Milk Thistle and the Liver

Milk thistle is a highly beneficial supplement that comes from the daisy family of plants and can be found growing naturally in parts of North Africa, the Middle East, and throughout certain sections of Europe. Milk thistle is a tall plant with a green furrowed stem and a purple disc-shaped flower at the top.

Many studies have shown milk thistle to be a natural tonic for the human liver, providing excellent protection and helping it function. The main protective ingredient in milk thistle is silymarin, which is a powerful antioxidant that naturally blocks toxic substances from entering the liver. Silymarin also promotes production of healthy new liver cells and is effective at regenerating badly damaged tissue. Hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, jaundice, malfunctioning gallbladder, these have all been treated successfully with milk thistle. Usually silymarin is given in doses of 200 to 500 milligrams, but actual data on the most effective dosage is still unknown.

Because the human liver is such an important organ in the body, let's digress for a moment and explain some of its functions and characteristics. The liver is a large, brownish-pink organ shaped similar to a boomerang and weighing around three pounds. It is responsible for numerous functions in the body, such as performing detoxification, regulating metabolism, storing glycogen, synthesizing plasma proteins, processing various byproducts of digestion, producing bile for emulsion of fats, and performing at least five hundred other important chemical functions.

But the most amazing thing by far about the liver is that it's capable of regeneration, one of only a small number of organs in the body with that ability. For example, if you lose 75% of your liver, the other 25% can actually grow back into a whole liver again. The liver does this through a stem cell production process, with cells splitting in two and growing rapidly.

If your liver ever fails, you will die. Every minute of each day your liver detoxifies one liter of blood, and toxins in everything from cigarette smoke to prescription drugs to air pollution are filtered out for elimination. If your liver becomes scarred and blood flow is stifled, it is known as cirrhosis of the liver, and this type of damage is not often reversible. Symptoms of cirrhossis include jaundice (yellow eyes and skin), edema (leg swelling), fatigue, nausea, and other problems. Cirrhosis can lead to liver failure and even death. Approximately 25 thousand people die each year from cirrhosis. But milk thistle, Vitamin C, and Green Tea are three important supplements you can take to keep your liver healthy. Milk thistle is by far the strongest of the three, due to silymarin being a powerful antioxidant, which is over ten times stronger than Vitamin C, for example.

Concerning milk thistle, most health aficionados are familiar with its beneficial effects on the liver, but it is also effective for many other health problems as well. Studies have shown it can lower cholesterol, plus reduce cancer cell growth of certain types, namely prostate, breast, and cervical cancer. Milk thistle can also prevent skin conditions and fight varicose veins. Claims have even been made that it relieves unpleasant symptoms of a hangover. It also stimulates the flow of bile throughout the body, which aids digestion and fights off gallstones. Also there are very little side effects reported with taking milk thistle as a supplement, other than it can occasionally act as a mild laxative.

Although milk thistle has been proven effective for keeping the liver healthy, that doesn't mean one should take it and then imbibe more alcoholic drinks. Reducing alcohol consumption is one of the best ways to protect your liver. Also cutting down on fatty and fried foods is helpful, since they overtax the liver during the digestion process.