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Christmas is fast approaching and to many of us this means party time. Between Christmas parties, New Year’s celebrations, holidays, and numerous other summer celebrations, this is the time of excess. Alcohol, Christmas treats and decreased focus on healthy food choices all add extra load on the liver, decreasing effective functioning and in turn leading to decreased ability to neutralize body toxins. The other side of summer means hitting the beach and finally being able to head outside without having to cover every inch of our body, so we also want to look and feel our best.

The liver is the largest internal organ in the body and essential for life. In fact, a human can only survive for about 24 hours without liver function. Detoxification, protein synthesis, bile productions (necessary for the breakdown of dietary fats) glycogen storage, and regulation of metabolism are the main functions of the liver. Factors leading to poor functioning are: excess alcohol, fatty foods, processed foods, infections and general poor dietary habits. So how do you balance enjoying the season without the detrimental effects on the body? The answer is a quality liver tonic product.

Taken daily throughout the silly season a good quality liver tonic can help to ensure your liver remains healthy and functioning optimally to ensure your body can cope with the good times without the side effects such as bloating, constipation and decreased metabolic function.

There are many products on the market now aimed at assisting with liver functioning so how do you choose? Firstly, look for a product containing St Mary’s Thistle (Silybum marianum), which has been used for over 2,000 years to treat liver and gall bladder conditions and more recently clinically proven to assist with repair of the liver cells. St Mary’s Thistle has the added benefit of being a powerful antioxidant. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a bitter herb which assists with general digestive functioning, liver detoxification and eliminating excess fluid retention which may be associated. Other nutrients and herbs that will assist liver functioning and detoxification include: Globe artichoke, Burdock, Green tea, B-complex vitamins and taurine..

Our recommendations:

1. Herbs of Gold Liver Tonic – a liquid herbal supplement taken twice daily with meals. Liquid herbals absorb faster and contain less fillers than tablets preparations; however palatability can be an issue for some individuals.
2. Health Formulations Liva-Tone Plus – can be taken in powder or capsule form twice daily with food. Contains St Mary’s Thistle and Green tea in combination with B-group vitamins which are also depleted through excess alcohol and poor food choices.
3. Fusion Liver Tonic – an easy to use tablet preparation containing a blend of herbs combined with the potent antioxidant properties of Goji berries to help support liver and gallbladder health.
4. Microgenics Liver Detox – a one-a-day tablet with a good dose of St Mary’s thistle combined with other nutrients to assist healthy liver and digestive function.

For extra support, also take a quality multi-vitamin with decent levels of B-vitamins as these are essential for proper digestion and many enzyme processes. B-vitamins are also easily lost through alcohol intake and poor dietary habits. A multi-vitamin, such as BSc Multi VMA, also provides a range of nutrients needed for general health and wellbeing.

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