This species is an annual or biennial plant of the Asteraceae family.Most used in folk medicine.
This fairly typical thistle has red to purple flowers and shiny pale green leaves with white veins. Originally a native of Southern Europe through to Asia, it is now found throughout the world.
*NUTRITIONAL VALUES*
It contains Vitamin E and C.
It specifically contains high levels of lipophilic extracts from the seeds of the plant, which act as bioflavanoid antioxidants that increase immunity and slow down oxidative stress.
*HEALTH BENEFITS*
Milk Thistle is probably the most powerful herb for liver detoxification.
-It relieves dyspepsia.
-Acts as a protective agent for the liver, even helping to regenerate liver cells in cases of cirrhosis and hepatitis.
-Milk Thistle is also recommended to treat mushroom poisoning by death cap (Amanita phalloides).
-It is used to treat liver complaints from loss of appetite to chronic inflammatory conditions.
-Milk thistle (silibinin) inhibits fat cell differentiation in cultures by increasing insig-1 and insig-2 at an early phase in fat cell differentiation process.
-Milk thistle (Silybin) had the potential to reduce iron absorption in patients with hereditary Hemochromatosis (An iron disorder in which the body simply loads too much iron)
Milk thistle (Silymarin) is effective at reducing iron overload in patients when used in conjunction with desferrioxamine and reducing body iron burden in β-thalassemia.
-Milk thistle extract (Silymarin) may be considered as a safe and effective herbal product that can be orally taken in order to improve the daily milk production in healthy women after delivery, without affecting milk quality.
-Milk thistle (silibinin) was a potential therapeutic agent promoting bone-forming osteoblastogenesis and obstruct osteoclastic bone resorption in mice macrophage and bone cells.
-Milk thistle (Silibinin) protects heart muscle cells against isoproterenol-induced injury in animals .
-Its main constituents are flavolignans (silybin, isosilybin, silychristin and silydianin) collectively known as silymarin.
The German Commission E acknowledges its benefits in cases of: dyspeptic complaints; toxic liver damage; supportive treatment in chronic inflammatory liver disease and hepatic cirrhosis.
*Recommended Dosage of Milk Thistle*
Because milk thistle is categorized as a supplement, rather than a drug, it’s not subject to the same oversight and quality control from the FDA that standard drugs are. The amount of active ingredients can vary widely depending on the different preparation methods used and the brand. Currently, there are several different milk thistle products available on the market, all recommending different doses.
That brings us to the question. How much milk thistle should you take,be it in drug form,supplement form or Tea form.
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1. *SUPPLEMENT FORM.*
How much milk thistle should you take to cleanse your liver? As a way to detoxify the body temporarily, the recommended daily intake of milk thistle is 150 milligrams, taken one to three times daily. This is a somewhat high dose that can act as a natural liver “detox.”
For ongoing use and liver support, take 50 to 150 milligrams daily.
Look for a high-quality product that’s between 50–150 milligrams of pure milk thistle extract per capsule so you can adjust the amount you are taking depending on your needs.
2. *TEA FORM*
You can also grow your own milk thistle and make homemade tea if you’re up for harvesting the plants. Each small plant head contains about 190 seeds that can be used in various ways. If you purchase or grow a milk thistle plant, cut off the entire head and hang the plant upside down for about one week to draw out the seeds.
You can also dry the seeds,crush them and turn it into powder that way it can be taken as tea when dissolve to lukewarm/hot water.That way you also retain more of the nutrients.
3. *DRUG FORM*
Oral doses of Milk thistle (Silymarin) of up to 2.1 g per day were safe and well tolerated.
In an oral form standardized to contain 70-80 % Silymarin, Milk thistle appears to be safe for up to 41 months of use .
*MILK THISTLE SIDE EFFECTS*
-Gastrointestinal problems but are rare (e.g; nausea, diarrhea, dyspepsia, flatulence, abdominal bloating, abdominal fullness or pain, anorexia and changes in bowel habits).
Headache.
-Skin reactions (pruritus, rash, urticaria, and eczema).
-Neuropsychological events (e.g asthenia, malaise and insomnia).
Arthralgia (pain in joint).
-Rhinoconjunctivitis (nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing etc).
-Impotence.
-Anaphylaxis (serious life threatening allergic reaction)
*WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN BUYING MILK THISTLE.*
various factors, such as:
1.Reliability of the company.
2.If it has excipients.
3.If I had a good experience with it.
4.The kinds of additives that it has (rice flour and dairy are a no-go because of lectins and allergens…I mildly prefer to not take supplements with magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide, but I don’t think they’re harmful, so it depends on the price differential…).
5.If it’s standardized (not always, since sometimes full spectrum is better).
6.The concentration of active ingredients.
7.The dosage(Very important so as not to over dosage on it leading to some major side effects.).
8.Finally,the price,the cheaper the better i’d say.
By SOPHIE