Milk Thistle, a herbal supplement detoxifies and protects important liver functions. It has been used for more than 2,000 years as a natural treatment for curing liver disorders. The scientific term for this Milk thistle is “Silybum marianum”, and is more commonly known as “St. Mary Thistle,” “Lady’s thistle” and “Holy Thistle’. It is a herbaceous plant native of the Asteraceae family and can grow to a height of ten feet. It has flowers of red and purple color. It gets its name from milky white fluid that comes out when its leaves are crushed.
It is found in southern Europe, Asia Minor, southern Russia and North Africa, and is also found in North and South America. Europeans were the first to make use of milk thistle seeds as an herbal treatment for curing liver disorders and also in the treatment of the bile duct and spleen disorders.
Clinical Benefits of Milk Thistle!
Clinical research has confirmed the value of milk thistle in many liver-related and non-related conditions in humans. Milk thistle has the ability to protect the liver and the body against many types of damage. It is considered to be one of the most valuable and useful herbal remedies anywhere in the world
Benefits of milk thistle for a healthy liver!
Milk thistle is used to maintain health of the liver and also protects it from the harmful effects of toxins like alcohol, an environment or workplace that is highly polluted, and many other liver related diseases. The use of milk thistle has an important role to play in Alcoholic cirrhosis, acute viral hepatitis, fatty liver (NAFLD and NASH), Cirrhosis and Fibrosis, liver damage caused by drugs and alcohol, Hepatic toxicity related to steroid usage etc.
Milk thistle for non-liver related benefits!
Milk thistle is believed to lower the cholesterol level that benefits the heart. It also reduces the possibility of various cancers by inhibiting the cancer cells from growing. It also aids in prevention of diseases like Alzheimer. Blood sugar levels also improve with the use of milk thistle. It also has many anti-aging properties. The radiation and chemotherapy treatments damage the cells of the body their effect can be reduced using milk thistle extracts. Its supplements may be useful in various types of skin disease and also as a sunscreen. It also helps in reducing menopausal related symptoms like hot flashes. It can act as a powerful antioxidant and scavenger as well.
Detoxification & Health benefits of milk thistle!
Milk thistle acts as a powerful detoxifier. It helps to rebuild the liver cells and is instrumental in removing toxins from our body that the liver processes. It is effective at reversing the ill-effects of consuming alcohol, presence of pesticides in our food, heavy metals that are present in the water we drink, contaminated air that we breathe in and some poisons too.
Milk thistle’s role in protection against Cancer!
Seeds of milk thistle are a rich source of the antioxidant flavonoid known as silymarin that is associated with reducing the risk of cancer by fighting against DNA damage, boosting the immune system and preventing the cancerous tumor growth. Most of the silymarin molecules present in milk thistle are called silybin that stimulates synthesis of protein. It changes the external group of healthy cells avoiding mutation and damage. It prevents toxins from residing in the body, helps in cell renewal, and reduces the harmful effects of environmental pollutants, heavy metals that are a source of damage of the free radical.
Other benefits of milk thistle!
Milk thistle is considered to be a powerful anti inflammatory. It benefits heart health and helps in lowering cholesterol levels by lowering the inflammation, detoxifying the blood and reducing oxidative stress damage occurring within the arteries. Silymarin the main chemical that exists in milk thistle along with some other conventional treatments can control diabetes by the glycemic control. Milk thistle also helps in preventing gallstones and stones in the kidney.