How Milk Thistle Benefits Liver Health And Function

Addiction Issues relating to Alcohol and Drugs

When one is recovering from some sort of substance addiction, be it alcohol or drugs, the liver is working hard to clean bodily tissues and to regenerate itself. In both regards, milk thistle can contribute. Further, Mark Stengler, ND, finds that milk thistle seems to boost the mood and energy levels of recovering patients. [11]

Broadly speaking, milk thistle is used to deal with various liver ailments which are related to drug and alcohol use. [2]

Alcoholism-related Issues

Milk thistle extract is often used to counter the negative health effects which alcohol has on the liver. [6]

Indeed, silymarin could help with alcoholism, at a dosage of 70 to 210mg thrice per day. Silymarin which is bound to phosphatidylcholine (silymarin phytosome) at a dosage of 100mg twice or thrice per day could work even better. [8]

Double blind studies suggest that milk thistle assists the liver in returning to normal healthy function after an alcoholic kicks his drinking habit. [6]

And clinical studies have found that silymarin “improves liver function tests and protects liver cells against oxidative damage in people with alcohol-related liver disease.” [6]

One double-blind study showed milk thistle extracts were able to “reduce death due to alcohol-induced cirrhosis of the liver”. [6]

A double-blind German study involving 116 participants who suffered from alcoholic liver cirrhosis revealed the significant curative effect of milk thistle. In as quickly as 2 weeks, benefits were observed. [3]

In another study, 29 people who suffered from advanced alcoholic liver disease were treated with silymarin for 2 months. The study subjects experienced relief from their symptoms of nausea and loss of appetite. [3]

1981 research in Finland found that milk thistle could help persons with alcoholic hepatitis. In the double-blind and placebo-controlled study involving 106 persons and lasting 4 weeks, subjects who were treated with milk thistle displayed marked reduction in their levels of elevated liver enzymes as well as improvements in the microscopic structure of their liver tissue (suggesting improved liver health). Two other comparable studies revealed similar findings. On the flip side, a randomized, doubled-blind study which lasted 3 months and involved 116 subjects suggested that there was little to no added benefit – this was likely down to the fact that most of the trial subjects had cut down on their alcohol intake and almost 50% of them had kicked the habit totally. From this latter study, we can see that, as far as liver health is concerned, it is better for alcoholics to quit drinking altogether than to keep up their habit and consume milk thistle. [5]

Protection against prescription medications which potentially harm the liver

Many prescription drugs may have toxic side effects which burden the liver, and milk thistle can help to protect this important organ against such adverse effects. Liver protection is especially important when there is long-term use of prescription medications.

Indeed, in certain parts of Europe, the herb milk thistle is often used as a protective agent when patients are prescribed medicines which have known negative side effects on the liver. [5]

Various sources list different drugs which milk thistle could offer protective effects against.

• These medications include drugs which are used to treat seizures and ovarian cysts. [3]

• Milk thistle extract can also help to protect the liver against the potential negative side effects of medications used in schizophrenia treatment as well as treatment of other types of psychosis. [6]

• A double-blind, placebo-controlled study carried out on 60 subjects found that 800mg of silymarin each day helped to protect against the effects of long term drug treatment for mental illness. Blood levels of a marker that indicates that the liver has been hurt by the prolonged use of psychotropic drugs were reduced by the use of silymarin. [11]

• There is preliminary scientific evidence to suggest that milk thistle could protect the liver against the toxicity of medications like phenytoin, phenothiazines and paracetamol, as well as against alcohol. [5]

• Milk thistle extract could help lower the toxicity caused to the liver by drugs such as thyroid hormone, acetaminophen, butyrophenones, etc. [9]

• Milk thistle helps prevent the side effects associated with using tacrine (Cognex) to treat Alzheimer‘s disease. [3]

• 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]

Further, Mark Stengler, ND, recommends milk thistle for persons who are exposed to harmful toxins at work, for example a welder. He also recommends milk thistle extract for cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments. [11]

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