Milk Thistle Benefits – The Liver Friendly Herb

Milk thistle is a liver-friendly herb that has been use as a remedy for many years. Milk thistle benefits include modulating the immune system, improving blood circulation, and controlling inflammation. This article contains all the necessary information on milk thistle including how it is prepared, its top three uses. And what side effects to look out for before using it.

A Brief History of Milk Thistle

Milk thistle is a variety of the plant Silybum marianum. A perennial herb in the daisy family that grows on the plains, desert areas, and rocky hillsides of Russia and other parts of northern Eurasia. The plant grows from six to 30 inches tall, with a single-stemmed, whorled branching habit. Milk thistle was first used in medicine by the Greek physician Hippocrates. Who used it as a medicine in 600 B.C. The herb was also popularize by the ancient Egyptians and Romans, who used it to treat liver ailments and jaundice. The history of milk thistle is even more interesting than that.

Milk Thistle benefits

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) has been use for thousands of years. To treat a variety of ailments including anemia, liver disease, and gallstones. This herb is also seen as a natural way to reduce inflammation. Which makes it a popular treatment for many people. Milk thistle is also consider to be one of the best herbs for reducing cholesterol levels.

What is liver friendly herbs?

The benefits of milk thistle are often touted as being the best yet safest natural remedy to combat liver disease. Milk thistle contains a chemical compound known as silymarin. Which has numerous health benefits including protecting and repairing damaged liver tissue. Benefits include liver support, liver detoxification and liver protection, as well as protection against cancer. The Milk thistle is for anyone who wants to support liver health and recovery.

It is important to consume milk thistle in the correct amounts to not overload your liver with toxins. Which may result in a build-up of fat in your liver tissue. The Milk Thistle root is the part of the plant that works best for treating liver disorders. Milk thistle does so by helping the liver to flush out toxins and by building up healthy new tissue. Milk Thistle Seed – This part of the milk thistle plant contains the chemical silymarin. Silymarin can be consume in its raw form or powder. It was discover that silymarin has many healing properties, including helping to support the liver.

However, a study published in 2010 determined that silymarin was not effective in treating liver disorders. In fact, it was even linked to increase risk of death from liver disease. The study authors suggest that the results of the study were due to using silymarin. In doses that would be toxic to the body, not being take as recommend. A large amount of silymarin was consume in the study. And the goal was to test whether silymarin could help liver disease. The results of the study confirmed exactly why the results of the earlier studies were so confusing.

What are the Scientific facts behind Milk Thistle benefits?

Milk Thistle has been show to reduce the liver’s AST and ALT levels in mice. This means that Milk Thistle can help to protect from damage from toxins, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Milk Thistle is also as a natural remedy for cirrhosis, hepatitis and fatty liver disease. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other scientific studies, Milk Thistle has been show to:

Protect Liver Function In mice fed a high-fat diet. Milk Thistle was show to increase the liver’s natural resistance to toxic chemicals. In mice with fatty liver disease. Milk Thistle was show to reduce levels of fatty substances in the blood as well as liver damage. Protect Against Hepatitis, Cirrhosis and Liver Cancer In mice with liver cancer. Milk Thistle significantly improved the condition of the liver and reduced tumor formation.

For example, test animals given Milk Thistle had less tumor formation than those given no treatment. The test mice also survived longer, at a rate of 66% versus 45%. Support Liver Detoxification the liver is a very complex organ with many functions. But one of its primary roles is to eliminate toxins from the body. Unfortunately, some of the substances that it can eliminate can also be carcinogens. Milk Thistle may help to protect against liver damage by inhibiting the production of some of these toxins. Milk Thistle has been show to inhibit the formation of carcinogenic aflatoxin in rats and mice. As well as non-carcinogenic aflatoxin.

Some best practices when using Milk Thistle

Milk thistle is a beneficial herb that has been use in traditional medicine for centuries. Some of the benefits of milk thistle include prevention and treatment of viral infections, inflammation, liver diseases, and cancer. Milk thistle is also now to help protect the liver from alcohol and drugs. However, some best practices when using milk thistle are ensuring people take it with food or water. Not exceeding the recommended dose per day, and consulting with a health care provider for certain uses.

Trifolium pretension, also known as French clover or white clover. Is a species of clover that is native to Europe, Africa, and Asia. It is a perennial herb that can grow to 3 feet in height with large flowers. That are blue-white or white. Because of its ability to prevent the formation of nitrite in the body. French clover has been use for centuries as a folk remedy to treat chills and fever. In the 1970s, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison created a concentrat extract from French clover. That is believe to possess significant health benefits.

Summary

Milk thistle is an herb that has many benefits. It is use as a natural remedy to help with the liver and reduce inflammation.