Enhance The Health Benefits Of Dry January With This Healing Herb | mindbodygreen
Advertisement Add Milk Thistle To Your Dry January Tool Kit For Additional Liver Support* [By Morgan Chamberlain](/wc/morgan-chamberlain) As we learn more about the ways [alcohol affects the body](https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/what-alcohol-does-to-your-face-and-skin), sober curiosity only continues to grow. Which means many people are stepping into their first days of “Dry January” this week—and for good reason. In a 2016 study from Health Psychology, individuals who [participated in Dry January](https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fhea0000297) [1](#citations) reported sleeping better, saving money, losing weight, having more energy, and even being able to concentrate better. A 2018 study added [improvements in insulin resistance](https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/8/5/e020673.full.pdf), blood pressure, and cancer-related growth factors to the list. And even though the practice is temporary, many participants report still drinking less than before six months later. We all know the [downsides of drinking](https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-alcohol-impacts-oral-microbiome-and-why-you-should-care), and sometimes alcohol becomes a larger influence in your life than you’d like. Whether you’re looking to reevaluate your relationship with drinking or simply want to give your liver a well-deserved break, we’ve got just the tool to help you succeed. Milk thistle: Your liver’s new BFF Renowned for its liver-supporting actions, milk thistle is an Ayurvedic herb that can be found in liver detoxification supplements (like mindbodygreen’s [daily detox+](https://shop.mindbodygreen.com/products/daily-detox?itc_content=54509)). It helps protect the liver and its essential functions by acting on free radicals that are produced when the liver breaks down compounds as part of the body’s natural and critical detoxification pathways.* Milk thistle’s detoxifying actions can also help counteract the effects of unwanted toxins—like environmental toxins, pollutants, and chemicals.* The powerhouse botanical helps regulate and buffer liver enzymes to help the body’s detox system stand up to modern environmental toxins.* ” [Milk thistle](https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/guide-to-milk-thistle) aids in eliminating toxins that have built up in the liver, in addition to helping restore liver cells that have been affected by increased toxin exposure,”* functional medicine practitioner [William Cole, IFMCP, DNM, D.C.](https://www.mindbodygreen.com/wc/william-cole-dc), previously shared with mindbodygreen. According to a 2015 Antioxidants review, a phytochemical powerhouse in milk thistle called silymarin also [supports glutathione production](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4665566/) [2](#citations) (the body’s ” [master antioxidant](https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/health-benefits-of-glutathione-antioxidant)”), which is an absolutely [critical antioxidant](https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-to-achieve-sufficient-glutathione-levels) for proper detoxification.* What’s more, silymarin largely supports and helps protect the liver by acting as a [toxin blockage agent](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.3207) (i.e., inhibiting toxins from binding to liver cells), per a Phytocology Research review.* The takeaway Dry January comes with plenty of benefits on its own, from improvements in blood pressure to reductions in cancer-related biomarkers. But if you’re hoping to maximize the benefits of your Dry January, consider taking a science-backed supplement with milk thistle like daily detox+, which also features glutathione, NAC, selenium, and vitamin C. Your liver will thank you! Watch Next Enjoy some of our favorite clips from [classes](/classes/all-access) Enjoy some of our favorite clips from [classes](/classes/all-access) What Is Meditation? Mindfulness/Spirituality | Light Watkins Box Breathing Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar What Breathwork Can Address Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar The 8 Limbs of Yoga – What is Asana? 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