Cranberry extract and milk thistle

[Steelheart]

Are these really beneficial as liver and kidney protectors? Or are they just speculations?

 

[liftsiron]

Yes do a search, there tons of research articles on both, cranberry works by preventing bladder infections. And milk this is being used by med doctors for liver disorders. They both have good benefits.

 

[DocTodd]

Cranberry juice helps against UTI's by alkalinizing the urine. The most common bacteria in UTI's like acidic environments and will multiply more. I dont know how alkalinizing the urine will prevent the toxic effects of AS. If you drink alot of water, anything that is stored in the kidneys will be diluted and pass through faster. I dont see how cranberry juice will help this unless you drink alot of it, in which case it does the same thing as water. Maybe someone else has more info, but thats why cranberry juice is supposedly better for the kidneys and urinary tract infections.

T

 

[HardasRock]

milk thistle

Milk thistle is awesome. You can maintain normal liver enzymes during a steroid cycle if you take it. Milk thistle forms a protective coating around your liver cell which prevents any toxins from entering the cell and causing damage. This includes alcohol, environmental toxins and also toxins like pesticides and herbicides. It also stimulates the growth of new liver cells as well. If you really want to know how well it works check this out! If I were to drop an E I would be fucked but after 2 weeks of milk thistle I dropped 4 E one night and never got a thing from it. E is a toxin so my liver never processed it so I never got high. I also ate 5 grams of mushrooms and never got a thing. Milk thistle is amazing. Ah the power of herbs. I recommend everyone to take it. The best kind is the liquid form made by Huberon from Germany. Tastes like shit but I guarantee it works.

 

[liftsiron]

Doc Todd this what that I have read pertaining to cranberry EXTRACT. It works by making the lining of the bladder more slippery, making it less likely for bacteria to adhere and cause infection. I've seen this reported a number of times in various books and mags. I have not seen any research papers on this topic though, also I've never researched this topic either. It is good to have someone with your expertise on the board.

 

[Jeff_rys]

i find that milk tistle sucks

go for Calcium D-Glucarate or L-reduced Glutathione.

 

[riskybiz007]

cranberry as far as i know is suppossed to help clean out toxins in your kidney that water can't. There are toxins that water can't get rid of, and Cranberry will. And if you're not drinking enough water, cranberry would be good to add just as a safe precaution IMO.

Milk Thistle might or might not work. I know I took Milk Thistle and when i went to the doctor my liver enzyme levels were only slightly over. I believe it was my AST level was 4 higher than normal. Can anyone tell me what this means?

 

[DocTodd]

Doc Todd this what that I have read pertaining to cranberry EXTRACT. It works by making the lining of the bladder more slippery, making it less likely for bacteria to adhere and cause infection.

Well, that sounds like it could work. The bladder is just a storage container for the urine your kidneys make. If the urine stays for a longer amount of time than usual, the bacteria will of course have a better chance to multiply in your bladder just cuz they have more time to do it. But if your bladder is holding urine for the usual amount of time, 6 hours or less, it is pretty tough for bacteria to get a hold of anything on your bladder mucosa. I love cranberry juice, so im all for it.

riskybiz....i dont know of ANY medicine that will bind to toxins in your kidneys. There might be some, but im not a nephrologist, so i dont know. The best way to keep your kidneys safe is to make sure nothing stays in them too long by drinking enough water to dilute anything that is insulting them. As for your liver AST, it is a marker of hepatic cell damage. A good way of thinking about this is to think that the hepatic (liver) cell release these markers when they get damaged. A long term alcoholic wont have many liver cells left, so his ALT or AST wont be high at all, but that doesnt mean he doesnt have liver damage. The normal range is like 4-45 or something close to that depending on the lab who tests it. If you had 48, then its no big deal....unless your previous normal level was 8.....that jump of 40 would make me want to recheck it again and see if it is trending up. If it goes down or stays about the same, then you might be in the clear.

T