Milk Thistle Herb Profile & Liver Lovin’ Smoothie Recipe

Tidbits About Milk Thistle

History

In traditional Chinese medicine, French folk medicine and in Europe during the Middle Ages the liver was regarded as the seat of the emotions. In fact, malfunction of the liver was thought to bring on depression and emotional distraught. For this reason, milk thistle has been served as a tonic for centuries to relieve the depression and negative emotions housed in the liver.

Climate & General Description

Because milk thistle can easily grow in most warm climates, you’ll find it growing as a common weed in arid landscapes primarily in California and Australia.

Milk thistle reaches a height of around 5 feet and can be identified by its distinctive purple flowering heads. These flowers can be eaten like an artichoke but it is very difficult to prepare and eat without getting pricked by the thorns and stickers. Seeds are collected and used for herbal medicine, and for those who are willing to brave the obvious self-defense mechanics of this plant, you can sheer the stalk and use in salads and stir-frys.  

Latin Name for Milk Thistle

Belonging to the Asteraceae family of plants, the scientific name for Milk Thistle is ‘Silybum marianum’, with another name of Carduus marianus.  

In European tradition, the distinctive white markings were believed to be splashes of the Virgin Mary’s milk. Therefore, milk thistle is commonly referred to as Mary Thistle. 

Benefits of Milk Thistle

Milk thistle regulates the distribution of fats, reduces inflammation in the intestines, stabilizes blood sugars and cholesterol and promotes the secretion of some hormones. Additionally, it is extremely useful in the treatment of liver diseases like cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, and alcoholic hepatitis. There have even been studies showing milk thistle to be effective at preventing altitude sickness.  

Conditions That Can Benefit From Milk Thistle

Gut Health

 Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease and Constipation

Bile is a fluid that is produced in the liver to break down fats in the small intestine. Therefore, by increasing the production of bile in the liver, milk thistle helps to remove testosterone byproducts, protects the intestinal lining and relieves constipation. Socrates said that good health begins in the gut. To be sure, milk thistle helps to keep your gut healthy.

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Benefits of Milk Thistle for Cancer

Estrogen stimulated cancers including breast cancer respond well to the addition of milk thistle in the diet. A chemical found in milk thistle called silibyn competes with the receptor sites of these kinds of cancer cells. Sylimarin stops the growth of breast cancer cells within tumors and more importantly halts the activity of the cancer cells before the cells spread to other areas in the body. This important tidbit was discovered by the scientists at the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. It’s also been noted that mice were protected from kidney damage when given milk thistle during treatment with the chemotherapy drug Platinol. (1) 

Cirrhosis, Hepatitis & Alcoholism

Silymarin in milk thistle prevents the entry of toxic compounds and viruses to the liver preventing damage to the cells. It revitalizes and regenerates the liver in cases of cirrhosis, hepatitis, mushroom poisoning, and other liver diseases.

A German pharmaceutical firm conducted a study of 2,637 people who had various liver disorders. After 8 weeks of taking milk thistle daily, there was a marked improvement in symptoms such as lack of appetite, nausea, and fatigue. 63% said their symptoms had disappeared. Surprisingly, milk thistle has the capability of improving alcoholic cirrhosis in as little as 2 weeks.

Due to a flavonoid complex in milk thistle extract, Silymarin stimulates liver protein creation which enables the organ to replace old liver cells with new ones in livers damaged by Hepatitis B & C. (2)

Atherosclerosis, High Cholesterol & Gallstones

Milk thistle helps the liver to convert LDL, bad cholesterol into HDL or good cholesterol. Additionally, it prevents bad cholesterol from being reabsorbed into the body and protects the arteries by stopping the oxidation that creates plaques in the artery wall linings. This, in turn, slows atherosclerosis. Milk thistle also lowers the cholesterol in the bile reducing the chance of gallstones developing. (3) 

Milk Thistle & Diabetes

Insulin resistance is very difficult to treat. It comes about when the liver is no longer able to respond to insulin. Milk thistle can benefit this problem by lowering blood glucose levels and lowering glycosylated hemoglobin, which is stickiness of red blood cells caused by elevated blood sugar.

Silymarin assists with taking out excessive amounts of insulin in the blood by stimulating the liver. This helps to regulate weight gain that is caused by too much insulin in the blood. Importantly, milk thistle has also been found useful in mitigating and reducing occurrences of ketoacidosis which can cause problems with the central nervous system. (4)

Skin Health & Anti-Aging

• Milk thistle can reduce the outbreaks of psoriasis due to increased production of bile which flushes away the toxins associated with the disease.
• Milk thistle’s protective and cleansing qualities make it great for keeping the skin healthy and reducing visible signs of aging.

Parkinsons and Glutathione

Milk thistle helps to maintain the body’s stores of glutathione, helping to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Another key point is the benefit of helping to lessen heartburn and constipation which occur commonly in patients with Parkinson’s. (5)

How to Use Milk Thistle

The very best way to take milk thistle is in Silymarin gel-capsule form. Due to the chemical combination of silybinin combination with phosphatidylcholine, the principle ingredient in soy lecithin, the digestive tract is able to uptake and utilize the active ingredients in the bodies tissues. Look for it to be labeled as a phytosome. 

Important: take caution if you are considering a tincture because if you have liver disease the alcohol in the tincture is counterproductive to your healing efforts. Therefore, remember to look for an alcohol-free tincture. 

Milk thistle extract has virtually no adverse side effects. However, if you are taking birth control pills or other hormone therapies to avoid pregnancy, milk thistle extract may reduce the effectiveness of these methods. Also, be aware that for the first few days of using milk thistle you may experience a mild laxative effect. While I personally consider this to be a positive effect, as the body is actively cleansing, don’t fret over this side effect. After 2-3 days it will subside.

Summary of Benefits

• Shows benefits for relieving irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and constipation.
• It can be of benefit for cancer treatments and prevention.
• Is beneficial for treatments for Cirrhosis, Hepatitis and Alcoholism
• Helps with Atherosclerosis, High Cholesterol and Gallstones
• Promising results for managing Diabetes
• Excellent for skin health and for controlling the signs of aging.
• Maintains glutathione in the body and can help manage Parkinson’s disease. 

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Precautions

The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to bolstering and strengthening the body and as a natural, chemical-free way to treat disease. Always keep in mind that herbs can trigger side effects and interact with supplements, medications or other herbs. Herbs should be taken with care, under the supervision of a qualified herbalist or doctor well versed in the field of botanical medicine.

I am not a doctor and do not claim to be. I am a seeker of pure, healthful living. Always talk with your doctor or qualified health care professional before taking any herbal remedies to ensure safety, especially if you are already on medications. The information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. None of these statements are intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Always consult with your medical practitioner or other qualified healthcare provider.

If you’d like to learn more about essential oils and herbs to enhance your health you may want to check out this very reasonable bundled resource. It has so much information to help you with your natural health journey!