The Doctor's Formulas Stealiver is a dietary supplement in tablet form, with four declared active ingredients in specified quantities. Two of these are plant extracts, milk thistle and desmodium, and two are substances found in human metabolism, alpha lipoic acid and carnitine. The package contains 30 tablets and the daily dose is 1 to 2 tablets, so a box covers 15 to 30 days depending on intake.
The following section describes what each ingredient is, its active compound, how it is standardized and where it is found. No action is attributed to these ingredients, as none of the four have an approved health claim in the European Union.
Milk thistle is a thorny plant of the Asteraceae family, native to the Mediterranean, which grows abundantly in Greece. The part used is the seed, from which an extract is obtained. The characteristic active group of the seed is called silymarin and it is not a compound but a complex of flavonolignans, i.e. molecules resulting from the conjugation of a flavonoid with a lignan. The main members of the complex are silybin, also known as silybinin, isosilybin, silychristin and silydianin, together with the flavonoid taxifolin. Silybin is usually the most abundant member and the most studied in laboratory experiments. Because the crude seed content of flavolignans is low, serious preparations declare standardization. Here the extract is declared at 80 to 160 mg per daily dose, equivalent to 56 to 112 mg of silymarin, i.e. a standardization of about 70 percent, which is the usual commercial specification. The plant has been recorded in Mediterranean pharmacopoeias since antiquity and today it remains one of the most studied botanicals internationally.
Desmodium is a perennial legume, member of the Fabaceae family, which grows in the tropical regions of West Africa and South America. In traditional West African botany, the above-ground part of the plant, leaves and shoots, is used in the form of a decoction. Its phytochemical profile includes triterpene saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids of the indoleamine type and anthocyanins. In European supplements it appears as a dry extract, here in a dose of 80 to 160 mg per day. It is one of the less known botanicals in the Greek market and the related claims are under evaluation, as are all plant-based ones.
Alpha lipoic acid, also known as thiotic acid, is an organosulfur molecule with eight carbon atoms and a dithiolane ring. In cells it acts as a coenzyme of the mitochondrial dehydrogenation complexes of alpha-keto acids, namely the pyruvate dehydrogenase and the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, enzymes associated with the citric acid cycle. The organism synthesizes it in small amounts, while it is found in food in small concentrations in foods such as spinach, broccoli and offal. A particular feature of the molecule is that it is both water-soluble and fat-soluble, which has made it the subject of extensive research. Here it is declared at 200 to 400 mg per daily dose.
Carnitine is an amino acid derivative that the organism synthesizes from lysine and methionine and also acquires from the diet, mainly from red meat and dairy products. In preparations it is often used in the form of L-triglycine carnitine, i.e. a salt of L-carnitine with triglycine acid. The reason is practical. Free L-carnitine is highly hygroscopic, i.e. it absorbs moisture from the air and makes tableting difficult, while the triglycine form is a stable powder with much better behavior in preparation and product life. The dose here is 200 to 400 mg per day and refers to the salt.
It is aimed at adults who wish to add these four specific ingredients to their diet, in declared and standardized quantities, through a single tablet. The tablet form is useful for those who want a stable daily intake without weighing powder or multiple capsules. It is not intended for children. In pregnancy, lactation or concurrent medication, use is only after consultation with a doctor or pharmacist. People with known allergy to plants in the Asteraceae family, such as ragweed, daisy or chrysanthemum, should discuss this first with their pharmacist, as milk thistle belongs to the same family.
One to two tablets per day. The composition table gives the quantities as a range because they correspond to the intake of one or two tablets.
No specific time is specified. If you take two tablets, a reasonable option is one at each main meal, so that the intake is spread throughout the day and is easier to remember.
The package instructions are to take it after meals.
The 30 tablets are sufficient for 30 days with one tablet per day or for 15 days with two.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist first. Plant extracts can affect the hepatic metabolism of some drugs, so the assessment is based on the medication you are already taking.
The four declared active ingredients are not of animal origin, however for the excipients and the tablet coating, consult the package label.
No specific intake cycle is provided. For long-term daily use, discuss with your pharmacist.
** Information on plant ingredients. The related health claims for botanicals are under evaluation by EFSA. The descriptions of alpha lipoic acid and carnitine are also informative and do not constitute a health claim.
| COMPOSITION OF NUTRITIONAL INGREDIENTS | PER DAILY DOSE (1 - 2 tablets) |
|---|---|
| Desmodium [Desmodium adscendens extract] | 80 - 160 mg |
| Alpha Lipoic Acid [Alpha Lipoic Acid] | 200 - 400 mg |
| Milk thistle [Silybum marianum] Equivalent to Silymarin |
80 - 160 mg 56 - 112 mg |
| L-triglycine carnitine [L-carnitine-L-tartrate] | 200 - 400 mg |
For the excipients and the full list of ingredients, consult the package label.
Take 1 to 2 tablets per day, after meals, with plenty of water. The package contains 30 tablets.
Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. Dietary supplements should not be used as a substitute for a balanced diet. The product is not intended for the prevention, treatment or cure of a human disease. Keep the product in a cool and dry place, away from children. Pregnancy, lactation or medication: consult your doctor or pharmacist before use.
People with known allergy to plants in the Asteraceae family (ragweed, daisy, chrysanthemum) should consult their pharmacist before use.
