Artichoke 500 mg - Liver Support & Digestion Dietary Supplement - Vegan - Standardized Extract - 180 Servings (Capsules) (PACKAGING MAY VARY)

I bought this as it was recommended for encouraging bile production/flow. After a lot of research, I'm certain I have pancreatitis. I went to the ER for intense pain in the upper back, which they diagnosed as gallbladder attack, even though no gallstone was found (only a very tiny one which was considered insignificant to cause the pain). My upper back often gets tired and sore when standing in certain positions while at work. This is exacerbated when I drink soda (high fructose corn syrup) or high amounts of sugar. I also replicated gallbladder attacks on several occasions by going back to consuming soda (regardless of restricting fat content of meals). Occasionally I also get an odd tingling sensation of the skin on my upper back as well. The pancreas is behind the stomach closer to the back in this area and seems to be the cause. When I corrected my diet all the symptoms went away. However maintaining this pure organic diet is untenable due to its exorbitant cost. Eventually I have to go back to eating unhealthy foods for a week or more, and the symptoms come back. What I found that helps is taking this supplement. I also typically have other issues from eating unhealthy food, like developing fungal candida. This supplement seems to eliminate it by producing a lot of bile acids which affects the pH in the digestive tract, so fungal candida can't flourish. My stools also go from very pale to a very dark brown. (Although I take 6 or 8 pills at a time, instead of 1) Liver health and bile flow is also essential in removing toxins and preventing cancer (which tends to develop due to "autointoxication" created from chronic stagnation of waste in the body). Like I said, I take far more than the recommended dose (about 6 pills per meal) to really boost bile production and flow. I definitely feel like my body is functioning a lot better without aches and pains, and I have more energy/enthusiasm to attack my day. More bile flow is essentially the effect of an enema which has similar benefits of increased alertness and energy. Studies have also shown that most Americans on a typical diet (convenient foods, fast foods, that are processed, dead, full of pesticides and other chemicals) don't produce nearly as much bile as a healthy person. In my opinion this is really an underrated supplement that a lot of people could benefit from.

This is an amazing product for some people like me, but NOT FOR EVERYONE. It lowered my cholesterol, LDL and Triglyceride, and helped me lose weight. I lost almost 25 pounds. I am taking this with Niacin, but the weight lost seems to be all attributed to this supplement. AGAIN... this is not for weight loss; some loose weight while others will not. You must try it for yourself. see niacin and PLEASE read my review before ordering niacin: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ENRG3R0/ref=oh_details_o09_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Product works but have to discontinue it due to maltodextrin filler. Maltodextrin spikes your glycemic index causing a high glucose level and so on...not a good thing.

The vast majority of capsules, softgels, and tablets don't need a dessicant inside of the pill bottle. However, this product is one of the few exceptions - it would benefit from a dessicant. I've noticed that the capsules of this product which I stored in a separate container which I almost never opened did not darken in color. However, the capsules of this product which I stored in this container, which I opened every day, eventually darkened in color. The contents of this product don't taste good enough to eat. After eating these capsules a few times, you will end up swallowing them without chewing them to avoid the funny taste. In addition to silymarin capsules, the foods that contain the most silymarin are milk thistle seeds (highest amount), coriander seeds, coriander leaves (cilantro/Chinese parsley), and turmeric powder. Globe artichoke capsules, globe artichokes, and sunflower sprouts - but not sunflower seeds - contain high amounts of cynarin. Globe artichokes, which are closely related to the milk thistle, also contain moderate amounts of silymarin. Jerusalem artichokes, which are closely related to sunflowers, do not contain any cynarin or silymarin but instead, they contain inulin, a beneficial soluble dietary fiber which is so similar to FOS (fructooligosaccharides) that the two soluble fibers are referred to interchangeably. Chicory root and Jerusalem artichokes are the 2 foods that contain the highest amounts of inulin soluble fiber. Caution: Eating raw globe artichokes, which are very hard and difficult to cut with a kitchen knife, is extremely difficult - about twice as difficult as, say, eating kale. Caution: Eating marinated artichoke hearts, which are very delicious and soft, will cause weight gain due to their high calorie content.

Great