Posted by JohnL on November 4, 1999, at 3:28:20
In reply to Re: liver function - a question...., posted by torchgrl on November 3, 1999, at 17:57:07
> milkthistle is definitely supposed to be good for liver function--I'm pretty sure there are a few other homeopathic remedies that are also purported to be helpful, my brain just doesn't have enough storage space to be able to tell you which ones. It's definitely worth doing some research on, though.
I used to read a book called "Healing Power of Herbs". This post spiked my curiosity. I dusted off the book and checked out liver function topics.
The book is written by an MD. It has a scientific/technical slant. In addition to traditional folklore, it includes molecular diagrams, pharmacology, and hundreds of footnotes of related scientific/clinical studies.
I was so impressed with what I read about milk thistle I wanted to quote it all here. But it would have been much too long. So I'll summarize.
Milk Thistle's active ingredient is used in several European prescription drugs for hepatic conditions. It's benefits for liver protection and rejuvenation are scientifically proven. Lots of scientific support. It has even completely reversed liver damage. In one study the liver-poisoning effects of deadly mushrooms were completely neutralized by taking milk thistle prior to ingesting the mushrooms. To make a long story short, milk thistle is indeed a liver protector and a liver rebuilder and it's a primary ingredient in hepatic prescription meds and the scientific evidence is abundant.
A close second is Dandelion. Other herbs with noted liver rejuvenation function are panax ginseng, gotu kola, and a couple others I've never heard of. But milk thistle and dandelion seem to be the heavy hitters on this topic. Like I said, the clinical evidence for milk thistle's liver healing power is impressive. It is way beyond folklore or placebo effect stuff. Very impressive.
poster:JohnL
thread:14285
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19991028/msgs/14570.html