Hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver in the United States. The hepatitis C virus damages or kills liver cells and can lead to scarring. In severe cases, hepatitis C sufferers need a liver transplant to survive. If you take milk thistle extract you can protect your liver from some toxins, but whether or not it's effective against hepatitis C is open to debate.
Hepatitis C Characteristics
Many people who have hepatitis C don't know they're infected. Only 25 to 35 percent of those infected have obvious symptoms, and these may be mistaken for the flu or some other malady. If you have hepatitis C, the disease may show up first through routine bloodwork to check liver function. By then, your liver may already be damaged. Fortunately, 50 percent of people who test positive can be cured, usually with a combination of interferon, an injectable medication that stimulates the immune system, and ribavirin, an antiviral drug. Hepatitis C is transmitted through blood. You can contract hepatitis C through intravenous drug use; tattoos, body piercing or acupuncture with infected needles; high-risk sexual activity; and other activities that bring you into contact with the blood of infected people.
How Milk Thistle Works
Silymarin, the active ingredient in milk thistle extract, enters liver cells and protects them from damage from toxic substances, either by repelling the substances or by providing a barrier against infiltration. Silymarin can also help you by serving as an anti-inflammatory. In experiments on animals, silymarin demonstrated it was a help in promoting cell regeneration, healing the liver by replacing damaged cells.
Milk Thistle in the Lab
A 2010 study published in the journal "Hepatology" reported that silymarin interfered with the life cycle of hepatitis C when liver cells in the laboratory were infected with the virus. Silymarin prevented the virus from spreading to noninfected cells. Silymarin decreased the amount of virus in the cells, though it was not as effective as interferon, the standard treatment for hepatitis C.
Milk Thistle in the Body
Though the laboratory research shows promise for treating hepatitis C with milk thistle extract, real-life results haven't demonstrated this. The National Institutes of Health's Medline Plus states milk thistle doesn't improve liver function test results for hepatitis C sufferers and hasn't been shown to improve survival rates from hepatitis C.
Member Comments