The Untapped Potential of Milk Thistle

Milk Thistle has been used for thousands of years as a remedy for a variety of ailments.  The active ingredient found in milk thistle is silymarin, an antioxidant that, among other things, protects against cell damage and stimulates repair of liver tissue.

For many centuries extracts of milk thistle have been recognized as "liver tonics." Milk thistle has been reported to have protective effects on the liver and to greatly improve its function.  It is typically used to treat liver cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis (liver inflammation), toxin-induced liver damage including the prevention of severe liver damage from Amanita phalloides ('death cap' mushroom poisoning), and gallbladder disorders.

Research suggests that milk thistle extracts both prevent and repair damage to the liver from toxic chemicals and medications. Workers who had been exposed to vapors from toxic chemicals (toluene and/or xylene) for 5–20 years were given either a standardized milk thistle extract (80% silymarin) or placebo for 30 days.  The workers taking the milk thistle extract showed significant improvement in liver function tests and platelet counts vs. the placebo group.

Early laboratory studies also suggest that silymarin and other active substances in milk thistle may have anticancer effects. These substances appear to stop cancer cells from dividing and reproducing, shorten their lifespan, and reduce blood supply to tumors.

In one case study, a woman with leukemia had to stop chemotherapy because her liver enzyme levels were abnormal. When milk thistle was administered, those levels were normalized, and the woman was able to continue her cancer treatments.

In a second case, a man's liver tumors regressed before beginning chemotherapy simply by taking milk thistle.

Yet a third, placebo-controlled study involving 50 children with leukemia showed improvement over a four week period when the experimental group of children took milk thistle. Tests showed that milk thistle was able to protect the children's livers from the toxic effects of chemotherapy to the point where these children did not have to have their dosages reduced.

Further investigation is definitely needed to better understand Milk Thistle's huge potential.