Milk thistle wonders
- sandrine Giacobino
- Apr 24
- 3 min read
If you are not captivated by the photo below, you will be, hopefully by the end of this blog, a big fan of milk thistle and you might even start implementing this herb in your life.
Milk thistle, also known as Silybum marianum, is a member of the sunflower family. It has distinctive white veins on its large prickly leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean and grows wildly in Europe and the UK. It is known essentially for its liver properties but there is more to this plant as we will see soon. It is high in antioxidants and has many anti-inflammatory benefits.
It was mentioned first by the Greek physician Dioscorides (AD 40-90) for its healing qualities. And was later mentioned in one of the first herbal books in 1152.
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How can milk thistle support you:
*Liver health. Milk thistle detoxifies the liver as it rebuilds the cells of the liver. It reverses toxicity in the body. The liver is the second largest organ after the skin and the health of our blood is directly related to our liver. This amazing organ supports the detoxification of pesticides, heavy metals, pollution in the air, our water intake and much more. The health of the liver can be seen in the white of the eyes and if you notice that you wake up regularly between 1 and 3 am in the morning it could be your liver trying to get your attention. Milk thistle has been used for conditions like cirrhosis, cases of hepatitis and liver disease induced by toxins.
*Blood sugar regulation. It has been shown that milk thistle would support lowering blood sugar in people with diabetes 2. It would support insulin resistance.
*Cancer. Thanks to its high levels of antioxidants in the form of flavonoid silymarin, related to decreasing the risk for cancer, milk thistle could play a positive role in preventing this disease. Silymarin boosts the immune system, reverses cancer growth and fight DNA damage. It would also support someone going through chemotherapy when in between rounds.
*Indigestion. Milk thistle might improve symptoms associated with indigestion. Regarding digestion this plant would also help prevent gallstones. It supports bile flow and liver detoxification as seen above which could help with gallstone formation.
*By reducing inflammation, cleaning the blood and supporting detoxification milk thistle would also help with cholesterol levels. More research needs to be done on that subject, but it has been explored positively in the case of diabetic patients who tend to have a higher cholesterol.
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Now we have seen its potential benefits what are the contraindications, dosage levels and which form is best?
In some individuals it can cause gastrointestinal problems like diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting. Someone who is diabetic would need to monitor their blood sugar levels as milk thistle might lower them. If anyone is allergic to plants in the Asteraceae family caution needs to be exercised (ragweed, marigolds, chrysanthemums). As milk thistle can affect oestrogen levels, anyone with hormone sensitivities should consult with their naturopath or doctor to make sure they are safe. Milk thistle also might interact with some medications like diazepam, warfarin, simeprevir…
The daily dosage for therapeutic reasons would be between 600 to 1200mg/daily. Most say though that the dosage for maintenance would be 210-600mg.
Capsules and tinctures might be the best way to take milk thistle as the tea does not provide enough of the silymarin compound.
To summarize, milk thistle supports the liver, digestive and the nervous system. It not only protects the liver after damage has occurred but also before and after, making it the perfect herb to instil in your lifestyle as long as you are not allergic to its main component or under some conditions that should be checked with your health provider.
Due to its benefits, it helps support the liver which is such an incredible and busy organ, especially in our time when we are bombarded by pollution on all fronts, but also affect overall the whole body.
As we approach Spring, season connected to the liver and gallbladder in Chinese Medicine, you could start considering bringing that plant in for its numerous qualities, by protecting and supporting what is already working well in your body. Adding glutathione will support how milk thistle is absorbed and works in your body and vice versa. Glutathione as we saw in one of our previous articles is your top antioxidant.
Let’s finish, remembering that we have everything we need to heal, and nature has gifted us with many of her herbs, plants and food to create balance and harmony. To your health.
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