This Milk Thistle Dandelion combination is made by blending pure, freshly powdered, certified organic Milk Thistle seed, organic Burdock, organic Artichoke and organic Dandelion with Milk Thistle seed standardized to 80% silymarin.  This formula blends science with tradition to provide a full spectrum of active constituents.

Key Benefits

• An aid to healthy liver function
• Liver support

Product Features

• Made with Certified Organic Milk Thistle, Burdock, Artichoke and Dandelion
• Non-GMO
• Herb Identity Guaranteed
• 100% Vegetarian
• Pure: Free of excipients and stearates
• Product does NOT contain dairy, wheat, gluten, peanuts, soy or corn allergens.
• Manufactured in the USA
• Packaged in a BPA-FREE PET plastic bottle

Other Ingredients: None

100% NON-GMO VEGETARIAN CAPSULE: Pullulan (complex carbohydrate)

Suggested Use

As an herbal supplement, take three capsules daily with food.

Background and Use

MILK THISTLE has been used and extensively studied as an aid to healthy liver function. Silymarin, although well-known, is but one of many liver supporting substances found in the seed of Milk Thistle. Many clinical studies have demonstrated that Milk Thistle provides potent antioxidant protection, against free radicals and other toxins that normally enter into the liver and cause damage to the liver cells.

DANDELION is a gentle and effective herb and is valued in many cultures. Classified as a bitter, a group of herbs that have been used traditionally to improve appetite and support normal digestion. In the folk medicine of many countries, Dandelion root is regarded as a liver tonic, a substance believed to support the liver in an unspecified way. Preliminary studies do suggest that Dandelion root stimulates the liver to increase bile flow. Once the liver releases bile, its two main functions are to carry away waste and to break down fats during digestion. It remains to be proven what physiological function this has in the body.

BURDOCK is valued in many cultures for its safety and effectiveness. The root, leaves and seeds were known to the ancient Greeks as healing remedies. With the exception of Chinese Medicine which employs seeds, it is the roots that are used today as both a food and a traditional medicine. Its popularity as a food is increasing as more people turn to macrobiotic diets.

In vitro (test tube) studies of ARTICHOKE report that this remarkable vegetable contains constituents that provide protection for the liver from a variety of toxins. It is also a bitter herb and stimulates bile flow.

What is the value of adding standardized extracts to herbal formulas?

We believe that the combination of both the standardized extract and the whole herb creates a more balanced formulation that combines the best of both traditional herbal knowledge and modern scientific research. We add the standardized extract only when we are assured of efficacy and safety of that specific extract. Each herb is assessed on an individual basis to investigate these two important factors:

• Efficacy: Most of the current scientific studies on herbal medicines have been done using standardized extracts. There are some standardized extracts for which clinical evidence is not compelling (perhaps because the wrong marker constituent has been chosen). Conversely, there are herbs, such as ginkgo, in which the research results for the standardized extract is impressive. In these cases we have added the extract in our product.
• Safety and Quality: Since the process of extracting an herb concentrates a certain constituent and reduces the other potentially synergistic constituents, the herb is transformed from an herb to a phytochemical. This results in a supplement which is very different from the traditional herbs that the human body has co-existed with over the millennia. Many herbalists believe that the loss of the synergistic constituents may compromise the safety and quality of the herb. Indeed, many standardized extracts do not have the same shelf life as their whole herb counterparts. We share this concern at Oregon's Wild Harvest and have selected only the standardized extracts that we can be assured are safe and stable as well as efficacious.

It is our mission to study whole herbs scientifically and compare them to standardized extracts. We are conducting studies in local academic and clinical institutions using our whole herb products

What are the benefits of adding the whole organic Milk Thistle?

Silymarins (and related compounds) are difficult for the body to absorb and use if they are in their isolated form. Perhaps this is why nature has packaged them with the supporting constituents such as the flavonoids, amino acids, proteins and fats that are naturally present in this miraculous seed. We believe that our product is more balanced and effective than a product that supplies standardized extract alone.

It has taken us many years to procure a reliable supply of high quality fresh Milk Thistle seeds. The seeds are black and shiny when we receive them in comparison to most Milk Thistle seeds available commercially which are grey and dull in comparison. This is because they are not fresh. Our QC personnel follow a written specification that the Milk Thistle seeds we receive are fresh.

How is the standardized extract special?

The powdered extract used in this capsule is manufactured without artificial ingredients (no carriers or preservatives) or harsh solvents (for example; hexane).

Articles, Solutions and News

• Top 10 Best Researched Herbs - December 2010
• Liver-Loving - May 2011
  
• Milk Thistle Health Benefits - August 2011
• Healthy Digestion - April 2012

Precautions

Not recommended for individuals diagnosed with inflammation of the gall bladder or bile duct obstruction.  Discontinue if unusual  symptoms occur or if you experience mild gastrointestinal complaints or mild laxative effects.  In extremely rare cases, acute allergic reactions have been observed. Do not use if pregnant or nursing.  Keep out of reach of children.  Do not exceed recommended dose unless under the guidance of a health care professional.

Allergens

Individuals sensitive to plants in the Daisy family (sesquiterpene lactone-containing plants) should use this supplement with caution.