Milk Thistle

Milk Thistle

Other Names:

Mary thistle or holy thistle

What is milk thistle?

Milk thistle comes from the same family of plants as the daisy and is a flowering plant that grows in Mediterranean countries. The active ingredients in milk thistle are a group of plant compounds collectively known as silymarin, which is known to have antioxidant, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Milk thistle is traditionally used to treat liver and gallbladder disorders, promote breast milk production as well as prevent and treat cancer.

Health Benefits:

Protects your liver

Milk thistle is regularly used by people who have liver damage due to conditions like alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatitis and liver cancer. It is thought that silymarin, a group of compounds – silibinin, silidianin and silicristin – work together to provide many health benefits, including protection of the liver. Milk thistle is also an anti-fibrotic which means it prevents tissue scarring and inhibits the binding of the toxins to the liver cell membrane receptors acting as a ‘toxin blockade agent’.

Although researchers aren’t sure exactly how milk thistle works, studies show improvement in liver function of people with liver diseases who have taken a milk thistle supplement, suggesting it could help reduce liver inflammation and liver damage.

May prevent age-related decline in brain-function

Used as a traditional remedy for neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease for centuries, milk thistle’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties could mean that it is neuroprotective and could assist with the prevention of decline in brain function as we age.

Studies show that silymarin could prevent oxidative damage to brain cells, which could prevent mental decline. As well as this, milk thistle may also be able to reduce the number of amyloid plaques in the brain’s of animals with Alzheimer’s disease. Amyloid plaques are clusters of amyloid proteins that can build up between nerve cells as you age, and have been seen in very high numbers in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease.History:

Milk thistle takes its name from the story of how Virgin Mary was sheltering under the leaves of the milk thistle while nursing baby Jesus. A drop of Mary’s milk fell which caused the distinctive white veins on the leaves of milk thistle, which is why it is also called Mary thistle or holy thistle. It has been used medicinally since the fourth century BC, a Greek physician and botanist was the first to describe the healing properties of milk thistle.

Typical Uses:

Milk thistle is available a supplement and a tea. For our Milk Thistle supplement we suggest a dosage of 1 capsule or 300-500mg daily 15 minutes before food.

Sources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28125040/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27517806/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24118806/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26881043/Other Names:

Mary thistle or holy thistle

What is milk thistle?

Milk thistle comes from the same family of plants as the daisy and is a flowering plant that grows in Mediterranean countries. The active ingredients in milk thistle are a group of plant compounds collectively known as silymarin, which is known to have antioxidant, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Milk thistle is traditionally used to treat liver and gallbladder disorders, promote breast milk production as well as prevent and treat cancer.

Health Benefits:

Protects your liver

Milk thistle is regularly used by people who have liver damage due to conditions like alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatitis and liver cancer. It is thought that silymarin, a group of compounds – silibinin, silidianin and silicristin – work together to provide many health benefits, including protection of the liver. Milk thistle is also an anti-fibrotic which means it prevents tissue scarring and inhibits the binding of the toxins to the liver cell membrane receptors acting as a ‘toxin blockade agent’.

Although researchers aren’t sure exactly how milk thistle works, studies show improvement in liver function of people with liver diseases who have taken a milk thistle supplement, suggesting it could help reduce liver inflammation and liver damage.

May prevent age-related decline in brain-function

Used as a traditional remedy for neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease for centuries, milk thistle’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties could mean that it is neuroprotective and could assist with the prevention of decline in brain function as we age.

Studies show that silymarin could prevent oxidative damage to brain cells, which could prevent mental decline. As well as this, milk thistle may also be able to reduce the number of amyloid plaques in the brain’s of animals with Alzheimer’s disease. Amyloid plaques are clusters of amyloid proteins that can build up between nerve cells as you age, and have been seen in very high numbers in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease.History:

Milk thistle takes its name from the story of how Virgin Mary was sheltering under the leaves of the milk thistle while nursing baby Jesus. A drop of Mary’s milk fell which caused the distinctive white veins on the leaves of milk thistle, which is why it is also called Mary thistle or holy thistle. It has been used medicinally since the fourth century BC, a Greek physician and botanist was the first to describe the healing properties of milk thistle.

Typical Uses:

Milk thistle is available a supplement and a tea. For our Milk Thistle supplement we suggest a dosage of 1 capsule or 300-500mg daily 15 minutes before food.

Sources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
28125040/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
27517806/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
24118806/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
26881043/