Health Benefits Of Milk Thistle – A Comprehensive Look

There are a number of possible milk thistle cancer connections.

Kuppfer cells are immune cells in the liver which deal with bacteria and various toxins entering the organ. These cells also contribute to the destruction of cancer cells that have entered the bloodstream – this is a crucial contribution to preventing the spread of cancer to other parts of the body. And silybinin, a compound found in milk thistle, helps to protect these Kuppfer cells from inflammatory responses without affecting the immune system’s ability to destroy cancer cells. [3]

Estrogen-related Cancers

Certain types of cancer are stimulated by estrogen, a hormone in the human body. Studies conducted in labs have found that silybin, another compound present in milk thistle, helps to prevent these types of cancer cells from receiving estrogen. [3]

Breast Cancer

Milk thistle has displayed anticancer properties against breast cancer. [4]

Very preliminary research suggests that milk thistle could help lower one’s risk of getting breast cancer. [5]

And research carried out at the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland discovered that silymarin inhibits breast cancer cell growth not only with breast cancer tumors, but also before they attach to other parts of the body. [3]

Prostate Cancer

Milk thistle has also displayed anticancer properties against prostate cancer. [4]

Research conducted at the Center of Cancer Causation and Prevention in Denver found that silibinin induces some prostate cancer cells to revert to typical life cycles. This could help slow down the development of certain types of prostate cancer. [3]

Bladder, Skin and Colon Cancers

Research carried out on animals reveal that milk thistle can help counteract free radicals which are damaging the respective organs in bladder cancer, skin cancer, and colon cancer. [7]

Protection during Chemotherapy

In research carried out on mice, it was found that large doses of silibinin completely protected the animals from kidney damage when they were treated with cisplatin (Platinol), a chemotherapy drug. Other research found that silibinin protected against the adverse effects of cisplatin and ifosfamide (Ifex) without negatively affecting their impact on cancer of the testicles. [3]

Cholesterol Profile and Lowering Cholesterol

Milk thistle helps to stabilize blood cholesterol levels. [3]

The herb improves one’s cholesterol profile – milk thistle reduces total cholesterol levels in the body and assists the conversion of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol. Further, after cholesterol has been excreted by the body into bile, milk thistle stops the re-absorption of this cholesterol by the body. [3]

Constipation

By increasing bile production in the liver, milk thistle helps to provide herbal relief for constipation. [3][9][1]

If one were to experience looser stools while using this herb, high-fiber food items such as pectin, psyllium and guar guar can be used to help prevent this side effect. [9]

For persons who, despite consuming enough fiber and fluids, still experience difficulty passing motion, Mark Stengler, ND, recommends using milk thistle to help raise bile flow and hence alleviate constipation. [11]

COX-2 Inhibitor

Silymarin inhibits COX-2 formation. [4]

Crohn‘s Disease

Milk thistle raises the production of bile in the liver, which helps to protect the lining of the intestines – this in turn helps to alleviate the symptoms of Crohn’s disease. [3]

Depression and Emotional Issues

In several modalities of traditional and folk medicine, the liver was seen as closely tied to the emotional wellbeing of a person. Depression, emotional discomfort and even anger and frustration can be caused by a toxic or unhealthy liver. These healing modalities include Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) (which still applies today), French folk medicine, as well as during Middles Ages Europe. [3]

The liver has a great influence of the overall biochemistry of the human body. This is because this important organ metabolizes neurotransmitters and hormones. Thus, by improving liver health, one can help improve moods, too. This makes milk thistle a useful herb for depression treatment. Indeed, TCM and naturopathic physicians do use milk thistle as part of a wider treatment protocol to enhance liver health and thus remedy depression. [11]

Detoxification

Milk thistle improves the liver’s detoxification capabilities by boosting its ability to metabolize toxins and cleanse the body. This then helps to reduce the amount of harmful toxins circulating in the bloodstream. This makes milk thistle a good “blood cleansing” herb. Cleaner blood also translates to healthier skin, which helps various skin conditions. [11]

In today’s toxic world, regular detoxification programs can do much for your health, as having a less toxic body will provide you with more energy and a stronger immune system. Liver detox is one of the important aspects of body cleansing, and Mark Stengler, ND, feels that a good detoxification supplement should include milk thistle. [11]

And due to the fact that the liver is the main organ of detoxification, milk thistle ranks at the top of Dr (MD) Elson M Haas’ list of detoxifying herbs. This is down to the herb’s remarkable ability to protect the liver. Milk thistle has been shown in studies to be useful in treating liver cirrhosis and hepatitis. [7]

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