Milk Thistle Liver Cleanse
Benefits, Side Effects and Where to Buy
Milk Thistle Flower – Photo Credit
If you’re interested in doing a milk thistle liver cleanse, this article will explain what you need to do, where to buy milk thistle and any side effects you need to watch out for.
Milk thistle is a thistle of a flowering plant in the daisy family. These flowers are native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
There are two peculiar features of the leaves; they have splashes of white color and they contain a milk sap. The name “milk thistle” is derived from these features.
For over 2,000 years, milk thistle seeds have be used to treat a variety of liver problems including chronic liver disease, as well to protect the liver against toxins.
As you can probably tell, the primary benefit of milk thistle is it’s positive effect in regards to solving and preventing liver problems. This is a great reason why doing a liver cleanse with milk thistle is worthwhile.
How to Do A Milk Thistle Liver Cleanse
To begin with, you’ll need a liver cleanse recipe. Try doing it in the format listed for a gallbladder liver cleanse.
A typical liver cleanse can be done over a 2-day weekend, however some can last as long as 10 days.
After performing a liver cleanse, take milk thistle for a few weeks as this aids the rebuilding process.
Health Benefits of Milk Thistle
Milk thistle extracts have been found to prevent and repair damage to the liver from toxic chemicals and medications.
Milk thistle is a powerful liver tonic and promotes good liver health. During or after courses of antibiotics and other chemicals that can be hard on the body, it can be a great time to take milk thistle extract as it aids the repair process.
Milk thistle also lowers enzyme levels and enhances the liver’s ability to detoxify the blood. Milk thistle reduces inflammation, which makes it effective for people with Hepatitis. By increasing ribosome activity, it helps in the regeneration of damaged cells. It alters the outer layers of body cells and creates a strong protection against a variety of toxins.
Besides the benefits of milk thistle associated with toxins and liver damage, milk thistle has been found to:
- Lower cholesterol levels.
- Reduce insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes.
- Reduce cancer cell growth in breast, cervical and prostate cancer patients.
Learn more about the benefits of milk thistle.
Where to Buy Milk Thistle
Of course, for a milk thistle liver cleanse, you’re going to need to buy milk thistle!
Most natural health food stores carry it, so check out your local store. I’ve seen it come in capsules and also as a powder. If you get the powder, you can use it when juicing. It goes great with beet juice as beet is great for the liver too. My favorite healthy juicing recipe to use milk thistle with is the Beet Juice Liver Cleanser.
You can also buy it from Amazon.com and have it shipped directly to your house. There are a number of other online retailers that also sell milk thistle.
Milk Thistle Side Effects
Typically, there are few or no side effects of taking milk thistle or doing a milk thistle liver cleanse. A bunch of studies have shown that it’s safe, even when taken for as long as 41 months.
In some people, milk thistle can cause diarrhea. In very rare cases, it can also cause nausea, bloating, gas and an upset stomach.
Pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid using milk thistle.
Milk thistle may mimic the effects of estrogen, which is reason enough for some women to avoid using it. Also, women with breast, uterine and ovarian cancer should not take milk thistle.
Always talk to your doctor before adding milk thistle or any kind of supplement to your diet.
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