Your liver is the largest internal organ in your body. It carries out many important functions, such as regulating blood cholesterol, fighting infection, storing energy and cleaning your blood of toxins and other potentially harmful molecules. When your liver is injured or diseased, liver enzymes in your blood may become elevated. Milk thistle is a traditional remedy that may support the health of your liver and help it recover from a problem. Discuss using milk thistle with your doctor to decide if it is a good choice for you.
Liver Enzymes
A healthy liver cell contains many enzymes that it uses to perform its various functions. Normally, these enzymes remain inside the cell. However, when liver cells are injured or die, enzymes leak out of the cells and into your blood. A blood test measures the level of these enzymes to indicate whether your liver is functioning normally. The enzymes usually measured are alanine transaminase, or ALT; aspartate transaminase, or AST; alkaline phosphatase, or ALP; and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, or GGT. All of these enzymes are found either exclusively or primarily in your liver cells.
Milk Thistle
Milk thistle, or Silybum marianum, is a plant whose leaves, stems and flowers have been part of traditional herbal medicine for thousands of years. Practitioners recommend the herb for many problems, including liver or gall bladder disease. It contains a flavonoid compound called silymarin that has biological activity and may benefit the liver through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other beneficial properties.
Silymarin
Silymarin affects the cellular membranes of liver cells, stabilizing them and preventing potentially damaging chemicals from entering the cells. It also stimulates enzymes in the nucleus of the liver cell that are important for cell division, supporting formation of new liver cells after loss of cells from injury or disease. In a comprehensive review of herbal remedies for liver ailments published in "Pharmaceutical Biology" in May 2011, Nilanjan Ghosh and colleagues concluded that silymarin is highly effective in protecting the liver from damage caused by hepatitis, cirrhosis and other liver diseases. In Europe, federal agencies currently recognize milk thistle as an approved treatment for several liver disorders.
Recommendations and Precautions
Milk thistle is available from most health food stores in capsules, usually standardized for their content of silymarin. The recommended dose is 280 to 450 mg per day, in divided doses. Milk thistle is generally considered safe, with only a few mild side effects such as stomach upset or diarrhea. Do not take milk thistle if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have a hormone-related cancer. The herb may interact with several medications, including allergy drugs, blood thinners and some anti-cancer medicines. Discuss its use in detail with your doctor before adding it to your regimen.
References
- American Liver Foundation: The Progression of Liver Disease
- American Liver Foundation: Liver Function Tests
- "Pharmaceutical Biology"; Recent Advances in Herbal Medicine for Treatment of Liver Diseases; N. Ghosh, et al.; May 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Milk Thistle
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Milk Thistle
