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Medibolics

Michael Mooney
One of the foremost experts on diet, hormones and supplements and a long-time exercise enthusiast. Michael Mooney is also the co-author of "Built To Survive", a book about medical options for people with HIV.
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Liver Detox Foods And Supplements

QUESTION: My dad’s been an alcoholic for 20 years now, but has decided to kick the habit once and for all! My mom and I now have him on a health kick and want to detoxify his liver. Are there any foods or supplements you would recommend?

ANSWER: There are lots of complicated magical mystery liver cleansers sold in health food stores, but, really, eating a variety of fresh fruits and minimally cooked vegetables is the best way to clean and rebuild liver tissue. At the same time, common sense says avoid fried and processed foods. The quick list of supplements that improve liver health includes:

  • Liver Tablets
  • Milk Thistle
  • Dandelion
  • Artichoke Leaf Extracts
  • Alpha Lipoic Acid (100 to 300 mg per day)
  • N-acetyl cysteine (1,200 mg per day)
  • Livercare

They all help, so take your pick or use several, and be sure to take higher potencies for the best effect. There is a caveat with alpha lipoic acid. When higher doses are taken for a long time, they can cause hypothydroidism. So anyone using alpha lipoic acid in higher doses of say 300 mg per day for six months or more should have his TSH tested to make sure it’s not screwing his thyroid up. It is a very valuable liver helper, though, so short term use under three months can make a liver hum. No problemo!

If you want to know what supplements Michael recommends for boosting immunity, click HERE.