmonary disease: a meta-analysis of published double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials

• The role for N-acetylcysteine in the management of COPD

• Ability to Boost Glutathione Levels May Improve Immune Function

Curcumin

• Inflammation in atherosclerosis

• Anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin, a major constituent of Curcuma longa: a review of preclinical and clinical research

• Activation of Transcription Factor NF-κB Is Suppressed by Curcumin (Diferuloylmethane)

• Detoxification and antioxidant effects of curcumin in rats experimentally exposed to mercury

• The effects of curcumin on depressive-like behaviors in mice

• The promise of slow down ageing may come from curcumin

• Efficacy of curcumin/turmeric on liver enzymes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

• Indian spice may delay liver damage and cirrhosis, study suggests

• Protection against microcystin-LR-induced hepatotoxicity by Silymarin: biochemistry, histopathology, and lethality

Artichoke Leaf

• Artichoke extract lowered plasma cholesterol and increased fecal bile acids in Golden Syrian hamsters

• Beneficial effects of artichoke leaf extract supplementation on increasing HDL-cholesterol in subjects with primary mild hypercholesterolaemia: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

• Artichoke leaf juice contains antihypertensive effect in patients with mild hypertension

• Artichoke leaf extract - Recent findings reflecting effects on lipid metabolism, liver and gastrointestinal tracts

• The hepatocurative effects of Cynara scolymus L. leaf extract on carbon tetrachloride-induced oxidative stress and hepatic injury in rats

• Efficacy of artichoke leaf extract in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A pilot double-blind randomized controlled trial

• Increase in choleresis by means of artichoke extract

• Efficacy of artichoke leaf extract in the treatment of patients with functional dyspepsia: a six-week placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicentre trial

• Artichoke leaf extract reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and improves quality of life in otherwise healthy volunteers suffering from concomitant dyspepsia: a subset analysis

• Herbal medicines for the management of irritable bowel syndrome: A comprehensive review

Superoxide Dismutase (SOD)

• Therapeutic potentials of superoxide dismutase

• First-line defense antioxidants-superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX): Their fundamental role in the entire antioxidant defense grid

• An insight on superoxide dismutase (SOD) from plants for mammalian health enhancement

• Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in Hepatic Tissue from Children with Chronic Cholestatic Liver Disease

• Antioxidants for Liver Detoxification

• Superoxide Dismutases in the Lung and Human Lung Diseases

• Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and its Protection of the Liver

Beet Leaf (Greens)

• Beet Stalks and Leaves (Beta vulgaris L.) Protect Against High-Fat Diet-Induced Oxidative Damage in the Liver in Mice

• Beet (Beta vulgaris) and Leek (Allium porrum) Leaves as a Source of Bioactive Compounds with Anti-quorum Sensing and Anti-biofilm Activity

Boron

• Nothing Boring About Boron

• Growing Evidence for Human Health Benefits of Boron