Milk Thistle

Milk Thistle - This herb, contains a host of active compounds and is most well known for their hepato-protective effects (liver protection). It is commonly used by anybody taking any substance that may be of harm to their liver such as alchohol or steroids. These effects may be due to the antioxidant benefits of milk thistle in the prevention of lipid peroxidation and the protection against glutathione depletion. This herb also possesses numerous other detoxifying effects. The botanical herbal name for milk thistle is Silybum Marianum and Carduus Marianus. Milk Thistle is also known by the names of Holy Thistle, Marythistle, St Mary's Thistle, Marian Thistle. Milk Thistle is a member of the family Asteraceae and is a tall herb with prickly leaves and a milky sap that is native to the Mediterranean region of Europe. Milk thistle is among the most ancient of all known herbal medicines, having been used as a remedy for centuries for liver complaints.

Milk Thistle is found growing, very commonly, wild in a variety of settings, including by roadsides. The dried fruit of Milk Thistle called Achenes are used to produce the modern herbal extracts. There have been medical uses of Milk Thistle that canbe traced back more than 2000 years. The well known 17th century pharmacist, Nicholas Culpeper, cited its use for opening obstructions of the liver and spleen and recommended it for the treatment of jaundice.

The dried fruit of milk thistle contains a flavonoid complex known as silymarin. This constituent is responsible for the medical benefits of the plant. Silymarin is made up of three parts: silibinin, silidianin, and silicristin. Silibinin is the most active and is largely responsible for the benefits attributed to silymarin.

Milk thistle extract may protect the cells of the liver by blocking the entrance of harmful toxins and helping remove these toxins from the liver cells. As with other bioflavonoids, silymarin is a powerful antioxidant. Silymarin has also been shown to regenerate injured liver cells. Recent studies have shown that silymarin has the ability to block fibrosis, a process that contributes to the eventual development of cirrhosis in people with inflammatory liver conditions secondary to diseases such as alchohol abuse or hepatitis.

Silymarin, the active constituent of Milk Thistle, makes up 1-3% of Milk Thistle. Silymarin has been found to play a role in human regeneration of liver cells after damage from alcohol and/or liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis); as a treatment for promoting wound healing (for example, in burns); as an anti-inflammatory agent; and as an anti-oxidant. It can also decrease elevated liver enzymes induced by drug usage.

Silymarin is thought to alter the structure of the outer cell membrane of liver cells, thus preventing penetration of liver toxins into the cell. In this manner it may help protect your body against potential damage from substances that are solely or partially metabolized in the liver. Further research points to silymarin having the ability to increase the action of nucleolar polymerase A, which in turn, promotes protein synthesis and the regeneration of liver cells, while having anti-oxidant action.

Finally, the components of silymarin, chiefly silibinin and silichristin, have been found to actually imitate steroid hormones by stimulating protein synthesis via enhancing DNA activity in a non-select manner. This means that silymarin may further potentiate your muscular growth while protecting your liver.

Milk thistle extract is most commonly recommended to counteract the harmful actions of alcohol on the liver. Double-blind trials indicate that it helps the liver return to a healthy state once a person stops drinking. Some trials suggest it may improve quality of life and even life expectancy in people with liver cirrhosis.However, another trial found no effect in cirrhosis patients. Milk thistle alters bile makeup, thereby potentially reducing risk of gallstones. However, this needs to be verified by human clinical trials. Milk thistle extract has been shown to protect the liver from the potentially damaging effect of drugs used to treat schizophrenia and other forms of psychosis. However, one trial found that it did not protect the liver from the potentially harmful effects of the drug Cognex used to treat early-stage Alzheimers disease.

Silymarin has been shown to reduce AST, ALT, bilirubin and even gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), which is currently being used to differentiate between what may actually be liver stress/damage or not in humans and animals.

For liver disease and impaired liver function, research suggests the use of 420-600 mg of silymarin per day from an herbal extract of milk thistle standardized to 80% silymarin content. According to research and clinical experience, improvement should be noted in about eight to twelve weeks. For people with chronic liver disease, milk thistle extract may be considered a long-term therapy. For most people when using Milk Thistle, look for brands that contain at least 140 mg silymarin per serving. Research indicates that a dosage of 200-400 mg silymarin per day is best (taken in two equal divided doses) for obtaining a therapeutic and protective effect.

One can argue that the most vital organ to preserving health in the body is the liver. The liver is responsible for "detoxifying" practically every substance that we ingest via the oral route. Would you believe that the liver is involved in over 500 metabolic functions? Without doubt, outside of the heart and the brain, the liver is the organ that you most want to care for.

This large organ is responsible for converting T4 into T3 (active thyroid), building amino acids into plasma proteins, storing glucose as glycogen, regulating blood sugar, and conserving iron from old red blood cells, as well as detoxifying substances such as alcohol and drugs. The major liver metabolic functions are described as follows:

Carbohydrate Metabolism

• converts various types of sugars into glucose

• acts as a glucose buffer

• converts amino acids and glycerol to glucose when glycogen stores are low

• converts glucose to fat for storage

Fat Metabolism

• is primary site of fat burning (beta-oxidation)

• stores fats

• forms lipoproteins for transporting fat to and from tissues

• synthesizes cholesterol and bile salts.

Protein Metabolism

• deaminates amino acids for conversion into glucose and cellular energy (ATP)

• forms urea, removing ammonia from the body

• forms plasma proteins to support the immune system, promote anabolism, and bolster thyroid function

• converts amino acids from essential to non- essential

Vitamin/Mineral Storage

• stores vitamin A for 1-2 years

• stores 1-4 month supply of vitamin D and B12

• stores iron (as ferritin) and releases it into the blood as needed.

Biotransformation Functions

• converts drugs from active to inactive substances via synthetic reactions, yielding metabolic products which can be secreted by the kidneys

• transforms drugs or substances via nonsynthetic reactions from active substances to more active, active, or less-active substances

• process bilirubin, eventually yielding bile pigments

• metabolizes blood-borne hormones to forms that can be excreted in urine

For those who prefer, 12-15 grams of milk thistle dried fruits can be ground and eaten or made into a tea. This should not be considered therapeutic for conditions of the liver, however.

Milk thistle extract is virtually devoid of any side effects and may be used by most people, including pregnant and breast-feeding women. In fact, it has been recommended as a treatment for itching due to poor gallbladder function during pregnancy. Since silymarin stimulates liver and gallbladder activity, it may have a mild, transient laxative effect in some people. This will usually cease within two to three days.

Certain medicines may interact with milk thistle such as those listed here:

Chemotherpay

Cisplatin

Clofibrate

Fluorouracil

General Anesthetics

Haloperidol

Lovastatin

Methotrexate

Metronidazole

Nitrous Oxide

Paclitaxel

Paracetamol

Pravastatin

Tacrine