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Sun, 12 Dec 1999 09:08:32 EST

 

INFO:Milk Thistle

Natural Land Archive

 

Milk Thistle

 

What we wouldn’t give to live in a toxic-free environment! Unfortunately, we

live in a modern society full of pollutants, chemicals, and stresses. Indeed,

we even ingest some of these substances such as alcohol and drugs [both

legal and illegal] knowingly. Such abuses can overload our liver and lead to

conditions such as cirrhosis, chronic fatigue, chronic candidiasis, PMS, cancer,

and psoriasis.

 

Popular detoxification programs, fasting regimens, cleansing diets, and

juices all help to clean our bodies. Good liver health is another way to help

purify our bodies, as the liver is a complex organ playing a key role in most

metabolic processes, especially detoxification.

 

The liver is responsible for detoxifying many things such as the toxic

Chemicals from our environment, the food and water we ingest, and the air we

breathe. It filters the blood, synthesizes and secretes bile, and enzymatically

disassembles unwanted chemicals from our metabolism and our environment. The

liver removes excess hormones and inflammatory compounds which would be toxic if

they built up in our bodies.

 

There are a number of plant-based medicines that show beneficial effects on

liver function. The most notable of these is milk thistle, with impressive

clinical research backing its claims. You may have seen milk thistle growing

wild in fields or vacant lots. It is a tall prickly plant, reaching a height of

5 to 10 feet. The leaves and stems contain a milky sap, and the

reddish-purple flowers are ringed with spines. The shiny grey-toned or mottled

black seeds

contain medicinal substances that have been used by healers for 2,000 years.

 

A prickly past

 

Legend has it that the white mottling of the leaves of milk thistle was

caused by a drop of the Virgin Marya’s milk. The plant was also traditionally

used to stimulate milk production. Known through the ages as Mary thistle, St.

Mary thistle, Marian thistle, Lady’s thistle, and Holy thistle, its scientific

name is Silybum marianum. Silybum was a name given to some edible thistles in

the first century by a Greek physician, and marianum is perhaps a reference

to the

 

Virgin Mary legend.

 

The Roman, Pliny the Elder, wrote in the first century A.D. that the juice

of the plant mixed with honey was excellent for carrying off bile.and

originating in Kashmir, milk thistle found its way to Europe where it was used

to

treat diseases of the liver throughout the Middle Ages. It spread to England by

the end of the sixteenth century, and British physicians of the sixteenth and

seventeenth centuries expressed that it was the best remedy that grows

against all melancholy diseases [liver diseases] and that it was effectual to

open

the obstructions of the liver and spleen, and thereby is good against the

jaundice.

 

They further noted, the seed and distilled water are held powerful to all

the purposes aforesaid, and besides, it is often applied both inwardly to drink,

and outwardly with cloths or sponges [sic], to the region of the liver, to

cool the distemper.

 

Not restricted to medicinal use, milk thistle was cultivated in European

gardens as a vegetable until the end of the nineteenth century. All parts of the

plant were consumed. The leaves, with spines removed, were eaten in salads as

a green, while the de-spined stems were soaked and devoured like asparagus.

The roots were soaked to remove the bitterness before eating, the flower

receptacle was served like an artichoke, and the seeds were roasted as a coffee

substitute.

 

(Chicory, a better-known coffee substitute, is a relative of milk thistle.)

 

Although milk thistle was introduced to North America by early European

colonists, the plant didn’t show up in American medicinal literature until the

end of the nineteenth century, when it was noted that congestion of the liver,

spleen, and kidneys is relieved by its use. It now grows wild in the Eastern

United States, California, and South America, as well as Europe.

 

Not restricted to medicinal use, milk thistle was cultivated in European

gardens as a vegetable until the end of the nineteenth century. All parts of the

plant were consumed. The leaves, with spines removed, were eaten in salads as

a green, while the de-spined stems were soaked and devoured like asparagus.

The roots were soaked to remove the bitterness before eating, the flower

receptacle was served like an artichoke, and the seeds were roasted as a coffee

substitute.

 

Although milk thistle was introduced to North America by early European

colonists, the plant didn’t show up in American medicinal literature until the

end of the nineteenth century, when it was noted that Congestion of the

liver,spleen, and kidneys is relieved by its use.†It now grows wild in

the

Eastern United States, California, and South America, as well as Europe.

proven liver protection

 

Homeopaths in the United States and Germany use tincture of milk thistle

seed to treat liver disorders, jaundice, gallstones, peritonitis, coughs,

bronchitis, varicose veins, and congestion of the uterus.

 

Milk thistle has been the subject of intense medical research for the last

40 years. This research has supported Pliny’s assertion from 2,000 years ago

that the herb has beneficial effects on the liver. Today’s scientists have

gone

even further and identified the beneficial chemical component of milk

thistle, called silymarin. Silymarin is a compound found in concentrations of

four

to six percent in ripe milk thistle seeds.

 

Recent studies have shown that silymarin affects the liver in two ways.

First,it has a protective effect. It alters the outer liver membrane cell

structure, preventing toxins from penetrating the cells by blocking the toxins

binding sites. Second, it stimulates the production of RNA polymerase A, which

results in regeneration of the liver by increasing protein synthesis, leading to

the growth of new cells. Milk thistle is also a powerful antioxidant,

providing more than ten times the antioxidant activity of vitamin E.

 

Laboratory researchers have shown that milk thistle is effective in

protecting the liver against a range of substances including alcohol, industrial

chemicals, the cold-blood frog virus, and the toxins contained in the death cap

mushroom. the beneficial thistle in practice

Clinical studies have reinforced the laboratory research. In a study

conducted in German, French, Swiss, and Austrian hospitals over a three-year

period,

220 patients who had ingested death cap mushrooms were treated with

intravenous infusions of silymarin (the beneficial compound in milk thistle).

One of

the world’s most toxic poisonous mushrooms, the death cap contains two

compounds that can cause severe liver damage, often leading to death. This liver

damage is very difficult to treat. The mortality rate in the European study was

only 12.8 percent, lower than had ever been achieved using other means. In

another study of 205 patients in which only 16 were treated with silymarin,

there was a much higher death rate of 22.4 percent.

 

Mushroom poisoning is relatively rare compared to cirrhosis and hepatitis,

which are the two main forms of liver disease. Cirrhosis is caused by alcohol

consumption, and is a serious medical problem in the United States. Ten

million Americans are affected by alcoholism; 200,000 die from it each year.

Cirrhosis is the fourth leading cause of death among men aged 25 to 64.

 

Hepatitis, the second type of liver disease, is inflammation of the liver,

and actually refers to a number of liver disorders. Hepatitis can be chronic

(long-lasting) or acute (short-term); it can be caused by viruses (indicated by

letters, for example Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, etc.); it can be caused by

alcohol, medications, or exposure to industrial chemicals such as fumes from

carbon tetrachloride, which is used in dry-cleaning. In fact, even an

over-the-counter drug such as acetaminophen (used in Tylenol) can contribute to

liver

inflammation. There are over 300,000 cases of hepatitis reported each year

in the United States alone. Hepatitis B, which is transmitted in the same

manner as AIDS, by sexual and blood-to-blood contact, is responsible for 5,000

deaths a year. Those that survive are susceptible to liver cancer in later

years.

 

Fortunately, there is a vaccine for hepatitis A and B.Studies have shown

milk thistle to be effective in treating not just mushroom poisoning, but

cirrhosis and hepatitis as well. In one study, patients treated for toxic liver

damage, chronic hepatitis, and bile duct inflammation, showed significant

improvement after taking 525 mg/day of silymarin for three months. In another

study

of 66 patients with alcohol-induced liver damage, those given silymarin

showed a faster increase in liver enzyme levels than those taking a placebo.

Dozens of other studies have confirmed the beneficial effect of milk thistle

extract in speeding liver recovery by stabilizing the liver cell membrane

(keeping toxins out) and promoting the growth of new tissue.

 

In Europe, milk thistle is widely recognized as a treatment for cirrhosis

and hepatitis. Commission E, the panel in Germany that evaluates herbal

treatments for the German government, recommends the use of milk thistle seeds

for

the treatment of liver disease. In fact, most German emergency rooms keep

injectable solutions of milk thistle extract on hand for the treatment of liver

poisoning.

 

Studies have shown milk thistle to be effective in treating not just

mushroom poisoning, but cirrhosis and hepatitis as well. In one study, patients

treated for toxic liver damage, chronic hepatitis, and bile duct inflammation,

showed significant improvement after taking 525 mg/day of silymarin for three

months.

 

In another study of 66 patients with alcohol-induced liver damage, those

given silymarin showed a faster increase in liver enzyme levels than those

taking a placebo. Dozens of other studies have confirmed the beneficial effect

of

milk thistle extract in speeding liver recovery by stabilizing the liver cell

membrane (keeping toxins out) and promoting the growth of new tissue.

 

In Europe, milk thistle is widely recognized as a treatment for cirrhosis

and hepatitis. Commission E, the panel in Germany that evaluates herbal

treatments for the German government, recommends the use of milk thistle seeds

for

the treatment of liver disease. In fact, most German emergency rooms keep

injectable solutions of milk thistle extract on hand for the treatment of liver

poisoning. the dutiful detoxifier

 

Even if you don’t have cirrhosis or hepatitis, you may benefit from the use

of milk thistle. If you come in contact with toxic chemicals in your work, you

may find a monthly cleansing program with milk thistle helpful. At-risk

occupations include painters, rs, janitors, factory workers, and gardeners. Or,

if you regularly use prescription or over-the-counter medication, the milk

thistle seed extract may be used to cleanse and regenerate your liver. The

normal dose of milk thistle extract of at least 70 percent silymarin is 100 to

300 mg, three times a day. Milk thistle is a safe herb, as there are no known

side effects at recommended levels. However, use during pregnancy or lactation

has not been studied.

 

In an increasingly toxic environment, keeping all of our organs humming

along is vital to maintaining good health. The liver, the body’s sewage

treatment plant, is key in keeping our bodies vibrant and strong. Milk thistle,

blessed with a drop of the Virgin Mary's milk and endorsed by physicians both

ancient and modern, is nature's means to a wholesome, healthy liver.

 

Constance E. Grauds, R.Ph., is founder and president of the Association of

Natural Medicine Pharmacists. As a trained specialist in the field of natural

medicines, Constance is also a consultant to the pharmaceutical and natural

medicine industries.