Milk Thistle has been used for thousands of years, and has much anecdotal evidence of helping to fix liver damage and help support liver function. Milk thistle may aid with the following:
- Mushroom Toxicity
- Chemotherapy Toxicity
- Cancer
- High Cholesterol
- Treatment and prevention of Gall Stones
- Liver protectant effect
The active ingredient in Milk Thistle seems to be silymarin, which is an antioxidant that reduces inflammation, but many take whole Milk Thistle seeds ground up in their coffee grinder. You can usually get them organic in the bulk section of your local health food store. Some studies have shown that silymarin combined with phosphatidylcholine may be better absorbed, so you might want to try taking the milk thistle seeds along with some egg yolks or lecithin.
Some laboratory studies suggest that silymarin and perhaps some other substances in milk thistle may have anti-cancer effects. These were just lab studies, but they did show an ability to stop cancer cells from reproducing and also shortened their life spans. In addition, blood supply to the tumors was reduced. More studies are needed, and any patient undergoing treatment should always check with their doctor before adding something like Milk Thistle Seed to their diet.
A study conducted by the Columbia University Medical Center (published in “Cancer”) showed significantly lower levels of liver inflammation markers in children undergoing chemotherapy when they took milk thistle vs a placebo capsule for the period of 1 month.
Milk Thistle Seed can be found in Quantum’s Liver Nano Detox and the Liver Complex, if you want to take it in supplement form:
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