Milk Thistle - Natural Health News

What Is Milk Thistle?

Milk thistle is a flowering plant that is known by many names and is found throughout the world. It is best known for its ability to protect the liver from damage caused by toxins, medications, and diseases. It is considered a natural and safe alternative to pharmaceuticals and is used to treat alcoholic fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver poisoning, and viral hepatitis. Medications such as paracetamol and toxins such as Amanita mushrooms can cause liver damage if consumed in excess. Milt thistle can be used to protect the liver from damage caused by such substances.

The main ingredient that gives Milt Thistle its liver protecting and repairing superpowers is called silymarin. This compound stimulates the growth of new liver cells by encouraging protein synthesis. New liver cell production is fundamental to repairing a damaged liver. It also changes the outside layer of liver cells so that certain toxins don’t enter them. Inflammation of the liver caused by diseases such as hepatitis can also be lowered by silymarin.

Benefits of Milk Thistle

It helps repair and prevent liver damage
It reduces inflammation
It protects the body from damage by neutralizing free radicals
It has estrogen-like properties and thus can be used by breastfeeding mothers to increase breast milk production. Women who have late menstrual periods can also benefit from this property of milk thistle
It protects against cancer by inhibiting cancerous tumor growth, boosting the immune system, and fighting DNA damage
It promotes heart health by lowering high LDL cholesterol levels and by preventing oxidative damage within blood vessels
It helps control diabetes by lowering blood glucose levels
It helps prevent kidney stones and gallstones
It stimulates the production of bile and enzymes which aid the endocrine and gastrointestinal systems
It can be used topically as a natural sunscreen to protect the skin from damage caused by UV rays