Milk Thistle Benefits

HOW LONG AGO MILK THISTLE BENEFITS WERE DISCOVERED?

Milk Thistle is a common name of Silybum marianum, which belongs to the daisy family. Europe, Asia Minor, northern Africa, and southern Russia are native places of Milk Thistle. Another common name of Milk Thistle is Silymarin. Traditionally, Milk Thistle seeds recommended to combat different liver problems such as hepatitis, gallbladder problem and liver cirrhosis. During the period of 23-79AD, the Greeks and Pliny the Elder mentioned that Milk thistle had excellent “carrying off bile” property. Culpepper, who was a famous English herbalist recommended Milk thistle for liver and spleen cleansing purpose and also for treating gallstone and jaundice. In the present day, often Americans use this as a health supplement to combat the liver problem. Milk thistle is safe to use and provides multiple health benefits including a variety of liver conditions, like alcoholic fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, liver poisoning, liver cirrhosis, and viral hepatitis. The aerial part and seeds of Milk Thistle usually used to prepare medicines.

The phytochemical present in Milk Thistle

The major phytochemicals present in milk thistle are silymarin, flavonolignans silybin, silibinin, and silychristin. Silymarin and silybin have potent antioxidant properties and restore liver health.

The bioactive phytochemicals, silymarin does not only act as an antioxidant but also have a variety of therapeutic benefits, such as hepatoprotective, control advance stage of liver fibrosis by regulating the accumulation of collagen in the liver tissue, cytoprotective, and immunomodulatory activity, etc.

Apart from silybin, silymarin, other phytochemicals present in Milk Thistle are tyramine, gamma-linoleic acid, histamine, mucilage, essential oil, and a bitter principle. Flavonoids, trimethylglycine, betaine, fixed oil, and amines are also present in lower quantity. [2]

What is the Mode of action of Milk Thistle benefits to treat diseases?

Recent researches conducted to check the activity of milk thistle on human liver cells reported that a small dose of milk thistle can extensively minimize the activity of the liver enzyme CYP3A4. Silybin, the major phytochemical of milk thistle acts as a metabolic stimulant.

The potent antioxidant property of milk thistle reduces the free radical burden and acts against lipid peroxidation. The bioactive phytochemicals present in milk thistle have immunomodulatory effects and act against liver infections by inhibiting the causative microorganisms like the hepatitis C virus.

Milk thistle has anti-inflammatory property, as it is turning off pro-inflammatory signals and suppress the cytokine synthesis. The bioactive phytochemical Silymarin also activates neutrophil and restricts its migration. [4] Silymarin can modulate estrogen activity and provide a chemopreventive effect against estrogen-induced cancer. This phytochemical acts as an insulin sensitizer and provides antidiabetic property. [4]

Different Forms of Milk Thistle

• Food and tea: A Grounded form of Milk Thistle seeds can be added to different food preparation. Dried Milk Thistle seeds can also consume as tea preparation. In both the way, you can keep your liver healthy, as these preparations help to eliminate toxic substances from the liver.
• Milk thistle Capsule and tablet: Different herbal drug companies manufacture capsule and tablet dosage form of Milk Thistle. Dried seeds usually encapsulated by calculating the standard dosage form.
• Health Supplements: Health supplement companies prepare different supplements with Milk Thistle in combination with other herbal ingredients to improve liver health.
• Milk Thistle powder uses: Milk Thistle seeds powder also available in the market, which can be added in different shakes and juice preparations. The addition of Milk Thistle seeds powder in the daily diet promotes normal liver functioning.
• Milk Thistle extract uses: Milk Thistle liquid extract also available in the herbal medicine stores. The advantage of this dosage form is easy to absorb in the bloodstream. [5]

What are the benefits of Milk of Thistle?

Milk Thistle is a liver-friendly herb and effective to treat different liver diseases. But apart from this therapeutic benefit, there are several other Milk Thistle uses and benefits also. Following are the different Milk Thistle usage:

Milk thistle benefits liver

Traditionally, Milk Thistle is used as a liver tonic. The Milk thistle benefits to the liver are well researched. Researchers expected Milk Thistle to re-introduce as an herbal medicinal ingredient since 1972 and people from different countries started to consume Milk Thistle products to boost their liver functioning. Milk Thistle has a preventive and curative effect against different liver diseases like hepatitis (a chronic liver inflammatory condition), liver cirrhosis, toxin-induced liver damage, mushroom poisoning, and gallbladder disorders.

Toxin-induced liver damage

Milk Thistle prevents lipid oxidation and prevents liver damage. Oxidative stress enhancement often causes liver damage. Toxic substances including chronic use of specific synthetic medications like psychotropic drugs cause drug-induced liver damage. A research study showed that Milk Thistle could prevent toxic vapors generated from exposure to toluene and/or xylene induced liver damage. This test report also showed that improvement of liver function tests results and platelet count. In 2009, the Journal Cancer published article reported that Milk Thistle reduce the toxic effect of chemotherapy-induced liver damage in the affected children.

Anticancer property

The strong antioxidant property of Milk Thistle effective to inhibit cancer growth in breast, prostate, and cervical cancer cell lines. Silymarin, the bioactive phytochemical of Milk thistle has a skin cancer-preventive effect due to its antioxidant property. An animal research study has proven that silymarin can prevent skin tumor promotion and photocarcinogenesis by scavenging free radicals, inducing apoptosis, and inhibiting cancer cell proliferation. The anticancer and chemo-preventive effect of silymarin rather than Milk Thistle can provide a promising treatment for skin cancer. Not only skin cancer, but the anticancer property of Milk Thistle is also effective to prevent breast and prostate cancer.

Anti-oxidant property

The antioxidant property of Milk Thistle is ten times greater than vitamin E and effective to enhance glutathione levels almost 35% in healthy human beings. Enhancement of glutathione has many positive physiological benefits, such as promotes detoxification, increase liver capacity to detoxify the body. Silymarin also enhances superoxide dismutase activity, which stimulates protein synthesis in the liver and generates new liver cells. Silymarin also inhibits the production of inflammatory mediators like leukotrienes, which is an effective measure to treat psoriasis.  The antioxidant property of Milk Thistle provides therapeutic benefits on the heart health and nervous system.

Milk of thistle helps in Mushroom poisoning

In Germany, Milk Thistle is recognized as an anti-dot of Death Cap mushroom poisoning. Not only in Germany, but western European hospital also used Milk Thistle as an antidote for Death Cap mushroom and treat affected peoples.

Cholesterol-lowering effects

The cholesterol-lowering effect of Milk Thistle containing silybin is comparable with cholesterol-lowering drug probucol. A research study reported silybin can increase the HDL (good cholesterol) level.

Milk thistle benefits digestion and Gall bladder health improvement

Milk Thistle improves bile flow and also reduces inflammatory gall bladder conditions. Milk Thistle can prevent bladder cell carcinoma by inducing apoptotic death through activating caspase 3. Preclinical research conducted on mice also showed that milk thistle is effective in preventing bladder carcinogenesis.

Milk Thistle Side Effects

What are side effects of Milk thistle?

Milk Thistle and its active constituents are well tolerated herbal ingredients and safe for oral administration with accurate dosing. Researchers have recommended the maximum daily dose by collecting data from different study result is 420 mg/day. Overdose can cause gastrointestinal symptoms related to morbidity.

When should I avoid Milk of thistle?

Silymarin obtained from Milk Thistle has an inhibitory effect on liver enzyme cytochrome P450 2C9. Therefore, Milk Thistle can interact with medications like amitriptyline, warfarin, and verapamil. Cytochrome P3A4 may also restrain and cause-specific drug interaction. However, yet now a detail study result has not been found.  The activity of paracetamol, diazepam and morphine may reduce while taking with Milk Thistle, as this herbal product increases the clearance of these drugs.

References 

• Milk Thistle. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
• Subir Das et al. Medicinal properties of milk thistle with special reference to silymarin– An overview. 
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/216207334
• Silybum Marianum.
• The Different Forms of Milk Thistle. 
• Milk thistle.