Discussion Board

I understand that Dr. McDougall support milk thistle.

Is there a specific form or brand he recommends?

Does anyone have any experience with this?

I've used it in a dog with liver disease--it seemed to help. I just got it from Whole Foods (don't recall brand).

From what I know, milk thistle is one of the few herbs you for sure want to get as "standardized extract". Increases glutathione in the liver.

I get mine from Whole Foods, house brand, standardized at 80% silymarin (the active ingredient). I'm taking it to counteract the big dose of antibiotics I had to take to clear up pneumonia. Unfortunately, I don't know if it does anything or not. I suppose that makes it faith healing on my part.

Milk thistle may protect your liver but the big issue w/ antibiotics is that they kill a large percentage of your beneficial intestinal flora and set up an imbalance that can remain in place a very long time. Even undetected that imbalance can be a health hazard because those missing good bacteria are like an immune organ and manufacture many substances that are protective against cancer and many other diseases. So to "antidote" the damage what you really need is to take moderately high doses of good probiotics for awhile. My opinion would be to take them for several months after.