Milk thistle is a pink and white plant from the daisy family (Asteraceae), which researchers are currently studying for its protective effects on the body. In herbal supplement stores and flower shops, milk thistle may be referred to as Silybum marianum, holy thistle, Mary thistle, Venus thistle, heal thistle and silymarin.
History
For more than 2000 years, humans have utilized milk thistle to treat various diseases. Milk thistle was also named Mary thistle in honor of the Virgin Mary, because her breast milk was said to have fallen on the plant leaves while Jesus was breastfeeding. The name milk thistle comes from the the milky white fluid that comes from the leaves when they are crushed. Milk thistle is native to Mediterranean Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Recently it has started to appear in California and the Eastern United States.
Benefits
Based on the Mayo Clinic's research review of milk thistle's health benefits, current research on dietary and supplemental milk thistle shows an improvement in liver function for those with alcoholic hepatits and alcoholic cirrhosis. Additionally, milk thistle is used as an antidote to food poisoning caused by deathcap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides), if taken within 10 minutes of ingestion, and can significantly reduce long-term consequences if taken within 24 hours. Early studies suggest that silymarin, which is the active ingredient of milk thistle extracted from the seed of the flower, has anti-cancer effects. Silymarin acts on the cancer cells by stopping their division and reproduction and also by reducing their life span.
Types
Milk thistle is available in four different forms: capsules of dried herb (each capsule contains about 120 to 140 mg of silymarin), liquid extracts, tinctures and in a silymarin-phosphatidylcholine complex.
According to The University of Maryland Medical Center, silymarin-phosphatidylcholine complex supplements may be absorbed more easily than regular standardized milk thistle. This form helps silymarin attach easily to cell membranes, which may keep toxins from getting inside liver cells. Alcohol extracts should be avoided by anyone with alcohol-related liver disease. Some websites and herbal supplement stores sell milk thistle tinctures in an alcohol-free form.
For dietary use, you can drink milk thistle tea, eat milk thistle raw in salads and eat boiled or roasted milk thistle.
Theories/Speculation
The Mayo Clinic concludes that further research of milk thistle supplementation is needed to approve treatment of acute viral hepatitis, cancer, diabetes, dyspepsia (indigestion), high cholesterol, liver damage caused by drugs or toxins, and menopausal symptoms. Preliminary research has provided promising results, but study designs must improve before milk thistle can be prescribed to treat these conditions.
Warning
If you suspect you have a liver problem, see a doctor as soon as possible for examination. Based on University of Maryland Medical Center recommendations, dosage of milk thistle for adults is 280 to 450 mg per day in divided doses throughout the day. The recommended dosage for silymarin-phosphatidylcholine complex supplements is 100 to 200 mg two times per day. Currently, no studies have proven milk thistle supplementation safe for consumption by children.
Side effects of milk thistle are usually mild and may involve an upset stomach and diarrhea. Touching milk thistle plants may cause some people to get a skin rash, but this is not common. Milk thistle should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women unless a doctor approves the supplementation.
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