Liver Tonic is a unique blend of herbs designed to protect the liver cells from toxins and damage. Liver Tonic also helps induce the flow of bile from the liver, helping to detoxify the body. Liver Tonic may also be beneficial to the stomach, gallbladder, and spleen. Liver Tonic is the same product as Silymarin (Milk Thistle)

Milk thistle prevents toxins from entering the liver by guarding the organ's numerous doorways-the membranes of liver cells. By slowing the rate at which the liver absorbs harmful substances, the toxins are excreted through the kidneys before they can cause liver damage. The most dramatic example of this is Milk Thistle's ability to block poisons from the death cap, mushroom (Amanita phalloides); one of the most notorious liver toxins known to humans.

Much of Milk Thistle's protective effect is due to the flavonoid complex Silymarin, which acts as a powerful antioxidant, combining with and thus neutralizing harmful free radicals that result from normal metabolic processes and from the breakdown of toxic substances. At least 10 times as potent as vitamin E, Silymarin also helps increase levels of two additional antioxidants, glutathione and superoxide dismutase (SOD). A laboratory study showed that Silymarin may increase glutathione content in the liver and intestines by up to 50 percent. Silymarin also increases the activity of SOD in erythrocytes (red blood cells) and lymphocytes (white blood cells) formed in the lymphatic tissue in patients with liver disease. Because Silymarin is a potent antioxidant in the stomach and intestines, it may also have a role to play in treating inflammatory conditions such as colitis and ulcers.

When damage has already been done, Milk Thistle aids the liver in repairing injured cells and generating new ones. It does this by stimulating protein synthesis through the enzyme RNA polymerase I. Protein is a basic building block of cell walls, cell structures, and enzymes that are vital to all body processes. Recent evidence (molecular modeling) suggests that the constituent silybin may be responsible for stimulating protein synthesis, because it imitates a steroid hormone. Silybin increases protein synthesis by up to 25 to 30 percent, compared with controls. Milk thistle's regenerative ability is essential for treating serious conditions such as chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and toxic fatty deposits in the liver.