By Irene Hayton

When your liver is overloaded and unable to handle all of the peroxides that it’s supposed to neutralize, it may dump peroxides into the kidneys, which are then forced to filter them. Dr. Matsen often recommends supplements to help the kidneys deal with this extra load.

To improve calcium absorption and support kidney function at the same time, Dr. Matsen uses horsetail extract, often in the form of a 50/50 mixture of horsetail and nettles tincture. The silica in the horsetail helps calcium to be absorbed, which becomes especially important as one gets older because the kidneys are less able to retain calcium. Children also benefit from small amounts of horsetail extract because they often don’t have healthy eating habits. Silica is also known for strengthening hair and nails. Nettles act to decongest swollen lymph glands, which are usually the result of an overloaded liver dumping toxins into the lymph.

For those who don’t like liquid tinctures, silica is available in capsule form. Choose a brand of silica that has ‘aqueous spring horsetail extract’ on the label. Nettles are also available in capsule form.