Support A Healthy Liver Naturally With Milk Thistle Seed Extract
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum ) is a common herb with spiny white-veined leaves and pink flowers that has been used as a liver tonic for at least 2,000 years. A Greek physician in the first century named the herb based on the legend that the white mottling on each leaf was caused by a drop of the Virgin Mary’s milk.
Milk Thistle Seed Extract contains a group of substances called silymarin that may help protect the liver. Human studies have found milk thistle seed extract beneficial in treating alcoholic liver disease, drug induced liver disease, bile duct inflammation and chronic hepatitis. Among 170 patients with cirrhosis (chronic scarring of the liver, often caused by alcoholism), those who took milk thistle extract survived longer than those who took placebos (dummy pills). In another small study, it significantly improved symptoms of chronic hepatitis. However, more research is needed to verify these results. When injected, milk thistle extract has been used successfully to treat liver failure caused by amanita mushroom (Amanita phalloides) poisoning.
A comprehensive review of recent scientific studies by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that in five of seven studies designed to examine the effect of milk thistle on alcoholic liver disease, milk thistle provided significant improvements in liver function.
The liver plays an important role in digestion, detoxification, blood sugar regulation and fat metabolism. In vitro studies with silymarin demonstrated antioxidant activity and the ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation of cell membranes. Silymarin also helps regulate the balance of prostaglandins in the liver. Prostaglandins are hormone like molecules that regulate a variety of bodily functions.
Milk Thistle Seed Extract can be an essential part of your daily vitamin regiment. Look for this wonderful herb at your local or internet health food store. It comes in capsule, tablet, and bulk powder forms by name brands like Solaray, Thompson Nutritional, and Source Naturals.
*Statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Milk Thistle Seed Extract is not intended to diagnose, treat and cure or prevent disease. Always consult with your professional health care provider before changing any medication or adding Vitamins to medications.