Milk thistle, formally known as Silybum marianum, is a plant with a centuries-old history as a treatment for ailments affecting the function of the gallbladder and liver. It is also sometimes used as an antidote for certain forms of mushroom poisoning. Milk thistle achieves its purported medicinal effects through the actions of silymarin, a plant component extracted from milk thistle seeds.
Silymarin Activity
Silymarin contains three active compounds: silicristin, silibinin and silidianin, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC. These compounds belong to a group of related antioxidant substances called flavonoids. If you ingest alcohol or other substances harmful to your liver, silymarin's constituent components appear to repair associated damage to liver cells. They also stop toxic substances from destroying new cells that form in the liver. In addition, silymarin appears to reduce or limit liver inflammation and ease the effects of unstable, damaging cellular particles called free radicals.
Product Forms
You may obtain milk thistle in forms that include tinctures, liquid extracts and capsules that contain standardized amounts of silymarin, the UMMC reports. You may also obtain products that contain a mixture of silymarin and a cell membrane component called phosphatidylcholine. Use of phosphatidylcholine may increase the body's ability to absorb silymarin, in addition to increasing silymarin's ability to bond with cellular membranes in the liver. In turn, easier cellular bonding may increase silymarin's effectiveness in blocking toxin access to liver cells.
Effectiveness
The evidence for milk thistle's liver-protecting benefits is mixed, according to the Mayo Clinic. In the treatment of cirrhosis, or liver scarring, several long-term European studies report fatality reductions and improved liver function if you use milk thistle. However, flaws in the design of these studies may detract from their accuracy. Similarly, improvements shown in individuals with liver inflammation, or hepatitis, may result in part from poor study design. Still, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine calls the data from some of these studies promising, and urges further investigation. Research into milk thistle's benefits is also under way at the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Side Effects
The Mayo Clinic lists rare potential side effects of milk thistle use that include heartburn, diarrhea, joint pain, impotence, gastrointestinal distress and loss of appetite. You may also experience side effects, such as headache, itching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and weakness. Use of milk thistle products may also cause a drop in blood sugar. If you have diabetes or hypoglycemia, or take any substances that alters your blood glucose, consult your doctor before using milk thistle.
Allergic Reactions
Silymarin is generally safe to use, the Mayo Clinic reports. Still, you may experience an allergic reaction to milk thistle products if you have allergies to artichokes, daisies, common thistle, kiwi or any plants in the aster family. You may also have a reaction if you are allergic to any milk thistle component. In some cases, individuals who have taken milk thistle tablets or tea have developed a severe, life-threatening form of allergic reaction called anaphylactic shock.
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