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Milk Thistle

 

Silybum marianum.

 

Vitaklenz: 105mg

Vitaklenz for Kidz: 17.5mg

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Milk Thistle grows wild throughout much of Europe, being native to the Mediterranean and thriving in sunny locations. Milk thistle has distinctive white markings on its leaves, traditionally believed to be caused by the Virgin Mary’s milk (thus the name). The flower heads are picked while in full bloom in early summer. 1

 

Milk thistle has been used for centuries in Europe as a remedy for depression and liver problems. 1 Historically milk thistle has also been used for treating malaria, uterine disorders and to stimulate menstruation. 2 Duke’s Handbook of Medicinal Herbs lists both antioxidant and antiviral properties for milk thistle, as well as the liver protecting functions otherwise well established. 3

 

The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia lists milk thistle fruit as having a liver protecting action. 4 Thus, this herb is used in conditions when the liver is under stress or when toxicity is present, such as times of infection, excess alcohol, or during chemotherapy. 1 This also establishes the usefulness of this herb in conjunction with anti-parasitic protocols, stimulating liver action as the body clears toxins released from dying organisms and minimising die-off or herxheimer effect.

 

The fruit and seed of the milk thistle plant are commonly applied to treating gallbladder and liver conditions, 5 as a liver protectant, for treating hepatic cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis, diseases of the spleen, and to protect the liver against a variety of poisons. 2 6 7 8 9

 

Studies in animals have shown that milk thistle can exert a protective effect on the liver against various toxins. Other studies and some human trials suggest that milk thistle can actually help the liver in regenerating and producing new liver cells. 10 Thus this herb has been endorsed by German health authorities as a supporting treatment for inflammatory liver conditions and cirrhosis. 11 Treatment of patients with chronic Hepatitis C has repeatedly confirmed the ability of milk thistle to effectively arrest intrahepatic oxidative stress in comparison to medical options, 12 13 and has shown potential as a potent antiviral agent in patients not responding to standard antiviral combination therapy. 14

 

S. marianum has been found to exhibit antioxidant, lipid-lowering, anti-hypertensive, antidiabetic, antiatherosclerotic, anti-obesity, and hepaprotective effects. 15 Other animal studies have demonstrated milk thistle’s power as an antioxidant and a liver protector. 7 16

 

Evidence exists for milk thistle’s hepaprotective action through a number of mechanisms: antioxidant activity, toxin blockade at the membrane level, enhanced protein synthesis, antifibrotic activity, and possible anti-inflammatory or immunomodulating effects. 9 A key component, silibinin, has shown capability to prevent radiation-induced DNA damage both in vitro and in vivo. 17 18

 

Milk thistle fruit is generally accepted as safe when consumed in moderate amounts. Due to the lack of reliable information regarding the use of milk thistle during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, it is recommended that you avoid using it during these times.

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References:

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  1. Chevallier A. Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Revised Edition. Sydney, Australia: Dorling Kindersley. 2001.

  2. Jellin JM, Batz F, Hitchens K. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Third Edition. Stockton, California: Therapeutic Research Faculty, 2000.

  3. Duke JA, et. al. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Second Edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 2002.

  4. British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (1996). Fourth Edition. British Herbal Medicine Association Scientific Committee, West Yorks, England.

  5. Blumenthal M, et. al. ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin: American Botanical Council, 1998.

  6. Gruenwald J, et.al. PDR for Herbal Medicines. First Edition. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

  7. Barnes J, Anderson LA, Phillipson JD, Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. Second Edition. London: Pharmaceutical Press, 2002.

  8. World Health Organization (WHO) (1999). Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants. Volume 2. WHO, Geneva.

  9. Mulrow C, Lawrence V, Jacobs B, et al. Milk Thistle: Effects on Liver Disease and Cirrhosis and Clinical Adverse Effects: Summary. 2000. In: AHRQ Evidence Report Summaries. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 1998-2005. 21. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11896/

  10. Bisset NG. ed. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. Translated from Second Edition. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1994.

  11. Foster S, Tyler VE. Tyler’s Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies. Fourth Edition. New York: The Haworth Herbal Press, 1999.

  12. Melhem A, Stern M, Shibolet O, Israeli E, Ackerman Z, Pappo O, Hemed N, Rowe M, Ohana H, Zabrecky G, Cohen R, Ilan Y. Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection via antioxidants: results of a phase I clinical trial. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2005 Sep;39(8):737-42. doi: 10.1097/01.mcg.0000174023.73472.29. PMID: 16082287.

  13. Berkson BM. A conservative triple antioxidant approach to the treatment of hepatitis C. Combination of alpha lipoic acid (thioctic acid), silymarin, and selenium: three case histories. Med Klin (Munich). 1999 Oct 15;94 Suppl 3:84-9. doi: 10.1007/BF03042201. PMID: 10554539.

  14. Ferenci P, Scherzer TM, Kerschner H, Rutter K, Beinhardt S, Hofer H, Schöniger-Hekele M, Holzmann H, Steindl-Munda P. Silibinin is a potent antiviral agent in patients with chronic hepatitis C not responding to pegylated interferon/ribavirin therapy. Gastroenterology. 2008 Nov;135(5):1561-7. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2008.07.072. Epub 2008 Aug 3. PMID: 18771667.

  15. Tajmohammadi A, Razavi BM, Hosseinzadeh H. Silybum marianum (milk thistle) and its main constituent, silymarin, as a potential therapeutic plant in metabolic syndrome: A review. Phytother Res. 2018 Oct;32(10):1933-1949. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6153. Epub 2018 Jul 17. PMID: 30015401.

  16. Bruneton J. Pharmacognosy Phytochemistry Medicinal Plants. Second Edition as Translated by Caroline K. Hatton. Paris: Lavoisier Publishing, 1999.

  17. Tiwari P, Kumar A, Ali M, Mishra KP. Radioprotection of plasmid and cellular DNA and Swiss mice by silibinin. Mutat Res. 2010 Jan;695(1-2):55-60. doi: 10.1016/j.mrgentox.2009.11.007. Epub 2009 Nov 27. PMID: 19945544.

  18. Adhikari M, Arora R, Chawla R, Sharma J, Dhaker AS, Gupta D, Dubey N, Kumar R, Ivanov V, Gadjeva V, Gevrenova R, Sharma RK. Evaluation of silymarin as a promising radioprotector. Z Naturforsch C J Biosci. 2010 May-Jun;65(5-6):337-46. doi: 10.1515/znc-2010-5-605. PMID: 20653235.

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