Liver problems?

[zebraboy]

Hey, folks. I'm trying to quit smoking and am interested in getting rid of some of the moderate depression that I tend to feel, so I've been taking SJW fora bout a week (not feeling it yet, but I know it takes a little while to kick in...) My question is whether anyone knows if it's got any effect on the liver. I have a very very mild liver condition called fatty liver--it doesn't really do anything but make my folks worried, so it hasn't affected my life one iota. It's one of those things where I avoid liver-harming medications (tylenol for one) and try (and, often, fail) to avoid alcohol if I can.

However, I'm depressed, and as a result a bit paranoid. Has SJW been known to harm the liver? I've researched it a bit and I haven't been able to find anything that says it does...but, then, I haven't found anything saying it *doesn't*. If anyone's got any better information, I'd love to hear it! Thanks :)

[LilysDad]

Although I am unaware of evidence of liver damage associated with SJW, that question is probably best answered by (an honest) medical professional. However, have you researched SAM-e (S-adenosylmethionine)? Not only does it look to be very promising in aiding depression, it is also a liver super-nutrient. I suggest looking into it, maybe you can kill two birds with one stone. I myself take SAM-e, along with SJW, but either one can be taken seperatly and be effective. One thing though, SAM-e is expensive. A box of sixty pills is $40 at my local health food store (I'm taking 3 a day, some people take much more). Still, if it works, its more than worth it.

[Kelly]

Hey Zebraboy,

I agree, while I haven't heard of SJW doing anything to your liver, you should probably talk to a doctor who may be able to research this further.

I have heard that the herb Milk Thistle (silybum marianum) can be useful in treating liver-related ailments, particularly from alcohol. I don't know much about it, but you could search good for scientific studies. One scientific study I read said the benefits of Milk Thistle was not yet clearly established, but they admitted that more study is needed and it had only included 16 trial subjects. So it's hard to say how effective it is. But it's an area you could do more reading on, at any rate.

Kelly