> > 1.  Buy artichoke extract (comes in capsules). Jarrow makes a good
product,
> > with standardized extract.  Follow the label diretions, taking 1 to 3
> > capsules per day with food.  Taking 1 per meal would be good idea, if
the
> > meal contains meat and/or fat.
>
> I'll try that.  What about just eating artichokes, or artichoke
> hearts?
>

I have two thoughts here. One is turmeric and milk thistle, the other is
pysillium.

According to Michael Murray http://www.doctormurray.com/articles/silybin.htm
"Once the liver has modified a toxin, it needs to be eliminated from the
body as soon as possible. One of the primary routes of elimination is
through the bile. However, when the excretion of bile is inhibited (a
condition called cholestasis), toxins stay in the liver longer. Cholestasis
has several causes, including obstruction of the bile ducts and impairment
of bile flow within the liver. The most common cause of obstruction of the
bile ducts is the presence of gallstones. Currently, it is conservatively
estimated that 20 million people in the U.S. have gallstones. Nearly 20% of
the female and 8% of the male population over the age of 40 are found to
have gallstones on biopsy and approximately 500,000 gallbladders are removed
because of stones each year in the U.S. The prevalence of gallstones in this
country has been linked to the high-fat, low-fiber diet consumed by the
majority of Americans.
"Impairment of bile flow within the liver can be caused by a variety of
agents and conditions, as listed in Table 2. These conditions are often
associated with alterations of liver function in laboratory tests (serum
bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, SGOT, LDH, GGTP, etc.) signifying cellular
damage. However, relying on these tests alone to evaluate liver function is
not adequate, since, in the initial or subclinical stages of many problems
with liver function, laboratory values remain normal. Among the symptoms
people with enzymatic damage may complain of are fatigue, general malaise,
digestive disturbances, allergies and chemical sensitivities, premenstrual
syndrome, and constipation."

-------------------------

There are two powerful stimulants of bile and they work synergistically. One
is milk thistle, standardized for 80% silymarin, the other is turmeric
extract standardized for curcumin. (These are also very effective
anti-inflammatories as I have posted before, esp. when taken together.)

Michael Murray has talked about these before and the above website has some
cites related mostly to milk thistle.

It is good to take psyillium fiber with these herbs because they do result
in loose stools, having something to do with the increased bile secretion.
In fact, pysillium fiber might help things a whole lot more than you think.

--Richard