expiredphoinix | Staff posted May 29, 2024 10:21 PM
Item 1 of 4
Item 1 of 4
expiredphoinix | Staff posted May 29, 2024 10:21 PM
50ct Nature's Bounty Milk Thistle 1000mg Herbal Supplement Softgels
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Maybe it's different in animals, but in humans the level of evidence to suggest there's benefit in helping those with the most common causes of chronic liver disease here in the US (ie. viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease) is marginal at best. With the lack of clear benefit with milk thistle and potential harm to the liver in taking supplements that have not been tested for safety, efficacy, or product quality, most liver doctors would not recommend taking milk thistle.
Source: I'm a liver doctor
Another source: https://www.nccih.nih.g
For those of you who do not have liver cirrhosis, the overall diet and lifestyle advice that I would give would be to avoid/limit alcohol use, maintain a healthy body weight (or aim to lose 7-10% of your baseline body weight if you are overweight), and adhere to a plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet. If you have diabetes, make sure your diabetes is optimally controlled as it increases the rate of fibrosis progression and risk of developing many forms of cancer, including liver cancer. Avoid high-fructose corn syrup and added sugars, but feel free to drink coffee (ideally black coffee and *not* Starbucks frappuccinos or other coffee drinks heavy in cream and sugar) which can reduce your risk of fibrosis progression and is associated with reduced risk of liver cancer (both caffeinated and decaf are effective). Participate in exercise on a regular basis - aerobic or resistance training both are helpful - and aim for at least 90-150 minutes a week. Even brisk walking can be helpful.
And if the above advice sounds generic or like common sense, that's because it is -- the two most common forms of chronic liver disease and reasons why people die of liver disease or why they need a liver transplant are diet and lifestyle issues (alcohol and metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease),but can be applicable for all people. In fact, alcohol is by and far the #1 cause of liver-related mortality. If you think you may have an alcohol problem, be honest with yourself and seek help in a nonjudgemental, supportive environment -- I can tell you honestly I've never had a patient lament quitting alcohol, but I've unfortunately seen people in their 20s die of alcoholic liver failure. Focus on fixing these basic issues before reaching for supplements.
For people who already have liver cirrhosis, the strategies are meant to prevent further deterioration of the liver, but general diet/lifestyle advice that I would emphasize are to avoid fasting and eat regularly around the block (don't go more than 3 hours without eating). Ideally have a high protein snack at bedtime and upon awakening to limit the amount of time your liver goes without nutrients. Your diet should be a high protein diet with an abundance of fruits/vegetables, while limiting the amount of salt, sugar, and fat intake. Strictly avoid alcohol -- there is no safe amount at this degree of liver disease: one sip can throw you into acute on chronic liver failure. It's also important to maintain a baseline level of physical fitness to keep your muscles as strong as possible. Make sure you are up-to-date with age-appropriate vaccines because people with liver cirrhosis have a compromised immune system. You should also be getting regular imaging of your liver every 6 months to screen for liver cancer because the presence of cirrhosis is associated with a 2-5% risk per year of developing liver cancer.
And finally, if you suffer from complications of liver cirrhosis such as fluid retention (ascites), bleeding from blood vessels (varices), confusion (encephalopathy), and/or liver cancer, you should really be under the care of a specialist and be evaluated for liver transplant eligibility.
Since this is a post about supplements, do know that there is very limited quality evidence that supplements are helpful for the liver, and usually it's only in specific cases. Supplements do have the potential to damage the liver given their absence of regulation, so there has been a noticeable rise in supplement-induced liver injury (anyone remember Hydroxycut?). Don't waste money on "liver cleanses" -- they don't cleanse your liver, but can cleanse your wallet. Work on fixing the foundational diet and lifestyle issues that most people have room for improvement.
I'm not here to provide specific advice and I encourage everyone to go see their own doctors if they have issues with their liver, but hopefully some of the above tips will be helpful, even if it may sound generic or common sense. And yes, most specialist doctors who take care of people's liver disease in this country are trained as gastroenterologists, but for those who us who have undergone an additional year of specialized training to become transplant hepatologists, we are proud to call ourselves liver doctors.
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Maybe it's different in animals, but in humans the level of evidence to suggest there's benefit in helping those with the most common causes of chronic liver disease here in the US (ie. viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease) is marginal at best. With the lack of clear benefit with milk thistle and potential harm to the liver in taking supplements that have not been tested for safety, efficacy, or product quality, most liver doctors would not recommend taking milk thistle.
Source: I'm a liver doctor
Another source: https://www.nccih.nih.g
Maybe it's different in animals, but in humans the level of evidence to suggest there's benefit in helping those with the most common causes of chronic liver disease here in the US (ie. viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease) is marginal at best. With the lack of clear benefit with milk thistle and potential harm to the liver in taking supplements that have not been tested for safety, efficacy, or product quality, most liver doctors would not recommend taking milk thistle.
Source: I'm a liver doctor
Another source: https://www.nccih.nih.g
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Maybe it's different in animals, but in humans the level of evidence to suggest there's benefit in helping those with the most common causes of chronic liver disease here in the US (ie. viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease) is marginal at best. With the lack of clear benefit with milk thistle and potential harm to the liver in taking supplements that have not been tested for safety, efficacy, or product quality, most liver doctors would not recommend taking milk thistle.
Source: I'm a liver doctor
Another source: https://www.nccih.nih.g
āhttps://www.cancerresea
"It is possible that milk thistle may play a part in treating liver disease and some types of cancer."
So it seems murky whether or not it does, but because it's so cheap, I think it's worth on the chance there is some benefit.
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