Milk Thistle

Milk Thistle The #1 researched and recommended herb for liver health and more! What is Milk Thistle? What are the Benefits of Milk Thistle? How Does Milk Thistle Work? What are the Side Effects of Milk Thistle? What is Standardized Milk Thistle? What Milk Thistle is the Best and Most Effective? What is Milk Thistle? Milk Thistle is an herbal supplement that detoxifies and protects vital liver functions and more. Milk thistle has been used for over 2,000 years as a natural treatment for liver disorders. The plant is known in scientific circles as the Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertner (syn. Cardous marianus), but it is more commonly known as “milk thistle,” “St. Mary Thistle,” “Holy Thistle” and “Lady's Thistle.” It is an herbaceous annual or biennial plant belonging to the Asteraceae family that can grow to be ten feet tall with flowers that are red and purple in color. Milk thistle gets its name from the milky white fluid that comes from the plant's leaves when they are crushed. It is native to southern Europe, southern Russia, Asia Minor, and North Africa, and has also been naturalized to North and South America. Europeans were among the first to use milk thistle seeds as an herbal treatment for liver disorders. However, the plant's remedial capabilities have been known since ancient times. Milk Thistle was mentioned by Theophrastus in the 4th century B.C. by the name of “Pternix” and it was also referred to by Pliny the Elder in the 1st century A.D. by the name of “Sillybum.” Additionally, in 1744, Von Haller documented the specific use of the plant for liver disorders in its "Medizinischen Lexicon." In more recent years, many authors such as Johann Gottfried Rademacher, Volker Schulz, and Henry Leclerc mention the benefits of Silybum Marianum (milk thistle) when used as a treatment of liver diseases as well as in the treatment of disorders of the bile duct and spleen. What are the Benefits of Milk Thistle? Over the past forty years, intensive chemical, pharmacological and clinical research has confirmed the mechanisms of action and therapeutic value of milk thistle in a wide range of human liver-related and non-liver-related conditions. Literally hundreds of modern research studies have confirmed the remarkable ability of milk thistle to protect the liver and the body against virtually all types of damage. Additionally, the United States National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have catalogued more than 400 scientific studies of milk thistle and its active compounds in their medicine database. These studies reflect what generations past knew and depended on – that milk thistle is one of the most valuable and beneficial herbal remedies and treatments available anywhere in the world. Today, milk thistle is still one of the most commonly used medicinal plants in the world and is also the number one recommended natural herb for liver health. In fact, in Europe, milk thistle is a prescribed medication. The milk thistle extract is prescribed to treat mushroom poisoning, alcoholic cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, drug and alcohol-induced liver damage and acute viral hepatitis, just to name a few. Milk thistle extract is used to maintain liver health and to protect the liver from the effects of toxins such as alcohol, a polluted environment or workplace, and a host of liver related diseases. Liver related conditions indicating the use of milk thistle are varied, including, but not limited to: Alcoholic cirrhosis Chronic active hepatitis Drug and alcohol induced liver damage Acute viral hepatitis Fatty liver, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) Fibrosis and Cirrhosis Hepatic toxicity caused by steroid usage Environmental sensitivities and toxins A medical condition that necessitates the use of hepatotoxic medications Regular moderate-to-heavy alcohol use Additionally, experimental and clinical studies suggest that milk thistle extracts also have the following non-liver related benefits: Lowers cholesterol levels, which benefits the heart Reduces the growth of cancer cells in breast, lung, colon, prostate, cervical and renal cancers Functions as a therapeutic agent for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease Improves blood sugar levels Contains numerous anti-aging properties Reduces cell damage caused by radiation and chemotherapy treatments Supplements sunscreen protection and may be useful against multiple types of skin disease Works as a free radical scavenger and powerful antioxidant Reduces hot flashes and other related menopausal symptoms Helps with intestinal / indigestion issues Reduces the effects of deathcap mushroom (Amanita phalloides) poisoning How Does Milk Thistle Work? Milk thistle seeds contain a bioflavonoid complex known as silymarin. Silymarin, which is the active ingredient in milk thistle, is simply the purified extract of the fruits (seeds) of the milk thistle plant. It is responsible for the main medical benefits of the milk thistle plant, and it is made up of three main flavonoids: silybin - also know as silibinin silydianin - also known as silidianin silychristin - also know as silicristin Silybin makes up 50% - 70% of silymarin and has been shown in clinical studies to be the most biologically active and beneficial constituent of the milk thistle extract, silymarin. Double blind studies on the effect of milk thistle on toxic liver damage (mostly alcohol-related), chronic liver disease and disease caused by certain drugs have been reviewed by medical experts. The experts all concluded that milk thistle is an extremely therapeutically useful medicinal plant product that stabilizes the cell membrane and stimulates protein synthesis while accelerating the process of regeneration in damaged liver tissue. These effects are important in the therapeutic efficacy of milk thistle. According to other studies, milk thistle may protect the cells of the liver by blocking the entrance of harmful toxins and helping remove these toxins from liver cells. As with other flavonoids, milk thistle is a powerful antioxidant which works to maintain health and energy by protecting the body from damage caused by free radicals and lipid peroxidation, which can injure healthy cells and tissues. Just as grapes and red wine, for example, are touted as excellent sources of antioxidants, milk thistle also contains the properties needed to offer the body the same antioxidant benefits. What are the Side Effects of Milk Thistle? One of the best things about milk thistle is its gentle nature. Compared to many other supplements and herbal remedies that bring with them side effects such as headaches, virtually all parts of the milk thistle plant have been used with no reports of toxicity. Adverse effects in clinical and lab studies related specifically to the seed extract (silymarin) are also virtually nonexistent, although it may have a mild and short-lived laxative effect for some people. Milk thistle can be used safely and effectively by a wide range of people, including pregnant and nursing women. What is Standardized Milk Thistle? Milk thistle as an herb is made up of both active and inactive ingredients in varying amounts, with the active ingredients providing all of the supplement's benefits and therapeutic value. When purchasing a non-standardized milk thistle product, you have no way of knowing what proportion of active to inactive ingredients will be present in the final product. Thus, to ensure consistency throughout the herbal supplement market, milk thistle is available in a standardized form. When purchasing a standardized milk thistle product, you are supposed to receive the same proportion of the active and beneficial ingredients to inactive ingredients each and every time. Today, most standardized milk thistle products sold in the United States are standardized to reflect 80% silymarin. This means that silymarin, the active ingredient, makes up 80% of the total weight of the product, and the inactive ingredients make up the remaining 20%. So if you purchase a standardized milk thistle product that is 250 milligrams of 80% standardized silymarin, you would actually have only 200 milligrams of the active, beneficial ingredient. It is important to understand this so that you know what you are comparing when you are looking at different milk thistle products to determine those that offer the best value and those that offer the best concentration of the active ingredient. Which Milk Thistle is the Best and Most Effective? Many milk thistle products are available in health food stores, drug stores, and on the Internet, but none of them are very bioavailable. This means they are not absorbed well by the body. A person would therefore need to ingest large amounts of milk thistle to experience its beneficial effects. This is not only impractical, but can also become quite expensive. The solution is the patented, highly-absorbable, all-natural, standardized, pharmaceutical grade milk thistle found in Maximum Milk Thistle™ and UltraThistle®. It is superior to other milk thistle products because it allows more of milk thistle's most active component, silybin, to be absorbed by the body. It can be thought of as a supercharged delivery system. It takes the silybin and delivers it through the body in a way that increases its absorption into the body's tissues and cells. It delivers up to 10 times more silybin and produces up to 20 times the efficacy as compared to other standardized milk thistle products. Learn more about Maximum Milk Thistle™ or the world's highest-potency milk thistle formula, UltraThistle®. Maximum Milk Thistle™ and UltraThistle® give your body a turbo-charged boost of the most effective part of the milk thistle product and ensure that – over time – your body will respond to the increased absorption rate and higher silybin concentration much more readily than with other products available on the market.

Far Infrared Heat Therapy and Healing

Far Infrared Heat Therapy - The Latest Innovation in Pain Relief, Blood Circulation, and Healing The proven health and therapeutic benefits of Far Infrared Heat Therapy, or light therapy, while familiar to health professionals, are still a mystery to most consumers. A recent "explosion" of Far Infrared Heat Therapy products on the market has prompted many people to show interest in the benefits of using those products, but like most new technological applications, the majority are still skeptical as to whether or not these products actually work. What is Infrared Heat? Infrared is a band of light that we perceive as heat. While we cannot see infrared heat, we can feel its effects. Infrared radiation, or radiant heat, represents over half of the energy emitted by the Sun and is divided into three segments: near, middle, and far. Infrared rays heat our body by a process called conversion. Through conversion, far infrared heat can penetrate organic substances such as the human body without heating the air in between. You may notice a similar effect on partly cloudy days: when a cloud obscures the sun, you suddenly feel cooler, but the air temperature around you has not had time to be affected. The cloud blocked the sun's infrared rays from penetrating your body. By using far infrared heat as opposed to traditional heating methods, you enable the heat to penetrate deeper into your body without the skin discomfort of heating pads, hot towels, and some pain relief gels/creams. However, less discomfort is just one of many benefits of far infrared heat therapy. What are the benefits of Far Infrared Heat Therapy? The human body is composed of 90% water. Far infrared rays cause resonance in water molecules, activating them and ionizing them. Because of this effect, Far Infrared Heat Therapy offers a variety of proven health and beauty benefits. Far Infrared Heat Therapy effectively helps to increase blood circulation without putting strain on your heart and increases the levels of oxygen and white blood cells in your blood. It also stimulates the production of collagen (a building block for human tissue) in your body and helps to rid your body of toxins by causing you to perspire. You get the benefit of a stronger immune system, better cardiovascular health, and a faster ability to heal from soft tissue injuries such as tears, pulls, and sprains. Believe it or not, Far Infrared Heat Therapy also serves as an effective way to help cure hangovers. The penetrating heat of Far Infrared Heat Therapy can be used as a beauty treatment as well. It reduces the appearance of crow's feet, fine lines, and wrinkles. In addition to helping heal scars, wounds, and cuts, it also smoothes your skin's texture, lessens coarseness, and reduces pore size. Far Infrared Heat Therapy penetrates deep into soft tissue, making it an ideal source of arthritis pain relief. Athletes and the elderly will benefit from an effective means of loosening sore muscles and stiff joints without the use of ointments or creams that can burn and have an unpleasant odor. Those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, ALS, Lou Gehrig's Disease, and Parkinson's Disease can enjoy an easy to use form of pain relief. In addition to making you perspire and removing toxins from your body, Far Infrared Heat Therapy serves as a means of weight loss and cellulite reduction for those who cannot exercise due to health concerns or mobility issues. How is Far Infrared Heat Therapy administered? Thanks to the demand for pain relief applications as well as the growing knowledge and popularity of Infrared Heat Therapy, a wide variety of products are available to help you enjoy the benefits of this technology. Ranging in price from as low as $80 to as high as $2,600, Far Infrared Heat Therapy technology is used in handheld devices, stationary systems, products with built in massagers, and even highly effective home saunas. The Light Relief® is an example of a handheld infrared therapy device. It uses either an AC adapter or batteries and can be held against your body with your hand or attached to your body using the long strap included with the product. It is a great solution for targeting pain in specific areas such as your joints, hands, and neck. The DPL - Deep Penetrating Light Therapy System is a device that consists of two large panels, mounted on a stand, that contain dozens of infrared LED lights. The DPL can sit on a table to apply the skin-related benefits of infrared therapy to your face, or the two panels can be removed and either held or strapped to the body. When removed from the stand, the two infrared panels are ideal for relieving pain, healing, and increasing circulation in larger parts of the body such as the lower back, the upper back, thighs, shoulders, and abs. Perhaps the most effective form of Far Infrared Heat Therapy, the Far Infrared Home Sauna offers many more benefits than any other device. Unlike traditional saunas that heat up to over 200 degrees Fahrenheit, the Far Infrared Home Sauna only reaches a maximum of 150 degrees. The infrared technology allows the heat to penetrate even deeper into your body while eliminating the discomfort of extremely high temperatures. The air is fresh and steam-free as opposed to being humid and stale, and this sauna uses a fraction of the energy a traditional one uses. Because the temperatures are low enough to not affect electronics, the Far Infrared Home Sauna includes a sound system with CD player and a reading light. Will Far Infrared Heat Therapy Work For Me? Far Infrared Heat Therapy has been shown to work on people of all backgrounds. The range of benefits from this effective form of heat therapy can be felt regardless of skin type, physical disabilities or limitations, and athletic condition. Simply use the available types of Far Infrared Heat Therapy for 15 - 30 minutes per day and enjoy the benefits of a healthier lifestyle. For more information on the wide variety of infrared heat therapy products, click on the links below.

THE BENEFITS OF ALA Your A+ Antioxidant

Your A+ Antioxidant DISCOVER THE BENEFITS OF ALA FOR YOURSELF Scientists first discovered the importance of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) in the 1950's. Alpha Lipoic Acid can be found in foods such as kidney, heart, liver, spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes, but it is also produced by the body in smaller amounts. Alpha Lipoic Acid is a fast-absorbing sulfurous fatty acid that can be synthesized in plants, animals, and humans, and functions as a co-factor for energy production.* After being converted into lipoamide in the body, ALA's primary function is encouraging enzymes such as pyruvate to break down and collect nutrients and energy from the foods we eat.* Alpha Lipoic Acid supplement benefit, side effects, use for blood sugar, diabetes Information by Ray Sahelian, M.D. Over the counter dosages include capsules and tablets that are 25 mg, 50 mg, 100, 200, 300 and even 600 mg per pill Alpha lipoic acid is a powerful, natural antioxidant becoming recognized as having some unique properties in the therapy and prevention of a broad range of diseases. In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, this supplement helps the body use glucose, hence it's potential role in improving blood sugar control. ALA reduces complications from a high sugar diet. it is readily absorbed from the diet or as a supplement. This nutrient has a variety of benefits, particularly for diabetics. The two types If you're taking a conventional lipoic acid supplement, you're likely only getting half or less of the benefit of natural lipoic acid. The reason for this is that most alpha lipoic acid products on the market have both forms: the S form, and the R form. R-lipoic acid is much more potent (2 times or more) than commonly sold alpha lipoic acid which contains both the R and S forms. The S form is chemically the mirror image of the R form and cannot be used by the body, hence it is useless. Thus, 50 mg of R- alpha lipoic acid is equivalent to at least 100 mg of the regular version.