Medicinal Uses and Benefits of Milk Thistle

One of the benefits of milk thistle herb or silybum marianum is providing support for liver health. Results from clinical trials done on patients with cirrhosis of the liver found that an active ingredient in milk thistle called silymarin was effective in treating this liver disease. The results also showed that there were no side effects.

Milk thistle is a flowering plant and is also an ancient and traditional herb. The milk thistle seeds have been long used as a liver tonic. The active natural chemical called silymarin contains silibinin or silybin. It is a flavonoid and has anti inflammatory and anti oxidant properties. This active ingredient helps protect the liver cells against toxins and also aids in liver damage repair. Most of the silymarin is found in milk thistle seeds.

Alcohol, viruses and certain drugs can cause liver disease such as cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis and liver cancer. Milk thistle may help treat or reduce the risk of these liver problems. It has also shown to be effective in treating mushroom poisoning which, if untreated may cause liver failure.

Another one of the benefits of milk thistle is its ability to regulate menstrual cycle, overcome period pains and reduce excessive bleeding associated with it.

Milk thistle extract is one of the ingredients used in many hangover formulas because it may help prevent hangovers. Furthermore, alcohol produces toxin in the liver and will cause damage. This is the reason why it's beneficial to take milk thistle as a supplement if you are a regular drinker.

One of the other benefits of taking milk thistle extract is it may help reduce bad LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol levels. A healthy cholesterol level will reduce the risk of heart diseases.

Milk thistle is also being used as a detox agent. People who have been abusing alcohol or drugs may find milk thistle extract or silymarin an effective liver detox and cleanser. It is also an herbal ingredient used for weight loss and fat burning detox and cleansing products.

Milk thistle herb is effective for people who are on prescription drugs. But before taking this herbal supplement, you should consult your doctor because certain drugs interact with this herb.

Many more tests and studies are still going on to ascertain the benefits of milk thistle and silymarin in slowing down the growth of cancer cells and in reducing the harmful effects of chemotherapy treatments. Several clinical tests on colorectal cancer found that silymarin decreased the tumor growth.

Milk thistle extracts are available in capsules, liquid milk thistle, tea and whole milk thistle seeds. When buying milk thistle products, check the ingredients to ensure that it is milk thistle or silybum marianum and not blessed thistle or cnicus benedictus.

So far there is no report on the dangers of milk thistle. The normal allergic reactions and side effects for some people are diarrhea, gas and upset stomach.

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