Thursday, March 28, 2024

Milk Thistle For Lyme Disease

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The Differences Between Food Sensitivities Allergies And Intolerances

MILK THISTLE – IT MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIVER…

The words sensitivity, intolerance, and allergy are often used interchangeably, but they arent the same. Though many of the symptoms may overlap, they usually arise from a variety of different circumstances. Knowing the disparities can help you track down the chief offenders that might be halting your recovery from Lyme disease.

How Does Milk Thistle Extract Work

Milk thistle seeds contain numerous bioactive compounds and phytonutrients that are thought to have beneficial effects. Some of the active ingredients identified in this plant include:

Flavonolignans:

  • Fixed oil
  • Free fatty acids

Silybin is the most biologically active compound in milk thistle extract. It is a flavonolignan that acts primarily as an antioxidant to protect cells from dangerous by-products of metabolism, known as free radicals.

Silybin helps protect cell membranes and other structures from being damaged during the normal course of the cells life. Because these compounds can neutralize free radicals the cells use up less of the main antioxidants, such as glutathione, and therefore have higher levels of glutathione.

Most of what is known about how these compounds support liver health is based on studies in isolated cells or in animal models. More research in horses is needed to fully evaluate these claims.

Milk thistle may also work by supporting natural digestive function in horses. It has been shown to stimulate gastric enzyme secretion and could be beneficial for horses with digestive concerns.

Milk Thistle is generally well tolerated in horses. In healthy horses, concentrated extracts fed in the form of a silibinin phospholipid complex resulted in no adverse effects. . This product has not been studied in foals or breeding/pregnant animals so we do not know how it affects these horses.

Lyme Disease Natural Treatment Safety

If you decide to explore natural treatments for Lyme disease, talk to your doctor about the risks beforehand. Natural treatments, just like traditional treatments, can still be toxic or dangerous. But in combination with medical treatment, a complementary approach might improve health.

For example, a product called bismacine contains an injectable form of bismuth. This is a type of metal thats a common ingredient in some digestive aids. But bismacine contains a higher dose of bismuth thats injectable. Injecting a high dose of bismuth can cause bismuth poisoning, which can lead to heart and kidney failure.

Other natural treatments may interact with other medications or supplements you take. Your doctor can help you confirm whether any medications you currently take will interact with treatment youre interested in trying.

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Supports Liver Cell Regeneration

Milk thistle helps liver cells make proteins that support cellular regeneration and repair from damage caused by exposure to toxins. This speeds up the replacement of damaged liver cells with new healthy cells a process known as cellular turnover. For horses that have liver issues or those at risk of developing liver problems, silymarin might promote normal repair processes to enhance overall liver function.

Why Use Castor Oil Packs For Liver Support

Silymarin Milk Thistle 150mg

Castor oil contains fatty acids that relieve stagnation in the pelvis. The oil penetrates the skin and moves into the lymph. In the lymph, castor oil stimulates the natural cleansing process of the cells and they release toxins for elimination. The warm oil also helps release deep-seated emotions held in the pelvis and liver and provides comfort and grounding.

Castor Oil Pack Instructions

Materials

  • One square foot piece of organic cotton or unbleached wool
  • Castor oil
  • Fill the hot water bottle.
  • Tear off a sheet of plastic wrap.
  • Put the fabric into the baking pan.
  • Pour castor oil onto the fabric until the fabric is saturated with the oil.
  • Lay on your back on one of the old towels.
  • Arrange pillows to support your neck and elevate your feet.
  • Place the fabric over your abdomen on your right side below your ribs.
  • Cover the fabric with plastic .
  • Place the hot water bottle on top.
  • Cover the whole thing with the second towel.
  • Keep the castor oil pack in place at least 20 minutes and up to one hour. Start slow.
  • Remove the castor oil pack.
  • Store in the plastic bag for reuse.
  • Do castor oil pack treatments once a week, on an as-needed basis, or as directed by your practitioner.

People who are working with an over-burdened liver sometimes have detox symptoms after castor oil pack treatments. Start slow! Here is a link to learn more on another way to use castor oil packs:Elements of Ayurveda Castor Oil Pack PDF

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Chelation Therapy For Lyme Disease

Some people believe Lyme disease symptoms are linked to heavy metal toxicity from materials like lead or mercury. Chelation therapy is a method of removing heavy metals from the bloodstream.

Its done using a type of medication called a chelator or chelating agent. This medication binds to metals in the bloodstream, collecting them into a compound that can be processed by your kidneys and released in urine.

Chelation therapy is an effective treatment for a buildup of heavy metals. But theres no evidence that heavy metals contribute to Lyme disease, and chelation therapy wont treat the underlying infection.

Essential Oils For Lyme Disease

Essential oils are concentrated liquids from plants. Some of them have antibacterial properties, meaning they can kill bacteria.

A 2017 study evaluated the use of 34 essential oils to kill B. burgdorferi bacteria in a laboratory setting. Cinnamon bark, clove bud, and oregano essential oils killed the bacteria without any regrowth. <

These results are promising, but theres no evidence that they work in humans with Lyme disease. Essential oils are used in aromatherapy, where the fragrant oils are inhaled through a diffuser or diluted in a carrier oil and applied topically. Its not safe to ingest essential oils, especially in the quantities that you would likely need to treat Lyme disease.

Some people claim that immune system-boosting supplements can naturally treat Lyme disease.

These include:

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Nerve And Brain Repair

Glutathione is found in every cell of our body. By lowering oxidizing agents and free radicals, it allows for normal cell repair functions to occur. In this way it is the master repair agent of a cell. Excess cell damage and decreased cell function can occur from Lyme germs and other stressors. Under assault there is greater cell production of oxidizing agents and free radicals. Ultimately these damage the cell power factories called mitochondria. Without power cells can not heal. And without adequate glutathione, mitochondria cannot heal as free radicals and oxidizing agents continue to bombard these cell power plants.

The problem in chronic infection states like Lyme is the cell glutathione levels eventually become too low trying to keep up with mitochondria and cell injury caused by Lyme germs and the coinfections. This is particularly a problem in nerve cells.

Filling up a cell’s glutathione gas tank can help nerve cells repair and recover. In my experience I have seen marked improvements in thinking and neuropathy when I used glutathione with my patients. For more information on this see My Brain Isn’t Working …. I Think.

Glutathione With Physician Assistance

Best Lyme Disease Supplements (Great for Parasites & Worms too)

There are two other ways to take Glutathione. Both of these are stronger than using the supplements above because they go directly into the bloodstream.

Glutathione by Nebulizer. A nebulizer is a machine that you can find over the counter in any pharmacy. It converts liquid glutathione into a fine mist that a person breaths in. The lungs have great blood flow and the glutathione is easliy absorbed into the bloodstream this way. It can be given in three different strengths that are mixed up by a compounding pharmacy. It requires a prescription.

It comes as 60mg/ml, 100mg/ml and 200mg/ml. Patients nebulize 2 ml of either of these strenghts 2 times a day. This substance can be irritating at first creating a burning sensation in the lungs, Because of this, for some it could be better to start at the 100 mg or 60 mg dose, but my preference and most effective dose is the 200mg/ml.

Glutathione by IV. This is administered in an integrative medicine physician’s office. I used Glutathione IV 1200 mg to 2500 mg 2 times a week for a minimum of four treatments. If it helps but there are still improvements with the last treatment, consider weakly treatments until improvements plateau. People often feel more tired after the first treatment.

I reserved IV Glutathione for people who were having severe Herxheimer die-off reactions or severe neurologic Lyme not improving with the supplements above.

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Causes Of Liver Disease In Horses

The most common cause of acute liver damage in horses is consumption of plants that contain the toxin pyrrolizidine alkaloid. This leads to liver necrosis and fibrosis that can not be recovered through normal cellular regeneration.

This toxin is present in ragworts and groundsels, fiddlenecks, rattlepods, and Hounds tongue. Horses that have consumed these poisonous plants should be closely monitored for signs of liver damage.

Equine liver disease can also develop slowly over time. Horses with equine metabolic syndrome or those that are overweight are at higher risk of liver problems. Many of these horses have fat accumulation in the liver which makes them more insulin resistant.

This sets off a vicious cycle in which fatty liver tissue causing more insulin resistance which makes the liver store more fat. Horses with excess fat deposits in the liver are also at risk of inadequate antioxidant levels within liver cells, which can impair detoxification function and cause cells to die off leading to liver damage.

Other Natural Treatments For Lyme Disease

The treatments discussed above are only some of the natural treatments that claim to treat Lyme disease. According to a 2015 study looking at the alternative treatments found during an Internet search, other natural treatments people use for Lyme disease include:

  • saunas and steam rooms
  • enemas
  • bee venom

The investigators noted that theres no research backing up these treatments, any many dont have a logical rationale behind them.

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Chronic Lyme & Your Liver: Support For Health Maintenance

With Lyme disease, liver support is a critical component to help your body get well. There are a number of natural ways to promote liver health. A clean green diet, herbs, and castor oil packs all can be part of your liver self-care regime.

Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness. It is based on an infection from borellia spirochete bacteria. People with chronic Lyme can be very sick to the point of being disabled. Chronic Lyme is where physical and psychological symptoms persist for years and do not respond well to antibiotics.

This form of Lyme disease is sometimes called Post Lyme Syndrome. Many chronic Lyme sufferers are also fighting other infectionsbabesia, bartonella, erlichia, anaplasma, to name a few. The detox pathways and immune system can be compromised, resulting in high levels of toxicity and autoimmune attack.

Why is liver care so key? Your liver is the large organ that sits on your right side up under your diaphragm at the bottom of your ribs. The liver is a multi-tasker in the body. It performs hundreds of different individual functions to clean up the blood stream.

The liver is the seat of ranjaka pitta and a primary clean-up organ. The liver recycles the components of red blood cells. It evaluates chemicals and emotions in the body, breaking them down for elimination.

In a healthy person, the liver works full time to break down toxins. With Lyme disease, the workload increases a lot and the liver needs extra support.

Symptoms Of Food Sensitivities

Milk Thistle Extract 1000 mg, 90 softgels, Lyme disease, Buhner

The symptoms of food sensitivities are closely intertwined with Lyme disease symptoms, which can make for a confusing scenario to figure out. However, its important to know which symptoms are tied to food sensitivities so that you can make appropriate decisions about removing certain foods from your diet.

Common food sensitivity symptoms include:

  • General: flu-like, inflammation, fatigue, malaise
  • Digestive: gas, bloating, diarrhea, cramping, nausea, stomach pain
  • Musculoskeletal: muscle aches, joint pain
  • Nervous System: headaches, migraines, brain fog
  • Respiratory: nasal congestion
  • Skin: acne, eczema

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Assessment Of Liver Function In Horses

The best way to determine the health of your horses liver is though a liver function test, biopsy or ultrasound by your veterinarian.

A blood test might also show elevated levels of liver enzymes indicating liver damage including alkaline phosphatase , aspartate aminotransferase , lactate dehydrogenase , gamma-glutamyl transferase , glutamate dehydrogenase and sorbitol dehydrogenase .

Blood tests can also assess liver function by measuring the levels of bilirubin which is typically low in healthy horses. These tests can help your veterinarian determine the extent of liver damage and give clues to the underlying cause.

The Role Of Food And Supplements In Detoxification During Lyme Disease Treatment

The liver is the most important organ for the daily required detoxification process in order to maintain health and balance.

Since the early 1950s more than 90,000 new chemicals have been developed, increasing our environmental burden. In addition to having to contend with these daily environmental toxins in the air, our water and food, the liver must metabolize the end product of medications including those used in the treatment of lyme disease and other tick born illnesses as well as the die off of bacteria during treatment.

Some of the more important foods and supplements which may be recommended to aid the liver in its detoxification pathways are:

Foods:

Those rich in Vitamin A,B2, B3, C, E, folate, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc and selenium, such as: cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage bulb plants like onions, garlic, leeks, scallions and leafy greens like dandelion, kale, spinach, chard.

Supplements:

CoQ10 : a required co enzyme that helps aid the body in oxygen delivery to cells and organs. It is often seen at low levels in chronic diseases such as Lyme disease

Glutathione: one of the most important proteins involved in the liver detoxification process. It is made up of glutamate, cysteine and the glycine. It is primarily synthesized in the liver, aids in the metabolism of toxins, is involved in DNA synthesis and repair, prevents oxidative cell damage as well as enhances immune system function.

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Benefits Of Milk Thistle In Horses

Milk thistle is primarily known for its hepatoprotective effects, meaning it can protect liver tissue from damage and support the function of the liver.

Because the liver affects so many physiological processes in the horses body, boosting the function of this organ can have wide-ranging benefits for your horses health.

Below are the top seven benefits of Milk Thistle extract based on research in horses:

How To Feed Milk Thistle Extract

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When introducing a , start with a small amount.

Dosage guidelines vary depending on the form of the supplement used and whether it is provided as a raw ground powder or a concentrated extract. Follow the recommendations provided by the manufacturer of the product you are using or seek guidance from a veterinarian or qualified equine nutritionist.

It is recommended to begin feeding ground milk thistle seed powder at a rate of ~2 grams per day for a 500kg horse. You can gradually increase the feeding rate over a few weeks to the recommended maintenance dose of 4.5 grams per day for a 500kg horse.

This will help your horse become accustomed to it, especially if you have a picky eater. Bulk milk thistle powder can be given directly as a powder or brewed into a tea to pour over the feed.

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Counteracts High Iron Intake

Silymarin has iron chelating effects which could enhance detoxication processes to protect your horse from the damaging effects of excess heavy metal exposure. These chelating compounds bind iron and help reduce serum ferritin levels and iron stores in tissues. This might be especially beneficial to horses with iron overload. If you suspect your horse has high exposure to in their feed or water, you may want to consider supplementing their diet with milk thistle.

In humans that are genetically prone to iron overload, milk thistle seed was shown to .

Supporting Liver Health In Horses

If you suspect poor liver function in your horse or have it confirmed by a veterinarian, there are some things you can do to help support liver health in addition to feeding milk thistle.

Breaking down protein is an important function for the liver but it is also a demanding process. Meeting the horses dietary protein requirement without exceeding it will help to not overburden the liver.

If possible, replace high protein forages like alfalfa and fresh spring grasses with first cut hay and fall pasture grazing.

Increase the number of meals per day to spread out the feed over multiple meals. This will also help minimize large spikes in nutrients reaching the liver after each meal, which will make it easier to metabolize these nutrients without overworking liver cells.

Avoid supplements that contain added iron. Iron is not easily excreted by the body and excess accumulations are stored in liver tissue. Chronically high iron intake from the diet or water is known to cause liver damage in horses.

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Signs That Your Horse Might Benefit From Milk Thistle

Many horses can benefit from milk thistle due to improved antioxidant status and support of healthy liver function. The liver is one of the largest organs in the horse, accounting for up to 1% of their total body weight.

Elderly horses and those with metabolic issues like insulin resistance, equine metabolic syndrome, and Cushings disease are most likely to need nutritional support to help keep their liver healthy.

Horses being treated for Lyme disease or Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis may also benefit from using this supplement. Some antibiotics used in the treatment of these conditions can have a negative impact on liver function.

The liver is the only organ in mammals that can regenerate itself when damaged, making it a very resilient tissue. It can perform adequately with as much as 80% of its function impaired. Despite this, horses that are otherwise healthy and young can show signs of liver damage.

The signs of equine liver disease are often subtle and non-specific. In horses with confirmed liver disease, the most common symptoms are:

  • Depression/lethargy present in 68% of cases
  • Anorexia present in 56% of cases
  • Weight loss present in 50% of cases
  • Colic present in 50% of cases
  • Diarrhea present in 42% of cases
  • Jaundice present in 42% of cases
  • Light sensitivity present in 16% of cases
  • Blood clotting disorders present in 10% of cases

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