Milk Thistle: Healing & Protection for the Liver

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Milk Thistle: Healing & Protection for the Liver JoAnn Guest Aug 01, 2003

09:02 PDT

Milk thistle

What Is It?

 

Healers have used the prickly milk thistle plant to treat liver ailments

for more than 2,000 years. Somehow these early practitioners figured out

that preparations of this purple-flowered member of the sunflower family

could stimulate the flow of bile from the liver, improving digestion and

various liver-related ills.

 

Interestingly, bile and other bodily fluids, also known as humors, were

once associated with different personality types. Because it was thought

that black bile was inherent to a melancholic nature, milk thistle was

prescribed for treating depression and melancholy (which actually means

" black bile " ). Today, the word " biliousness " and the phrase " having

excess bile " are still used to describe negative personality traits.

 

While milk thistle is no longer seen as a remedy for melancholy,

hundreds of medical studies have substantiated the fact that the herb

does indeed protect and heal the liver.

 

European physicians currently consider milk thistle a mainstay for

liver disorders ranging from hepatitis to cirrhosis. But even though a

19th-century American medical group called the Eclectics prescribed milk

thistle for liver ailments, it has never been widely used in the U.S.

for healing purposes.

 

Milk thistle grows throughout the world (including North America) in

both cultivated and wild form. Many sources refer to the herb, by its

botanical name, " Silybum marianum " , as well as by its active compounds,

collectively known as silymarin.

 

Concentrated stores of silymarin are found in the herb's shiny black

fruits (seeds), which are typically collected at summer's end.

 

 

Health Benefits

 

Although most widely associated with liver complaints, milk thistle is

also being examined for treating a variety of other disorders, from

gallstones and high cholesterol to skin cancers and allergy symptoms.

 

As a potent antioxidant, the versatile milk thistle extract helps

prevent highly reactive oxygen molecules called free radicals from

damaging cells throughout the body,

 

but especially in the liver, stomach, and

intestines.

 

An injectable form of milk thistle is a powerful antidote to mushroom

poisoning. And the oral extract shows promise for minimizing

chemotherapy-associated liver damage.

 

This is a function of the herb's antioxidant actions as well as its

ability to accelerate the excretion of toxic compounds that can

accumulate in the body.

 

Specifically, milk thistle may help to:

 

 

Treat acute and chronic liver disease. Milk thistle " cleanses " and

therefore fortifies the liver, a vital organ responsible for processing

everything from nutrients in foods to medications and chemical

pollutants.

 

The herb partly accomplishes this task by preventing a

reduction in concentrations of glutathione, an amino-acidlike compound

that is critical to neutralizing toxins.

 

Some studies indicate that milk thistle can actually increase

glutathione levels by as much as 35%.

 

In addition, silymarin alters the outer membrane of liver cells in such

a way that toxins are barred from entering.

 

It even encourages the formation of new, healthier liver cells to

replace old, damaged ones. Various types of liver damage benefit from

these remarkable properties, and the herb has repeatedly demonstrated

its power to do so.

 

In the largest trial to date specifically studying the use of milk

thistle for chronic liver disease, more than 2,500 people suffering from

this condition showed improvement in their liver function tests when

taking the extract.

Many also reported that they felt better. People

with an acute form of liver disease--acute viral hepatitis--also stand

to benefit from milk thistle.

 

In a double-blind study reported in 1998, the extract improved the

results of liver function tests, speeded recovery, and reduced the

length of hospital stays as compared with a placebo.

 

 

Treat alcohol-related liver problems. Excessive alcohol intake depletes

the amount of toxin-neutralizing glutathione in the liver and can cause

severe scarring and dysfunction, a condition called cirrhosis.

 

Milk thistle not only boosts glutathione levels, it also helps to

actually repair the liver by promoting the growth of new cells in this

large and vital organ.

An important 1989 trial of patients with chronic alcoholic hepatitis is

frequently cited to demonstrate the extract's powers. In the study,

liver function test results returned to normal and overall liver health

improved over six months in those who took milk thistle instead of a

placebo.

 

 

Control psoriasis. The herb has anti-inflammatory properties that may be

useful for keeping the charasteristic psoriasis rash in check and for

slowing the proliferation of abnormal skin cells.

 

Forms

 

tincture

tablet

softgel

liquid

capsule

Dosage Information

 

Special tip:

 

To work as effectively as indicated in dozens of clinical trials, milk

thistle needs to be correctly prepared and standardized.

 

Choose a supplement standardized to contain 70% to 80% silymarin, the

active

ingredient. This high concentration of silymarin is needed to ensure

that a sufficient amount will reach the bloodstream and eventually the

liver.

 

For all forms of liver problems, including alcohol-related ones: Take

400 to 600 mg standardized extract a day divided into three doses.

 

Be sure to check out our Dosage Recommendations Chart for milk thistle,

which lists therapeutic dosages for specific ailments at a glance.

 

 

Guidelines for Use

 

 

Don't expect teas made with milk thistle to improve any medical

condition. Unfortunately, they contain only trace amounts of silymarin,

which dissolves poorly in water.

 

Also avoid products containing milk

thistle leaf; they have no therapeutic value.

 

There are products now available in which silymarin is chemically bound

to phosphatidylcholine, a key component of lecithin (a natural fat).

Just a word of caution however. Whenever shopping around for lecithin,

be sure to obtain an organic brand. The majority of lecithin is a soy

derivative. Much of the Soy currently available is commonly genetically

engineered.

 

These preparations may in fact be better absorbed and more effective

than regular milk thistle.

 

Herbal blends that go by such names as " liver complex " and " lipotropic

factors " combine milk thistle with other herbs and nutrients.

 

Popular ingredients include dandelion, methionine, inositol, and

choline, compounds believed to enhance liver function and increase the

flow of fats and bile from the liver and gallbladder.

 

Take milk thistle 30 minutes before meals for optimal effectiveness.

 

Keep in mind that it will take at least a week or two before you notice

milk thistle's beneficial effects. For chronic conditions, you will need

to take the herb for quite some time.

 

General Interaction

 

There are no known drug or nutrient interactions associated with taking

milk thistle.

 

 

Possible Side Effects

 

Although generally acknowledged as extremely safe, some individuals have

reported mild cases of diarrhea.

 

 

Cautions

 

 

Don't try to self-diagnose a liver problem. Such ailments require the

attention of a medical professional who can closely monitor your care.

 

Avoid alcohol-based tinctures of milk thistle. Some of these contain

considerable amounts of alcohol, which can damage the liver over time.

 

Milk thistle is widely accepted as safe, even for women who are pregnant

or breast-feeding.

 

Ailments Dosage

 

Alcoholism 120-175 mg 3 times a day between meals

Candida Overgrowth Syndrome 100-150 mg standardized extract in capsule

form OR 1 tsp. liquid extract twice a day

Gallstones 100-175 mg 2 or 3 times a day

Hepatitis 150-300 mg 3 times a day OR 1/2 tsp. liquid extract 3 times a

day

Psoriasis 120-175 mg of standardized extract or 1/2 tsp. liquid extract

twice a day

 

 

 

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JoAnn Guest

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