You probably know that drinking a lot of alcohol can harm your liver. But did you know that chronic drinking also causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease? It’s the most common cause of chronic liver disease in America today, and it’s on the rise. The good news is there are natural ways to help repair your liver and protect it from further damage – if you catch it early enough.
For those who drink more than they should, milk thistle could be one of your best bets for keeping your liver healthy and reducing the risk of developing alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis.
Let’s look at why doctors recommend milk thistle for a bad liver and what you need to know before adding it to your diet.
What is Milk Thistle and How Does it Help a Bad Liver?
Milk thistle is a plant in the daisy family. It’s native to Europe, North Africa and Asia, but it has been transplanted around the world. Because of its high antioxidant content, it has long been used in traditional medicine to treat liver disease.
Modern science has confirmed the medicinal benefits of milk thistle for those who suffer from chronic liver disease.
Milk thistle contains a number of components that make it a good choice for protecting your liver and treating liver disease:
- Silymarin is one of the most active compounds in milk thistle. It’s been shown to protect against cell death caused by toxins and other factors associated with liver damage.
- Silibinin is another compound found in milk thistle that helps protect your liver from damage. It works by preventing free radicals from damaging cells and lowering inflammation in the body, both of which can contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and other types of chronic liver injury.
- Other beneficial compounds found in milk thistle include flavonoids (which are also found in many fruits and vegetables) and silybin A, an antioxidant known to protect against oxidative stress on cells throughout the body.
How Can You Use Milk Thistle for Liver Health?
There are several ways you can use milk thistle as part of your diet:
1) Take Milk Thistle Supplements: Milk thistle extracts are made from the seeds of the milk thistle plant. They’re available in capsule, liquid, and tablet forms.
2) Eat Milk Thistle: You can also eat the seeds of milk thistle as a food. If you’re considering this option, talk to your doctor first to make sure it’s safe for you to eat large amounts of raw milk thistle seeds.
3) Drink Milk Thistle Tea: You can also drink milk thistle tea, although this is not a common way of taking it.
Why do Alternative Doctors Recommend Milk Thistle for a Bad Liver?
Milk thistle is a popular herbal supplement that has been used for more than 2,000 years. It is recommended for a bad liver because it works to protect the liver from damage caused by toxins, drugs and alcohol.
It also helps to repair liver cells that have been damaged. Because of these effects, milk thistle is thought to help treat and prevent conditions such as cirrhosis, hepatitis (liver inflammation) and alcoholic liver disease.
The active ingredients in milk thistle are thought to be silymarin flavonoids, including silybin A and silybin B. These nutrients may prevent damage to the liver cells and stimulate the growth of new healthy cells in the liver.
Milk thistle supplements come in various forms (tablets, capsules or liquid extracts), which can be taken alone or with meals three times per day depending on your recommendations.
Be sure to follow your prescriptions carefully when taking milk thistle supplements because they may interact with other medications you’re taking or cause side effects if you take too much at one time or increase your dosage too quickly.
Milk Thistle Side Effects
Milk thistle is considered safe when taken at recommended doses, although some people experience side effects such as diarrhea, bloating or gas when taking milk thistle supplements .
Side effects are typically mild if they occur at all but may be more likely if you take high doses of milk thistle supplements . When taking milk thistle supplements, you may also experience mild allergic reactions, such as a rash or itching, but these are rare.
Milk thistle supplements are not recommended for people who have bleeding disorders or those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
How to Find the Best Milk Thistle Supplements
Not all milk thistle supplements are created equally, so it’s important to choose a quality product. The highest quality milk thistle supplements contain concentrated silymarin and are supplied in capsules, not tablets. Look for supplements that contain a high percentage of silymarin.
Nutristand is a highly recommended Milk Thistle supplement supplier. They offer a product manufactured in the USA by NutriCrafters. The NutriCrafters Milk Thistle Extract is manufactured with premium European grade materials, cultivated in Europe and extracted in Barcelona.
Bottom line
If you drink more than you should and your liver is becoming damaged, it’s never too early to start taking milk thistle.
Milk thistle can help reduce the damage, repair any damage that’s already been done, and keep you on track to prevent the onset of a bad liver. If you have a bad liver, it’s important to take steps to prevent it from getting worse. That includes eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of exercise, and avoiding excessive alcohol intake. When you also add milk thistle supplements to your daily routine, you’ll give your liver a natural boost that can help repair damage and prevent further issues.