Detox

24/03/2019

Detoxing the liver

After the moult and breeding often some sort of cure is being given to clean out the pigeons completely, improving the blood values and detoxing the liver. All sorts of products are being used, but the question remains, does it realy unburden your pigeons? Lots of products are being used, which contain unnatural elements on their own. Isn’t there any other option, a pure natural way?

Pure Natural

Yes  of course there is, and it came to me from an article from the hands of a german veterinarian in a well renonwed German pigeon magazine. In his article he also refers to milkthistle seeds. To be honest, I didn’t gave it too much thought about this seed because it hasn’t been used in mixes a lot so far. It has sort of escaped my attention. The pigeon vet claims in this article that the percentages used in mixtures are minimal and in conclusion that it has hardly any effect when it comes to detoxing the liver. And the vetirinarian is correct. Who thinks by adding just 1% or 2% in a mixture will have any effect, is fooling himself. So I started my own search and by that ending up in a scientific aproach. And it led to?

Milkthistle originates from Asia and southern European countries. However in present days you can find this plant all over. The plant blooms once or twice a year, depending on the region it grows. Because of the beautifull purple flowers and leaves with marble like veins, often you can find  this plant in special herb gardens and botanitical gardens. In literature milkthistle is subscribed as a medicinal plant. It has been used for over 2000 years as a medicine for several diseases. But fore most for detoxing and cleansing the liver, gallbladder, spleen and kidneys. In particular monks have written a lot about this plant. So much information has been well recorded. Later on the famous german doctor Gottfried Rademacher (1772-1850) diagnosed his patients with liver and spleen diseases, an ethanol extract of the milkthistle seeds. The extract  soon became very popular and became ‘Rademacherstincture’

One too many drinks? Milkthistle extract

At studying modern science on the effect and function of a medicinal plant like milkthistle, it soon shows that this is very much related to the ancient and centuries old application. Milkthistle has a grand reputation in the use in effectivity against liver and galbladder diseases going toxic. This was in many scientific studys the starting point or lead. The active ingredients and working mechanism by now are broadly known. Foremost it seems to work very well with the  deficits of the use of too much alcohol.With the use of milkthistle (sylimarine extract) the bloodvalues of the liver enzymes come back to normal levels. Milkthistle extract also protects the liver against extensive use of anti depressives, also in this matter it brings back the bloodvalues to normal levels. So far for some quotes from the scientific  foundation of health.

Protecting the liver

The active ingredients detoxing the liver are joined in a group named silymarine. Within this group the sylibine is the most active ingredient. In  scientific research on people you will find values of 300 – 600 mg sylimarine on daily bases to have a positive effect. This depends on the disease it is used for. In this way the active ingredient(sylimarine) can be used to protect the liver against damage caused by chemicals, toxins from medicines, infections of the liver, liver disease, cirrhosis of the liver,and chronic hepatitis. The active ingredient silymarine from milkthistle seeds enlarges the quantity glutathione by some 50%. Glutathion is the most powerfull antioxidant in our bodies. Besides that silymarine increases the level of superoxidemutase (SOD) in the red blood cells and lymphocytes. SOD also defuses free radicals as mentioned in the scientific research.

Testing on our pigeons, a lot of down feathers

For our racing pigeons no scientific research is known. So first we have to adjust the percentages for pigeons, and then test this. The metabolism of pigeons is very different to that of us humans. So a calculation formula was needed to create an outcome equal doses of silymarine. Well the outcome showed that a lot of milkthistle was needed. The testing took place for seven consequtive days, on several  lofts in Holland and Germany. Much longer is not needed and not justified as well. Wondering why? Because the liver on its own also produces this ingredient. The liver sends out a signal to the brain that the ingredient is sufficiently present and then stops its own production. This was the opinion I had of this seed. But of course, if you wish to verify this you can.

Results from testing Detox

A daily ration of 30 grams was fed. On the testing loft it appeared to hit bulls eye inmediately. The next day already results where showing. The droppings found were much smaller and dry. Also many down feathers were to be found in the lofts, up until the last day of testing. The pigeons responded perfectly to the new food given, they appeared very active and alert. The only deficit of the high percentage milkthistle is that it contains a lot of omega 6 oils and hardly any omega 3 oils (535:1). To get the new mixture back to a balance needed I have added quite a lot of perilla seed.  Because of the high percentage omega 3  coming from the perilla seeds, the complete Detox mixture comes down to the right proportions of 2,4 omega 6 and 1 part omega 3 (2,4:1) a very good natural balance as needed in modern pigeon sport. Besides a clean liver the pigeons also get a shiny and smooth feathering plus the perfect breast muscle colouring.

Aplication of Premium Detox

What is the best use for Detox? Foremost as a natural cure of 7 days direct after the moulting period and after the breeding time. During racing season you can use it for 1 or 2 days after a race, or when after using medicines or when you have been using a lot of products and top form seems to be fading. Not that much is needed, just a normal size bag of food can be enough for the season.        

 

 
 
 

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