How Milk Thistle Benefits Liver Health And Function

For some two millennia, herbalists have recognized the health benefits of milk thistle on the liver and gallbladder. [11]

Pliny, a Roman naturalist from the first century AD, said that milk thistle was “excellent for carrying off bile.” To put it another way, this means that the herb restores impaired liver function. These milk thistle benefits have been validated by scientific research. [10]

Using Milk Thistle for the Liver

The health benefits of milk thistle on the liver are quickly summarized here. Each benefit on liver health is explained in more detail in the rest of this article.

Today, milk thistle is well-known and widely used for helping with and treating various liver disorders, diseases and conditions. These include:

• liver cirrhosis, including alcoholic cirrhosis
• liver poisoning
• hepatitis – viral hepatitis or alcoholic hepatitis, hepatitis B or C
• sluggish liver
• liver congestion
• fatty liver
• jaundice
• other liver ailments and issues which are related to drug use and alcoholism

Milk thistle also helps to:

• protect the liver from damage
• boost overall liver health and function
• regenerate liver cells
• give the liver a glutathione boost
• detoxify the liver
• improve recovery from substance addiction, notably drugs and alcohol
• protect against many prescription medications which potentially harm the liver
• prevent fibrosis

The ability of milk thistle to protect the liver and enhance its regenerative capabilities are down to a compound in the herb called silymarin. This substance has an effect on liver cell membranes – it helps to prevent viral toxins as well as other toxic substances from entering liver cells and damaging them. In addition, silymarin boosts liver regeneration in persons suffering from various liver conditions, including liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, mushroom poisoning, etc. [3]

Milk thistle extracts have been found beneficial for various liver ailments, and such therapeutic effects have been verified both via biopsies and lab and clinical data. [9]

Research carried out by a German pharmaceutical company examined the effect of milk thistle on several liver ailments – these included liver cirrhosis, hepatitis and fatty liver. The study involved 2,637 subjects who consumed standardized milk thistle capsules every day for a period of 8 weeks. At the end of the study period, 63 percent of the study subjects experienced complete relief from their symptoms. Their disease symptoms had included appetite loss, nausea, tiredness and abdominal distention. Other than its impressive results, another positive aspect of milk thistle revealed by this study was that only about 1 percent of the study subjects had to stop using the herb due to the side effects they experienced – these included stomach upset, nausea and mild diarrhea. [3]

In 1986, the Commission E in Germany “approved an oral extract of milk thistle standardized to 70% crude silymarin content as a treatment for liver disease.” [5]

Thus, persons who are suffering from chronic liver disease can try taking milk thistle extract on a long-term basis. [6]

Milk Thistle Benefits the Liver by Protecting It and Boosting Overall Liver Health and Function

As mentioned earlier, milk thistle offers liver protection. [4] But how exactly does milk thistle protect liver cells?

This herb seems to have two modes of liver protection – first by preventing harmful toxins from getting into liver cells in the first place, as well as by helping in the removal of these harmful substances from the liver cells. Further, milk thistle is able to help regenerate injured or damaged liver cells. [6]

In addition, silymarin could help stabilize liver cell membranes. [5]

The liver is the major organ of detoxification in our bodies, and today, this important organ is undergoing more stress and burden than anytime in human history. We are bombarded with toxins in our foods, water, air, household furniture, cosmetics, cleaning agents, and general living environment. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated than some 2.2 billion pounds of environmental toxins were released into the environment via industrial waste from 1987 to 1994. If you throw in all the other harmful chemicals from various other sources, including the prescription medications we consume, the figure would be far, far higher. Just imagine how much harmful chemicals were dumped into our living environment from 1995 to the present day. [11]

This makes protecting and helping the liver critically important.

Milk Thistle Cirrhosis Benefits, Including Alcoholic Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is serious liver damage. This can take place due to drug abuse, alcohol overuse, or liver ailments such as hepatitis. An indication of liver cirrhosis or scarring is increased levels of liver enzymes. This can be detected through blood tests. [11]

There is research which suggests that milk thistle could boost quality of life and even life expectancy in persons who are suffering from liver cirrhosis. [6]

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