Milk thistle, scientifically known as Silybum marianum, is an herb that has been used for thousands of years to treat numerous conditions, primarily liver problems. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that the active ingredient in milk thistle, what gives it most of its healing properties, is a flavonoid called silymarin. Silymarin is a powerful antioxidant, which means it protects cells from other damaging cells and substances. Milk thistle is still used and embraced for a number of health benefits.
Liver Health
One of the best documented uses for milk thistle is for maintaining liver health. While we know liver damage is often caused by alcohol, nonalcoholic causes, such as obesity and diabetes, can also cause a fatty liver, referred to as NAFLD, or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatis). The Nov. 1, 2009, issue of "Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine" reports a study that shows that when tested on a fatty liver model in rats, after 12 weeks of use, milk thistle exhibits the ability to improve fatty liver by reducing its weight, reducing inflammation in the liver and protecting the liver's cells from further damage through antioxidant activity. The UMMC also reports that silymarin in milk thistle may also help the liver repair itself by stimulating the growth of new cells.
Skin Cancer Protection
Milk thistle has been found to exhibit properties that protect the skin from skin cancer as well. According to a study in the January 2005 issue of the "International Journal of Oncology," scientists at the University of Alabama found that the silymarin from milk thistle, when applied topically, shows a cancer protective effect from tumors caused by chemical exposure, as well as sun exposure. While this study was performed on animal tumors, researchers recommend that milk thistle be used as a human supplement to sunscreen.
Other Cancer Protection
Skin cancer is not the only cancer that milk thistle shows protection against. The June 2007 issue of "Integrative Cancer Therapies" reports that cells in the breast, prostate and cervix all benefit from silymarin's chemoprotective properties. The National Cancer Institute explains that milk thistle (silymarin) is protective by not only preventing cancerous tissue from forming, but by slowing down, or stopping, growth of cancer tumors. It is also able to protect the body and the liver from the damage done by toxic chemicals in chemotherapy treatments.
Diabetes Control
The silymarin in milk thistle has also been found to be effective in treating type II diabetes. A study in the December 2006 issue of "Phytotherapy Research" shows that when given to diabetic patients for four months, silymarin improved their blood sugar levels, as well as lowered total cholesterol and triglycerides. Milk thistle makes a wise addition to your dietary supplement intake.
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