Since the dawn of time, several herbs and natural remedies have been used to detox our bodies, restore our health and make us immune to several possible diseases. That knowledge has been passed from generation to generation and now it’s grabbing the attention of modern medical service providers.
Scientific research is being conducted to prove the effects of those herbs and ancient remedies. Milk Thistle is one of those ancient research you can say, that is gaining popularity now. More people are being attracted to its healing capacities, specially in liver health and cancer treatments.
Where do we get Milk Thistle?
Milk thistle is a flower plant grown in the Mediterranean region; it is a relative of flowers daisy and dandelion. Some people also call it Mary thistle and holy thistle. Silymarin is a flavonoid obtained from milk thistle dried fruit.These two words actually mean the same product.
Scientific studies suggest that Silymarin has the ability to protect the liver from toxins; it also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It can help maintain a healthy liver and protect it from medicine like Tylenol, which can cause liver damage when given in high doses. Milk Thistle can also assist the liver in repairing itself helping with new cell growth.
Today it’s available in the market in the form of Milk Thistle extract or Silymarin to be consumed as a supplement or medicine. More scientific research is happening and suggesting its various health benefits including anticancer properties.
Benefits of Milk Thistle
People have been using milk thistle for problems with the liver and gallbladder , in different health related issues. It protects these organs from further damage and helps them restore their health. That’s one major reason it’s taking the attention of integrative oncologists. People use this herb as a supplement with cancer treatment for faster recovery and to avoid recurrence.
In several clinical trials, Milk Thistle has shown benefits in alcohol-related liver disease, toxin-induced liver disease, and viral liver disease. It protects the liver from possible damages of several medications, including medicine overdose, alcohol and cancer treatments.
Milk Thistle is used to treat patients with Type 2 diabetes. Lowering blood sugar levels is one of the benefits of milk thistle and it is backed by the strongest clinical proof. More research will be needed, but evidence shows that silymarin can help lower the blood sugar levels.
Milk thistle can help with everything from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to protecting against damage from chemicals in poisonous death cap mushrooms. There is limited evidence that some people suffering from cirrhosis of the liver experienced improved outcomes when taking silymarin.
Milk Thistle has been used to cure various liver ailments. Many people get liver problems because of over consumption of alcohol. This remedy helps them make their liver healthy again.
It’s also used as an adjunct with conventional cancer therapies to prevent possible liver damage from treatments like Chemo or Radiotherapy. Due to its inflammatory properties it reduces the pain caused by these treatments.
It’s being researched for its anticancer properties. It helps prevent cancer and recurrence of cancer cells.
Milk thistle can be helpful for people with chronic hepatitis C (a viral infection characterised by the progressive scarring of the liver).
Milk Thistle can also help to maintain normal kidney function and promote optimal immune function. Due to its antioxidant properties, that this herb may also support healthy prostate function, and encourage a vital gastrointestinal tract by protecting it from free radical damage.
Is Milk Thistle Good for the Heart?
By lowering bad cholesterol levels, milk thistle has the capacity to lower the chance of heart disease. People with diabetes often have high cholesterol. Milk thistle can also be taken with cholesterol-lowering medications, like statins. It can help prevent elevation of liver enzymes, which can be a side effect of the medication.
How can I take Milk Thistle?
Milk Thistle Extract is available in capsule form on ZenOnco website.
To know about how to take it, please connect with an expert on ZenOnco.io. They will guide you on how to take this medicine. Alternatively, you can take 2 capsules per day after a meal. Though we strongly recommend you to connect with an expert before taking it.
Can You Get Milk Thistle Naturally From Foods?
People sometimes eat the stem and leaves of milk thistle in salads. There are no other food sources of this herb.
Milk Thistle and Cancer
In one clinical trial, 60 people with benign polyps in the colon (which often develop into colon cancer) took a herbal blend with milk thistle, a flaxseed antioxidant, and oat fiber for 2 months before colonoscopy. The combination increased estrogen receptors in the colon, which is hypothesized to be beneficial.
A combination of Milk thistle (Silymarin) and selenium reduced markers of prostate cancer worsening (LDL and total cholesterol) in 19 men who previously had their prostate removed.
Milk thistle has low bioavailability, but standardised extracts might reach the blood. In 12 women with breast cancer, a combination of silybin and phosphatidylcholine (2.8 g/day) for 4 weeks before surgery seemed to build up in the breast cancer tissue more than in healthy tissue.
In one study, high doses (up to 13 g/day) of a special milk thistle formulation (Silybin-phytosome) over 4 weeks were safe in 13 people with prostate cancer.
Milk thistle is also being researched for preventing skin damage in animal studies.
Animal research is also investigating the effects of silybin on prostate cancer and breast tumours
