Sunday, May 22, 2011

If You Like to Drink, You Should Take Milk Thistle


Hey don't worry about it I am guilty also. There is nothing I like more then to sit on a Friday night after the kids go to sleep and drink a few cups of dry red wine. Whether it is at a festive meal with my friends, or just me and my wife. I like to get a little drunk on the weekends. I don't drink like I did when I was a teenager but I do still like to inebriate myself on the weekends. We all know that drinking alcohol is bad for our bodies, but hey everything in proportion right?

So what is it that alcohol does to our bodies that is so harmful? First off it dehydrates us. This is why you can wake up in the morning with a mouth as dry as the Nevada dessert during a drought. Second it increases the acidity of the stomach and digestive tract as well as the rest of the body. This is why you get the heart burn. And if you don't watch out this can also cause stomach ulcers. Third it depletes your body of important vitamins. Most vital of which being those of the B complex vitamins. This is one of the big reasons people suffer from headaches the morning after drinking large amounts.

So now I drink smart. I make sure to drink lots of water when drinking. I eat foods that help keep my acid levels balanced. Examples of good foods to eat when drinking are cucumbers, lettuce, almonds and sesame products. And I take a 100 mg B-complex vitamin before and after I drink. My close friends know that I can get up early and function fine, even after consuming large amounts of alcoholic beverages the night before.

But wait what about the liver? Yes alcohol is very harmful to our livers as well. Daily consumption of alcohol can result in the liver disease known as cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Should you take Milk Thistle if you drink? YES
So what is Milk Thistle? Milk Thistle is an herb that is known to be a hepatoprotector which helps protect the liver cells. Many studies have found Milk thistle to help with liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis.
See full monograph for Milk Thistle
When and how should you take Milk Thistle if you drink?
If you drink regularly then you should take Milk Thistle regularly as well. You can purchase Milk Thistle capsules at almost any Pharmacy. You should take one a day of most capsules.
So my suggestion is this. Don't drink every day. And if you are like me and like to drink on the weekend, get yourself some milk thistle and take it.

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