Milk thistle is a plant native to the Mediterranean that grows easily throughout North and South America, Europe and Australia. It has a tall stalk, spiny leaves and a large, round purple flower. Milk thistle has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. More recent studies show that it can help repair the liver and improve liver function.
Cancer
The American Cancer Society reports that early in vitro and animal studies show promising results for milk thistle's ability to protect the body against some types of cancer. The active ingredient in the plant, silymarin, is derived from the seed of the plant and acts as an antioxidant.
In vitro studies showed that silymarin reduced the growth of cancer cells, including breast and prostate cancer. Studies in rats showed that silymarin helped protect against skin cancer. The American Cancer Society points out that there haven't been any reliable clinical studies that show milk thistle prevents cancer in humans though further research is ongoing.
Liver Disease
Some small studies have shown that the silymarin in milk thistle might help repair damage from various types of liver disease, including cirrhosis and hepatitis C. The chemical works by strengthening the outer part of liver cells, protecting them and improving regeneration. According to the Mayo Clinic, milk thistle's possible benefits for liver disease are still unproven in strong clinical studies. The results for cirrhosis and alcohol-induced liver damage are more promising, while the benefits for hepatitis C are still unclear.
Chemotherapy
Milk thistle may help offset liver and kidney damage from certain types of chemotherapy. The American Cancer Society reports that in a small study of children, milk thistle improved liver function following chemotherapy and in a study on rats, milk thistle reduced kidney damage after chemotherapy. It is not known if these effects of silymarin are applicable to other types of chemotherapy not tested in these trials.
Mushroom Poisoning
Milk thistle has a traditional use as an antidote to poisoning from the deathcap mushroom. Deathcap mushroom is highly toxic, and one mushroom contains enough poison to kill an adult. Its effects include stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea followed by death from kidney and liver failure. Although milk thistle has not been extensively tested on humans in a laboratory, the University of Maryland Medical Center mentions animal studies that show if used immediately, silymarin can counteract the poison and can significantly reduce liver damage in later stages of poisoning.
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