Bile acids - Liver Cleaners
Bile acids are the liver’s detergents -- flowing through the cellular channels all throughout the liver.
There are dozens of different bile acids created by the liver, all of which are metabolites of cholesterol. Essentially, they are created to dissolve and mobilize toxic material and export it from the liver and into the intestines for excretion. Different bile acids are needed to dissolve and carry different toxins from the liver.
In general, bile acids are your friends. However, certain drugs (including methylated steroids) cause the liver to slow bile acid production, and create a bile acid insufficiency, as well as cause a build up in the hepatotoxic bile acids (15-23) This makes a mess, and causes the liver to get jammed up fast. If the liver gets clogged up enough where bile can no longer flow from the biliary channels, a condition develops known as reversible cholestasis.
Luckily this liver condition is reversible. If you have suffered some toxic effects from steroids (or other drugs) you still have a chance to turn it around for the better.
Bile Acid – The Doctors Choice
Bile acid is the drug of choice prescribed to anabolic steroids users admitted for drug induced cholestasis. The drug is known as Ursodiol -- a.k.a. ursodeoxycholic acid. This naturally occurring bile acid is known for its hydrophilic action and ability to detoxify the liver by cleaning out less hydrophilic bile acids, among other toxins such as methylated hormone metabolites. (19, 24-27)
Unfortunately, Ursodiol is an expensive prescription drug, and not easily obtainable.
As I mentioned earlier, there is new and exciting research on milk thistle that we are excited to present. Research has shown us milk thistle has the ability to increase production of this protective bile acid -- ursodeoxycholic acid (at the same relative dose delivered by Liver Juice) (18-23)
The West Side Liver Gang – Cleaning up the Trash
The main active ingredients in milk thistle are flavonolignans, known as silichristin, silidianin, isosilibinin, and the most biologically active player, silybin (Our milk thistle extract is standardized to 30% silybin). (1-4)
When these milk thistle flavonolignans enter the liver they don’t mess around. They immediately start circulating the liver to signal sluggish and under-producing liver cells to pick up the production of liver cleansing bile acids, esspecialy the hepatoprotective variety such as ursodeoxycholic acid. It appears that silybin stimulates Cyp7a1 and Cyp3a enzymes to encorage conversion of cholesterol towards protective and hydrophilic bile acids. (18-23)
Now here is the clincher...
Studies have shown that milk thistle can reverse the down-regulating effect on bile acid production even during the administration of methylated steroids. So when steroids are in the liver inhibiting production of the beneficial bile acids, milk thistle steps in and ramps up beneficial bile acid production while enhancing the export of built up toxins (and methylated steroids) from the liver. (18-23, 28)
Liver Juice - Quick to Battle
With our Liqua-Vade delivery system, the active milk thistle flavones will reach the liver fast. Once absorbed through the intestines the biologically active flavones are immediately carried into the liver, where they begin stimulating the liver cells to revive detoxifying bile acid production. (8,9)
In animals with cholestasis induced from methylated steroids, milk thistle has been shown to significantly restore bile production and bile outflow in less than 5 days. (19-21) However we do encorage "pre-conditioning" the liver with Liver Juice two weeks prior to any methylated oral steroid cycle, while continuing use throughout the entire cycle.
Liver Juice – The Timeless Miracle Worker
Liver Juice (milk thistle) has been used safely to treat various liver diseases for thousands of years. Out of the dozens of published scientific papers on milk thistle, no harmful side-effects have ever been found. (1-4)
It was nearly 2000 years ago when Pliney The Elder noted that milk thistle juice was excellent for “carrying off bile”. (29) I guess it appears he was right after all.