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Detoxifying the natural way
Milk thistle grows throughout the temperate world. Traditional herbalists have used it to treat liver problems, leading pharmacologists to investigate it as a possible liver medicine.
And healthcare needs a good liver medicine. Many conditions attack the liver, notably cirrhosis, mushroom poisoning, and hepatitis A, B, and C. Unfortunately, mainstream medicine doesn't have much to offer people with liver disease. For hepatitis, doctors advise resting and refraining from doing anything to further damage the liver, like drinking alcohol or taking drugs. For mushroom poisoning, mainstream treatment can fail, with fatal results. For cirrhosis, all doctors can do is treat the complications.
But good research shows that milk thistle extract can help treat all these conditions safely.
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Existing Medical Research
The original variety of milk thistle doesn't contain enough silymarin to do much good. So German plant scientists bred a high-silymarin variety that produces a standardized extract. A 200 mg dose of this extract contains 140 mg of silymarin. This dose, taken three or four times a day, has become the standard used in the studies showing that milk thistle benefits the liver.- Scandinavian researchers recruited 97 heavy drinkers with liver damage, but not cirrhosis, and gave 47 of them silymarin for four weeks. Compared with control subjects who took a placebo, the silymarin group showed significant decreases in abnormally high levels of several liver enzymes and a greater likelihood of returning to normal liver function. [1]
- Several European studies show that compared with hepatitis patients who did not receive silymarin, those who did recovered more quickly.
In one study, 170 people (91 with alcoholic cirrhosis) were divided into two groups. One group received 200 mg of milk thistle extract three times a day, and the other group received a placebo. Four years later, 31 people in the placebo group had died of liver disease, but among those who took silymarin, there were only 18 deaths -- 42% fewer. Several other studies show that milk thistle can help normalize liver function in people with cirrhosis. [2]
- Several studies have shown that milk thistle can save lives threatened by Amanita ("death cap") mushroom poisoning. Silymarin blocks the potent poison's entry into liver cells. Without treatment, the death rate from Amanita poisoning is around 50%. Standard medical treatment (activated charcoal) saves many, but not all lives. But in one study of 60 people treated with silymarin for death-cap poisoning, none died. In another study involving 205 poisoned people, 189 received standard medical care and 16 received silymarin. In the standard care group, 46 patients (24% of the group) died. In the silymarin group, none died.
- Alcohol is not the only drug that damages the liver. In high enough doses, even such everyday medications as acetaminophen (Tylenol) do the same. In one animal study, silymarin prevented liver damage from large doses of acetaminophen. In other studies, it has protected the liver from damage caused by antibiotics (tetracycline, erythromycin), antidepressants (Elavil, Pamelor), and antipsychotics (Thorazine, Haldol). [3]
- Silymarin has also been shown to minimize liver damage from long-term exposure to several toxic industrial chemicals. In one study of workers with liver damage from toluene and xylene, 140 mg of silymarin three times a day for a month significantly reduced their abnormally high levels of liver enzymes. [4]
Milk thistle helps the liver in three ways. First, it binds tightly to the receptors on liver cell membranes that allow toxins in, thus locking them out. It is also a powerful antioxidant, which helps protect liver cells form oxidative damage, the chemical process responsible for a great deal of harm in the body. And it spurs repair of damaged liver cells.
Sources
1 Salmi, H.A. and S. Sarna. "Effect of Silymarin on Chemical, Functional, and Morphological Alterations of the Liver: A Double-Blind, Controlled Study," Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology (1982) 17:517.
2 Ferenci, P., et al. "Randomized Controlled Trial of Silymarin Treatment in Patients with Cirrhosis of the Liver," Journal of Hepatology (1989) 9:105.
3 Palasciano, G., et al. "Effect of Silymarin on Plasma Levels of Malon-Dialdehyde in Patients Receiving Long-Term Treatment with Psychotropic Drugs," Current Therapeutic Research (1994) 55:537.
4 Morazzani, P. and E. Bombardelli. "Milk Thistle Monograph," Fitoterapia (1995) 66:3.
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Common Uses
Milk thistle may be helpful in treating:
- Liver damage
- Hepatitis
- Cirrhosis
- Mushroom poisoning
Remember that no health claims for milk thistle have been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Historical and Folkloric Use
Milk thistle has been linked to the liver for more than 2,000 years. The Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23 to 79) wrote that the herb's juice helped "carry off bile." European herbalists used it extensively to treat jaundice, a liver condition. American herbalists and physicians during the 18th and 19th centuries also used the plant to treat liver conditions.
In 1968, German researchers isolated three liver-protective compounds from milk thistle seeds: silibinin, silidianin, and silicristin. Collectively, these are known as "silymarin."
Dosage and Administration
You can find milk thistle in several forms:
- Dried bulk
- Capsules or tablets
- Extract
- Teas (sometimes combined with peppermint)
Capsules: These range from 200 mg to 500 mg concentrations. Take three capsules a day, or as directed on the package.
Tea: Mix one teaspoon of ground milk thistle in one cup of boiling water. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Drink up to three cups per day.
NOTE: Silymarin, the active ingredient of milk thistle, is not very soluble in water. Therefore, standardized tablets or capsules may provide you with higher therapeutic dosages.
Storage
Keep milk thistle supplements in a cool, dry place.
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How to Use Milk Thistle Safely
Milk thistle is generally regarded as safe.
Side effects are rare -- just occasional reports of stomach upset or a laxative effect. Allergic reactions are possible.
Pregnant and nursing women should consult a physician before using this herb.
If you have a liver disease, talk to your doctor before taking milk thistle supplements.
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Sources & Further Reading
Books
American Botanical Council. The Complete Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Boston: American Botanical Council/Integrative Medicine Communications, 1998.
Duke, J. The Green Pharmacy. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1997.
Tyler, V. Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals. New York: Pharmaceutical Products Press/Hawthorn Press, 1994.
Weiner, M. and J. Weiner. Herbs That Heal: Prescription for Herbal Healing. Mill Valley, CA: Quantum Books, 1994.
Werbach, M. and M. Murray. Botanical Influences on Illness. Tarzana, CA: Third Line Press, 1994.
Articles
Anon. "Milk Thistle," Review of Natural Products 1-97.
Brown, D. "Silymarin Education Monograph," Herbal Research Update Summer 1993.
Ferenci, P., et al. "Randomized Controlled Trial of Silymarin Treatment in Patients with Cirrhosis of the Liver," Journal of Hepatology (1989) 9:105.
Morazzani, P. and E. Bombardelli. "Milk Thistle Monograph," Fitoterapia (1995) 66:3.
Palasciano, G., et al. "Effect of Silymarin on Plasma Levels of Malon-Dialdehyde in Patients Receiving Long-Term Treatment with Psychotropic Drugs," Current Therapeutic Research (1994) 55:537.
Salmi, H.A. and Sarna, S. "Effect of Silymarin on Chemical, Functional, and Morphological Alterations of the Liver: A Double-Blind, Controlled Study," Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology (1982) 17:517.
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