Milk Thistle

It is a member of the aster or daisy family
and has been used by ancient physicians and herbalists to treat a range of liver and gallbladder diseases and to protect the liver against a variety of poisons.

The scientific name for milk thistle is Silybum marianum. Milk thistle are seeds of the dried flower of the Milk Thistle plant, containing the active silymarin complex, including the component silibinin.

Milk Thistle has been used in Europe as a remedy for liver problems for thousands of years. Its use was recorded in the first century (AD 23-79), noting that the plant was excellent for protecting the liver. Early Christian tradition dedicated milk thistle to Mary, calling it Marian thistle. In the 19th century the Eclectics used the herb for varicose veins, menstrual difficulty, and congestion in the liver, spleen and kidneys. Milk thistle has also been taken to increase breast-milk production, stimulate the secretion of bile, and as a treatment for depression.

Evidence exists that milk thistle may be hepatoprotective through a number of mechanisms: antioxidant activity, toxin blockade at the membrane level, enhanced protein synthesis, antifibriotic activity, and possible anti-inflammatory or immunomodulating effects. This comes down to a threefold protection for your liver.

Of all the herbal remedies you are likely to find available, Milk Thistle Extract may be the most dramatic. Milk Thistle protects and rejuvenates the liver in not less than three ways. Milk Thistle is a powerful Antioxidant. Like any bioflavonoid complex, it exerts a powerful anti-oxidant effect.

Milk Thistle works by interrupting the enterohepatic recirculation of toxins. The silymarin complex puts up an amazing protective "shield" against liver-harming substances like alcohol and other would-be poisons.

Did you know that your liver is the only organ in your body capable of regeneration?

An Interesting Story...

Silibinin and other components of the silymarin complex were first discovered to be beneficial in treating liver diseases in Germany several decades ago. A favorite national pastime in Germany is mushroom collecting, a practice with inherent risks, such as Amanita phalloides - the Death Cap mushroom. Consuming the Death Cap mushroom results in severe, usually deadly, liver damage. In fact, those that survive Death Cap poisoning have been so badly damaged that they most often require liver transplants to survive. Miraculously, silymarin binds to the liver cells preventing the mushroom poisons from binding, blocking their poisonous effect. The silymarin is also able to directly neutralize the poison itself, making it effective even if it is taken after the mushroom poison has been ingested. Milk thistle extract, for this very reason, is kept on hand in German hospitals where it is administered on an emergency basis for treating otherwise fatal Death Cap poisonings. The bulk of the research has been done in Germany.

In summary

Milk Thistle helps the liver detoxification process. For all liver disorders such as jaundice and hepatitis. Fights pollutants and prevents free radical damage by action as antioxidant. Protects the liver and stimulates the production of new liver cells. Helps common skin conditions related to poor liver function. A point by point list follows:

Protects liver cells from solvent damage (alcohol & carbon tetrachloride)
Protects liver cells from liver poisoning
Acts as an antidote to death cap (A. phalloides) mushrooms
Stimulates production of new liver cells
Helps skin conditions related to poor liver function
Fights pollutants and inhibits free-radical damage.
Slows the advancement of liver Cirrhosis
Perhaps helpful in treating Hebatitis

The standard dosage of milk thistle extract based on 70 - 80 percent silymarin content is from 70-210 milligrams three times daily. Milk thistle extracts have shown very low toxicity, even when taken over a long time.

Milk Thistle

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