Did you Know that Milk Thistle is Good for Your Liver?

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by: Simon Kruger
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Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2010 Time: 2:07 PM
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Milk thistle known to be an effective remedy for the liver has been in use for more than a thousand years. There is good scientific evidence for its use against cirrhosis and chronic liver diseases that are either alcohol-induced or caused by viruses. In addition, ongoing studies are looking into its alleged activities against a wide array of illnesses, notably acute viral hepatitis, diabetes, and cancer.
The most common types of milk thistles grow as biennial plants, but some are annuals. The plant stands erect up to 2 meters high on average, and the stem has visible grooves. At the end of the stem are the leaves that appear to be large spines attached to the stem but with the absence of petioles. The leaves covered with prickles have white veins, which contain sap that looks like milk. The flower sits at the top and made up of many pointed florets with colors varying from purplish red to bright pink, sometimes even white. The seed is actually an achene, a seed-like fruit that encloses the seed.

Milk thistle is an indigenous plant of the Mediterranean region but spread to Greece, Italy, and up north to Germany over two thousand years ago, favoring dry areas that receive a fair amount of sunlight. Its uses are widespread across Europe and can be traced back to the ancient times when early Greek physicians prepared solutions using this herb as the main ingredient.
In the famed pharmacopeia authored by the Greek naturalist Pedanius Dioscorides, a number of edible thistles were categorized as silybum, herbs known to wash away bad contaminants of the humors blood, yellow bile, and black bile, contributing to the common belief at the time in its effectiveness as a health tonic against diseases of the liver, spleen, and gall bladder.
Later influences of humorism, an early theory about the human body widely accepted by physicians in Greek and Roman antiquity, might have led to the popular use throughout the centuries. In the Middle Ages, the plant became associated with the religious figure Mary the mother of Christ as evidenced by the naming of one species Silybum marianum. At that time its milky liquid was used in a variety of ways, even touted as a cosmetic product.

Researches in the second half of the 20th century point to polyphenolic antioxidants now identified as silymarin present in milk thistle extracts. Recent studies focused on the use of this antioxidant show that silymarin is indeed the active ingredient that has proven to have positive effects on the liver.
In patients diagnosed with liver inflammation, milk thistle not only helps the liver remove toxic substances but also improves liver function, leading to a stable liver condition. Of special note is its ability to prevent damages to the liver resulting from activities of drugs, alcohol, and microorganisms. Its continuing role in clinical trials is largely due to the absence of side effects even at extremely high doses.

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