Milk Thistle

This product is a liquid extract of milk thistle. Milk thistle is commonly found growing wild in a variety of settings, including roadsides. The dried fruit is used to produce modern herbal extracts.

Medicinal uses of milk thistle can be traced back more than 2,000 years. Nicholas Culpeper, the well-known 17^th-century pharmacist, cited its use for opening “obstructions” of the liver and spleen and recommended it for the treatment of jaundice.

The dried fruit of milk thistle contains a flavonoid complex known as silymarin. This constituent is responsible for the medical benefits of milk thistle. Silymarin is made up of three main compounds: silibinin, silydianin, and silychristin. Among these, silibinin is considered the most active compound and is largely responsible for the benefits attributed to silymarin.

Milk thistle may help protect liver cells by helping prevent harmful toxins from entering cells and supporting their removal. Its active compound, silymarin, is a powerful antioxidant, similar to other bioflavonoids, and may help protect liver cells from oxidative damage. Research has also shown that silymarin may support the regeneration of injured liver cells. Recent studies have shown that silymarin can assist with the blockage of fibrosis, a process that contributes to the eventual development of cirrhosis in people with inflammatory liver conditions, secondary to diseases such as alcohol abuse or hepatitis.

Milk thistle also seems to alter bile makeup, thereby potentially reducing the risk of developing gallstones. However, this needs to be verified by human clinical trials.