Milk Thistle is an herbal medicine derived from the thistle plant, also known as Silybum marianum.
This thorny plant has distinctive purple flowers and white veins that are said to originate from a drop of Mary's milk falling on its leaves. Thistle. The active ingredients in it are a group of plant compounds known collectively as silymarin.
The herbal medicine is known as milk thistle extract. Milk Thistle extract has high amounts of silymarin (between 65-80%), which is concentrated from the milk thistle plant. Milk Thistle is known to have antioxidant, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
In fact, it is traditionally used to treat the liver and gallbladder. It has been used to treat disorders, stimulate breast milk production, prevent and treat cancer, and even protect the liver from alcohol and other environmental poisons.
1-Protects the Liver
Milk Thistle is often used to protect the liver from It is preferred for its protective effects.
It is regularly used as a complementary therapy by people with liver damage due to conditions such as alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatitis, and even liver cancer.
Studies have shown improvements in liver function in people with liver diseases who have taken Milk Thistle supplements, suggesting that it may help reduce liver inflammation and liver damage. Although more research is needed on how it works, it may be caused by free radicals that occur when your liver metabolizes toxic substances. It is thought to reduce damage to the liver.
One study also found that it may slightly extend the lifespan of people with liver cirrhosis due to alcoholic liver disease.
However, the results from the studies are not clear-cut, and not all of them are. found that Milk Thistle extract had a beneficial effect on liver disease.
Therefore, more studies are needed to determine how much dosage and treatment is needed for specific liver diseases.
And Milk Thistle extract, a complementary therapy for people with liver diseases Although it is used as an ingredient, there is currently no evidence that it can prevent you from getting these conditions, especially if you have an unhealthy lifestyle.
2. May Help Prevent Age-Related Damage to Brain Function
Milk thistle has been used as a traditional medicine for neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease for over two thousand years.
Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, possibly This means that it is neuroprotective and may help prevent decline in brain function as we age.
In vitro and animal studies, silicillin has been shown to prevent oxidative damage to brain cells, which helps prevent mental decline.
These studies also include milk thistle. It has also been shown that it can reduce the number of amyloid plaques in the brains of animals with Alzheimer's disease.
Amyloid plaques are clumps of sticky amyloid protein that can accumulate between nerve cells as you get older.
They occur at very high levels in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. they are seen; This means milk thistle could potentially be used to help treat this difficult condition.
However, there are currently no human studies examining the effects of milk thistle in people with Alzheimer's or other neurological conditions such as dementia and Parkinson's.
>Furthermore, it is not clear whether milk thistle is absorbed sufficiently to allow adequate amounts to pass through the blood-brain barrier in humans. It is also not known what doses should be given to have a beneficial effect
3. Milk thistle may protect your bones
Osteoporosis is a disease caused by progressive bone loss.
It usually develops slowly over several years, causing weak and brittle bones that break easily, even after minor falls. Milk thistle helps bones It has been shown in experimental test tube and animal studies to stimulate mineralization and potentially protect against bone loss.
Consequently, researchers suggest that milk thistle may be a useful treatment to prevent or delay bone loss in postmenopausal women.
4. May Support Cancer Treatment
Silymarin is an antioxidant It has been suggested that its effects may have some anticancer effects that may be beneficial for people receiving cancer treatments.
Some animal studies have shown that milk thistle may be useful for reducing the side effects of cancer treatments.
It has also been shown that chemotherapy against certain cancers. It can make it work more effectively and, in some cases, even destroy cancer cells.
However, human studies are very limited and have not yet shown a significant clinical effect in humans. This may be because people cannot use it enough to get a medical effect. .
More studies are needed before determining how silymarin can be used to support people undergoing cancer treatment.
5. May Increase Breast Milk Production
A reported effect of milk thistle is that it can increase breast milk production in breastfeeding mothers. It is thought to produce more milk-producing hormone prolactin.
Data is very limited, but one randomized controlled trial found that mothers who took 420 mg of silymarin for 63 days produced 64% more milk than those who took a placebo.
However, this is the only clinical study available. More research is needed to confirm these results and the safety of milk thistle for breastfeeding mothers.
6. May help treat acne
Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin condition. Although it is not dangerous, it can cause scarring. People may also find it painful and worry about its effects on their appearance.
It has been suggested that oxidative stress in the body may play a role in the development of acne.
Due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, milk thistle is a useful supplement for people with acne.
Interestingly, one study found that people with acne who took 210 milligrams of silymarin daily for 8 weeks had a 53% reduction in acne lesions.
However, since this was the only study, it was better quality. research is needed.
7. Milk Thistle May Lower Blood Sugar Levels for People with Diabetes
Milk thistle may be a useful complementary treatment to help manage type 2 diabetes.
One of the compounds in milk thistle is It has been discovered that silymarin may work by helping to increase insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar, similar to some diabetic medications (43 Sources).
In fact, a recent review and analysis found that people routinely taking silymarin had lower fasting blood sugar levels. revealed a significant reduction in blood sugar levels and HbA1c, a measure of blood sugar control (44Trusted Source).
Additionally, milk thistle's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may also help reduce the risk of developing diabetic complications, such as kidney disease. may be helpful (43 Sources).
Is Milk Thistle Safe?
Milk Thistle is generally considered safe when taken by mouth.
In fact, high doses are used for long periods of time. In studies, only 1% of people experienced side effects, most commonly intestinal disturbances such as diarrhea, nausea, or bloating.
Some people are advised to exercise caution when taking milk thistle. These include:
Pregnant women: There is no data on its safety in pregnant women, so it is generally recommended that they avoid this supplement.
Those who are allergic to herbs: milk thistle, in people who are allergic to the Asteraceae/Compositae family of plants. may cause an allergic reaction.
People with diabetes: Milk thistle's blood sugar-lowering effects may put people with diabetes at risk of low blood sugar.
Those with certain conditions: milk thistle may reduce hormone levels, including some types of breast cancer. May have estrogenic effects that may worsen sensitive conditions.
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