Milk thistle Health Benefits
Milk thistle also known as Mary thistle and wild artichoke has been used as a natural and herbal medicine for centuries. No pharmaceutical drug can be as effective as Milk thistle when it comes to its ability to protect liver from toxins, free radicals and pollutants.
Milk thistle helps to regenerate healthy new cells in liver and protect kidneys, gallbladder and adrenal glands. Milk thistle can also improve adrenal disorder, inflammatory bowel disease, menstrual problems, jaundice, psoriasis, all liver diseases and strengthen the immune system.
Research shows that the powerful antioxidant agent in milk thistle called “Silymarin” help to enhance new cell generation in liver and protect liver against cell-damaging free radicals. Silymarin is known to be 10 times as potent as vitamin E and increase the affectivity of two other powerful antioxidants known as glutathione and superoxide dismutase (SOD).
Preliminary studies in laboratory animals show that milk thistle has strong anti-cancerous properties. Silymarin, the strong antioxidant in milk thistle has shown to reduce the growth of cancer cells in people with prostate, breast and cervical cancer.
Also studies on laboratory animals shows that the active ingredient in milk thistle known as Silymarin can reduce the bad cholesterol by increasing the HDL or good cholesterol level.
In 2008, a study by National Institutes of Health showed that patients with hepatitis C who used silymarin had fewer symptoms of liver disease.
Milk thistle should be taken based on the recommended dosage but might cause allergies in people who are allergic to plants including ragweed, marigold or daisy.
Also milk thistle can reduce blood sugar levels but people with diabetes or hypoglycemia should be cautious before taking milk thistle supplements.
Resources:
http://silymarin.com/?p=how.works
http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-milk-thistle.html
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/milkthistle/ataglance.htm
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