1MD Nutrition’s LiverMD® is a scientifically-formulated liver health supplement featuring Siliphos® silybin. Keep reading to discover why I chose to include this highly bioavailable milk thistle extract in the LiverMD® formula.
What Is Silybin?
Milk thistle is a flowering herb related to the daisy and ragweed family that has been used for over 2,000 years to support liver health. The primary active ingredient is silybin, an extract from the herb’s seeds. The ability of silybin to support health has been extensively researched, most notably, its ability to promote healthy liver cell function.
Health Benefits of Silybin
The liver is one of the hardest working organs in the body, responsible for breaking down food into substances your body can use, converting stored energy into usable energy, and responsible for the body’s detoxification processes. Constantly working to support your health, even a healthy liver can get exerted, regenerate, and repair itself.
It is essential to support liver activity to ensure proper function and optimal liver health. Milk thistle has long been the go-to for liver support, and for a good reason. Silybin, the component with the most significant degree of biological activity that makes up 50–70% of milk thistle, is an effective way to provide the support your hard-working liver needs.
Silybin helps to promote cell wall health by helping to reduce typical oxidative stress. By helping to promote antioxidant activity in and around the liver, liver cell walls can efficiently keep unwanted molecules from attaching to liver cells. With this support, cells can regenerate to help protect against environmental threats and maintain healthy detoxification processes.
Silybin not only helps promote antioxidant capacity in the liver to help alleviate occasional oxidative stress, but it also supports healthy liver enzyme levels and activity. The liver undergoes 30,000 enzymatic reactions per second, and in order to maintain optimal function, healthy liver enzyme activity is essential. By supporting liver enzyme levels, silybin aids detoxification and metabolic processes, which promote focus, clarity, and feeling energized throughout the day.
In addition to supporting liver health, silybin (milk thistle) can help promote overall health by:
♦ Helping to reduce occasional oxidative stress to support healthy cognitive function
♦ Supporting bone mineralization and healthy musculoskeletal strength
♦ Supporting healthy cellular function to promote healthy aging
♦ Helping to reduce unwanted immune responses to support skin health
♦ Supporting healthy blood sugar levels and metabolic health
Siliphos vs. Generic Silybin Extracts
Milk thistle is not a secret when it comes to liver health, so it is not hard to find supplements. Just because you have your choice of supplements does not mean they are all equal. For optimal liver health support, you want to choose a silybin extract that is supported by clinical studies.
When it comes to supplemental support, bioavailability and absorption are essential. Despite being used for centuries to promote health, poor intestinal absorption of milk thistle has previously limited its effectiveness. As a result, many milk thistle supplements on the market may not reach their intended target.
Effective results depend on the active ingredients getting where they are needed. Based on research and the knowledge that silybin needs absorption support, the manufacturers of Siliphos® devised a solution. An optimized silybin extract with superior bioavailability and absorption was formulated using a unique phytosome formulation.
This phytosome delivery system combines the bioactive ingredients from milk thistle (silybin) with phospholipids to form a bio-enhanced, absorbable delivery system. Because the body recognizes phospholipids as its own, silybin is easily transported through cell membranes for optimal absorption and effectiveness.
A recent clinical study found Siliphos® to be ten times more bioavailable than generic silybin. This bioenhanced, proprietary form of silybin helps reduce occasional oxidative stress, supports healthy liver enzyme activity, and promotes metabolic health and the body’s natural detoxification processes.
Why I Formulated LiverMD
My medical career was inspired by my older brother, who experienced common digestive issues that affected his quality of life. Holding a strong appreciation for nutritional therapy, I sought to better understand digestive and liver health with the hopes of finding naturally-sourced solutions.
My research brought me to partner with 1MD Nutrition®. Together, we combined science with an integrative approach to health to develop naturally-sourced health solutions. Consisting of only the purest, clinically-researched ingredients, we formulated superior health supplements for digestive and liver health.
Understanding the health benefits of silybin, I formulated LiverMD® to include the highest-quality silybin extract available, Siliphos®. Its enhanced bioavailability allows LiverMD® to deliver powerful support with superior absorption compared to generic milk thistle extract. LiverMD® also includes:
♦ TocoGaia™ is a patented, naturally-sourced form of vitamin E that can penetrate efficiently into cell membranes to help reduce occasional oxidative stress and support healthy liver cell division.
♦ Alpha lipoic acid promotes healthy glutathione levels, an antioxidant that helps reduce typical oxidative stress to support liver enzyme function and detoxification.
♦ Selenium is a trace mineral that promotes the body’s natural antioxidant activity to support healthy liver cell regeneration.
♦ Zinc is an essential mineral for whole body health that also helps with your body's detoxification process to support liver and digestive tract health.
These ingredients complement the liver-supporting activity of Siliphos® silybin extract, allowing LiverMD® to provide comprehensive liver health support. I recommend adding LiverMD® to your digestive health routine to promote healthy liver function and metabolic health.
Dr. David Kahana
Dr. David Kahana is board certified in Pediatrics and Gastroenterology through the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), as well as Medical Nutrition through the National Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists.
