Milk Thistle to Detoxify Your Liver

Milk thistle is also known as Holy thistle, Lady's thistle, Mary thistle, Marian thistle and St. Mary thistle.

The history of milk thistle dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans who used it for the treatment of liver ailments and snake bites. During the Middle Ages, milk thistle was used to treat malaria, melancholy, plague, and many other illnesses. It was also thought to reduce the effects of toxins such as poisonous mushrooms.

The noted 16th century British herbalist, John Gerard, was the first to recommend milk thistle for liver problems. He actually suggested the herb for "expelling melancholy," which in that period of time was considered a liver ailment. Nearly a half century later, Britain's most famous herbalist, Nicholas Culpepper, was the first to recommend milk thistle specifically for liver disorders.

It was in the late 1960's that researchers discovered that the seeds of the milk thistle contained a substance called solitarian, a mixture of flavonolignans, a family of plant-based substance with antioxidant effects.

Milk thistle is said to have no known pharmaceutical equivalent to its benefits and effects on the liver. Modern homeopathic practitioners have used compounds from milk thistle seeds to treat a range of disorders including jaundice, gallstones, and peritonitis.

Milk thistle prevents toxins from entering the liver and slows the rate at which the liver absorbs harmful substances, allowing the toxins to be excreted through the kidneys before they can cause liver damage.

Milk thistle is very beneficial to the liver by protecting and rejuvenating it as it maintains the basic function of the liver which keeps the blood vascular system clean with an overall healthy effect on the entire body.

Milk thistle contains some of the most potent life-giving protecting substances known, it also blocks allergic and inflammatory reactions, protects the kidneys, brain and other tissues from chemical toxins.

When damage has already been done, Milk thistle aids the liver in repairing injured cells and generating new ones.

Milk thistle is sold as a dietary supplement and is available in capsules, tablets and extracts, which can be purchased at vitamin and health stores and on the Internet.

It is advisable to consult your doctor when considering the use of any herbal supplements. If you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant or are nursing, consult your doctor before using any herbal substances.

Sources: The Little Herb Encyclopedia by Jack Ritchason, N.D. and wikipedia.com.