Dry November – you may have heard of it, but you may not know where it all started. In Hungary, the Blue Dot Foundation introduced it, similar to “Sober October,” around 2016, with the aim of a month of complete abstinence from alcohol to help us look at our relationship with alcohol. It is not a campaign “for alcoholics,” but rather for those who drink and want to drink , but are curious about what a conscious break would do to them – how they sleep, what their mood, energy levels, digestion, and skin would be like if they skipped the evening glass of wine or the weekend “just a few beers with friends” for 30 days.
When it comes to Dry November, you can’t miss one of your body’s main “behind-the-scenes heroes”: the liver . Your liver is one of your largest and most busy organs: it plays a key role in metabolism, detoxification, bile production, blood sugar regulation, protein synthesis, hormone and cholesterol metabolism , and also stores a lot of vitamins (A, D, B12) and minerals. In short: if your liver is functioning well, it affects your energy levels, digestion, mood, skin condition – almost everything.
The liver constantly “filters” the blood: it breaks down alcohol breakdown products, processes some of the drugs, additives, and environmental toxicants, and tries to neutralize free radicals generated during oxidative stress. In the meantime, it stores glycogen to provide a stable source of energy between meals, produces bile pigments and bile acids so that you can properly digest fats, and participates in the fine-tuning of fat and carbohydrate metabolism. It is no coincidence that many people experience Dry November not only as an “alcohol-free challenge,” but also as a kind of liver-relieving and regenerating month – of course, along with lifestyle, nutrition, and exercise.
This is where plants that have been used for centuries to support the liver and digestion come into play – including milk thistle and artichoke . The main active ingredient in milk thistle, silymarin , is a flavonoid complex that, according to experimental data, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cell-protective effects, and can help regenerate liver cells and protect them against oxidative stress and certain toxic effects. In clinical trials – mainly in patients with fatty liver and elevated liver enzymes – promising results have been seen in reducing liver enzymes (GPT, GOT) and reducing oxidative stress, although science is still cautious: milk thistle is not a medicine or a miracle pill , but can be a complementary support along with lifestyle changes.
Artichoke leaf extract has also long been known as a digestive and liver-supporting herb. Its main active ingredients, such as cynarin , help with bile production and flow, support fat digestion, and according to several studies, may have a beneficial effect on cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as certain liver enzymes. Recent studies in patients with obesity or fatty liver have found that long-term use of artichoke extract can improve liver fat accumulation, reduce liver size, and positively shift blood lipid values - of course, as part of diet and lifestyle changes, not as a replacement for them.
That's exactly why we created the vSherpa Milk Thistle + Artichoke dietary supplement: to give you the synergy of milk thistle and artichoke in one capsule if you want to consciously support your liver - whether in Dry November or all year round. A daily dose (1 capsule) contains 250 mg of milk thistle extract, of which 200 mg is silymarin , and 150 mg of artichoke leaf extract, of which 7.5 mg is cynarin , in standardized form. The capsule is vegan, gluten-, lactose-, GMO- and titanium dioxide-free, and is manufactured in a Hungarian GMP audited factory . We recommend 1 capsule per day, preferably during or after a meal, so that the liver and digestion-supporting active ingredients fit into the digestive processes as effectively as possible.
It is important to emphasize: vSherpa Milk Thistle + Artichoke is a dietary supplement , not a medicine. It is not suitable for the treatment, cure or prevention of diseases, and is not a substitute for a medical examination, personalized therapy or a healthy lifestyle. However, if you are using Dry November this year to get closer to your body's signals, lighten the burden on your liver, and pay more conscious attention to your sleep, nutrition and exercise, then the milk thistle-artichoke combination can be an additional, consciously constructed support that you can incorporate into your daily routine.
Notice how your own Dry November changed you – sleep, energy levels, digestion, mood, skin, weight, habits. Pay attention to yourself, pay attention to your liver, and if you feel like you could benefit from herbal support, you can find a detailed description and active ingredient content of vSherpa Milk Thistle + Artichoke in the webshop. 💚
Sources:
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