Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is an herb plant that flowers. The ripe seeds (the fruit) from milk thistle have medicinal value due to the silymarin they contain. Silymarin is an antioxidant; it helps keeps cells safe from damage. Milk thistle can be taken via a capsule, powder, tablet, liquid extract, intravenous infusion or in tea form. The American Cancer Society reports that the standard daily dose of milk thistle ranges from 140 to 400 mg of silymarin, typically in two to three individual doses.
Treatment for Alcoholic Cirrhosis
When used to treat alcoholic cirrhosis, milk thistle is possibly helpful for treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding, encephalopathy and survival rates in patients who also have hepatitis, according to a study by Ashutosh Barve and R. Khan at the University of Louisville. Improvements in aminotransferases were also seen. These studies have not been conclusively proven; further research is needed to fully prove the benefits of milk thistle for alcoholic cirrhosis.
Antioxidant to Prevent and Treat Cancer
This herb is also beneficial in cancer treatments. Milk thistle works as an antioxidant; it boosts ability of cell walls to impede toxins from entering the cell, fights off free radicals from damaging cells and helps develop enzymes to limit damage from toxins, notes the National Cancer Institute. Milk thistle also has potential to block development of liver cancer. Milk thistle also limits growth of cancer cells in the prostate, cervix and breast. It may also provide protection against skin cancer that is due to ultraviolet radiation or chemical carcinogens, notes the American Cancer Society.
Help Protect Liver of Children with Leukemia
Milk thistle also seems protective of liver function in kids undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer, reports the American Cancer Society. In a 2009 Columbia University Medical Center study, children with leukemia who received milk thistle had stronger liver function after the study.
Treatment for Liver Problems
Milk thistle has been used to treat liver problems since ancient times. This hepatoprotective treatment is helpful for liver problems from toxins such as alcohol and environmental toxins, and ongoing liver inflammation, notes the National Cancer Institute. The silymarin in milk thistle also works to force toxins from the cell to prevent damage.
Remedy for Mushroom Toxin (Amanita Phalloides)
One of the active ingredients in milk thistle, silybin, is the sole effective cure for Amanita phalloides. This mushroom toxin typically results in a fatal liver failure without treatment with milk thistle.
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