What we wouldn't give to live in a toxic-free environment! Unfortunately, we live in a modern society full of pollutants, chemicals, and stresses. Indeed, we even ingest some of these substances such as alcohol and drugs [both legal and illegal] knowingly. Such abuses can overload our liver and lead to conditions such as cirrhosis, chronic fatigue, chronic candidiasis, PMS, cancer, and psoriasis.Popular detoxification programs, fasting regimens, cleansing diets, and juices all help to clean our bodies. Good liver health is another way to help purify our bodies, as the liver is a complex organ playing a key role in most metabolic processes, especially detoxification.
The liver is responsible for detoxifying many things such as the toxic chemicals from our environment, the food and water we ingest, and the air we breathe. It filters the blood, synthesizes and secretes bile, and enzymatically disassembles unwanted chemicals from our metabolism and our environment. The liver removes excess hormones and inflammatory compounds which would be toxic if they built up in our bodies.
There are a number of plant-based medicines that show beneficial effects on liver function. The most notable of these is milk thistle, with impressive clinical research backing its claims. You may have seen milk thistle growing wild in fields or vacant lots. It is a tall prickly plant, reaching a height of 5 to 10 feet. The leaves and stems contain a milky sap, and the reddish-purple flowers are ringed with spines. The shiny grey-toned or mottled black seeds contain medicinal substances that have been used by healers for 2,000 years.
a prickly past
Legend has it that the white mottling of the leaves of milk thistle was caused by a drop of the Virgin Mary's milk. The plant was also traditionally used to stimulate milk production. Known through the ages as Mary thistle, St. Mary thistle, Marian thistle, Lady's thistle, and Holy thistle, its scientific name is Silybum marianum. Silybum was a name given to some edible thistles in the first century by a Greek physician, and marianum is perhaps a reference to the Virgin Mary legend.
The Roman, Pliny the Elder, wrote in the first century A.D. that the juice of the plant mixed with honey was excellent for 'carrying off bile.' Originating in Kashmir, milk thistle found its way to Europe where it was used to treat diseases of the liver throughout the Middle Ages. It spread to England by the end of the sixteenth century, and British physicians of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries expressed that it was 'the best remedy that grows against all melancholy diseases' [liver diseases] and that it was effectual 'to open the obstructions of the liver and spleen, and thereby is good against the jaundice. They further noted, 'The seed and distilled water are held powerful to all the purposes aforesaid, and besides, it is often applied both inwardly to drink, and outwardly with cloths or spunges [sic], to the region of the liver, to cool the distemper thereof.'
Not restricted to medicinal use, milk thistle was cultivated in European gardens as a vegetable until the end of the nineteenth century. All parts of the plant were consumed. The leaves, with spines removed, were eaten in salads as a green, while the de-spined stems were soaked and devoured like asparagus. The roots were soaked to remove the bitterness before eating, the flower receptacle was served like an artichoke, and the seeds were roasted as a coffee substitute. (Chicory, a better-known coffee substitute, is a relative of milk thistle.)
Although milk thistle was introduced to North America by early European colonists, the plant didn't show up in American medicinal literature until the end of the nineteenth century, when it was noted that 'Congestion of the liver, spleen, and kidneys is relieved by its use.' It now grows wild in the Eastern United States, California, and South America, as well as Europe.
Not restricted to medicinal use, milk thistle was cultivated in European gardens as a vegetable until the end of the nineteenth century. All parts of the plant were consumed. The leaves, with spines removed, were eaten in salads as a green, while the de-spined stems were soaked and devoured like asparagus. The roots were soaked to remove the bitterness before eating, the flower receptacle was served like an artichoke, and the seeds were roasted as a coffee substitute. (Chicory, a better-known coffee substitute, is a relative of milk thistle.)
proven liver protection
Homeopaths in the United States and Germany use tincture of milk thistle seed to treat liver disorders, jaundice, gallstones, peritonitis, coughs, bronchitis, varicose veins, and congestion of the uterus.
Milk thistle has been the subject of intense medical research for the last 40 years. This research has supported Pliny's assertion from 2,000 years ago that the herb has beneficial effects on the liver. Today's scientists have gone even further and identified the beneficial chemical component of milk thistle, called silymarin. Silymarin is a compound found in concentrations of four to six percent in ripe milk thistle seeds.
Recent studies have shown that silymarin affects the liver in two ways. First, it has a protective effect. It alters the outer liver membrane cell structure, preventing toxins from penetrating the cells by blocking the toxin's binding sites. Second, it stimulates the production of RNA polymerase A, which results in regeneration of the liver by increasing protein synthesis, leading to the growth of new cells. Milk thistle is also a powerful antioxidant, providing more than ten times the antioxidant activity of vitamin E.
Laboratory researchers have shown that milk thistle is effective in protecting the liver against a range of substances including alcohol, industrial chemicals, the cold-blood frog virus, and the toxins contained in the death cap mushroom.
the beneficial thistle in practice
Clinical studies have reinforced the laboratory research. In a study conducted in German, French, Swiss, and Austrian hospitals over a three-year period, 220 patients who had ingested death cap mushrooms were treated with intravenous infusions of silymarin (the beneficial compound in milk thistle). One of the world's most toxic poisonous mushrooms, the death cap contains two compounds that can cause severe liver damage, often leading to death. This liver damage is very difficult to treat. The mortality rate in the European study was only 12.8 percent, lower than had ever been achieved using other means. In another study of 205 patients in which only 16 were treated with silymarin, there was a much higher death rate of 22.4 percent.
Mushroom poisoning is relatively rare compared to cirrhosis and hepatitis, which are the two main forms of liver disease. Cirrhosis is caused by alcohol consumption, and is a serious medical problem in the United States. Ten million Americans are affected by alcoholism; 200,000 die from it each year. Cirrhosis is the fourth leading cause of death among men aged 25 to 64.
Hepatitis, the second type of liver disease, is inflammation of the liver, and actually refers to a number of liver disorders. Hepatitis can be chronic (long-lasting) or acute (short-term); it can be caused by viruses (indicated by letters, for example Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, etc.); it can be caused by alcohol, medications, or exposure to industrial chemicals such as fumes from carbon tetrachloride, which is used in dry-cleaning. In fact, even an over-the-counter drug such as acetaminophen (used in Tylenol) can contribute to liver inflammation. There are over 300,000 cases of hepatitis reported each year in the United States alone. Hepatitis B, which is transmitted in the same manner as AIDS, by sexual and blood-to-blood contact, is responsible for 5,000 deaths a year. Those that survive are susceptible to liver cancer in later years. Fortunately, there is a vaccine for hepatitis A and B.
Studies have shown milk thistle to be effective in treating not just mushroom poisoning, but cirrhosis and hepatitis as well. In one study, patients treated for toxic liver damage, chronic hepatitis, and bile duct inflammation, showed significant improvement after taking 525 mg/day of silymarin for three months. In another study of 66 patients with alcohol-induced liver damage, those given silymarin showed a faster increase in liver enzyme levels than those taking a placebo. Dozens of other studies have confirmed the beneficial effect of milk thistle extract in speeding liver recovery by stabilizing the liver cell membrane (keeping toxins out) and promoting the growth of new tissue.
In Europe, milk thistle is widely recognized as a treatment for cirrhosis and hepatitis. Commission E, the panel in Germany that evaluates herbal treatments for the German government, recommends the use of milk thistle seeds for the treatment of liver disease. In fact, most German emergency rooms keep injectable solutions of milk thistle extract on hand for the treatment of liver poisoning.
Studies have shown milk thistle to be effective in treating not just mushroom poisoning, but cirrhosis and hepatitis as well. In one study, patients treated for toxic liver damage, chronic hepatitis, and bile duct inflammation, showed significant improvement after taking 525 mg/day of silymarin for three months. In another study of 66 patients with alcohol-induced liver damage, those given silymarin showed a faster increase in liver enzyme levels than those taking a placebo. Dozens of other studies have confirmed the beneficial effect of milk thistle extract in speeding liver recovery by stabilizing the liver cell membrane (keeping toxins out) and promoting the growth of new tissue.
In Europe, milk thistle is widely recognized as a treatment for cirrhosis and hepatitis. Commission E, the panel in Germany that evaluates herbal treatments for the German government, recommends the use of milk thistle seeds for the treatment of liver disease. In fact, most German emergency rooms keep injectable solutions of milk thistle extract on hand for the treatment of liver poisoning.
the dutiful detoxifier
Even if you don't have cirrhosis or hepatitis, you may benefit from the use of milk thistle. If you come in contact with toxic chemicals in your work, you may find a monthly cleansing program with milk thistle helpful. At-risk occupations include painters, rs, janitors, factory workers, and gardeners. Or, if you regularly use prescription or over-the-counter medication, the milk thistle seed extract may be used to cleanse and regenerate your liver. The normal dose of milk thistle extract of at least 70 percent silymarin is 100 to 300 mg, three times a day. Milk thistle is a safe herb, as there are no known side effects at recommended levels. However, use during pregnancy or lactation has not been studied.
In an increasingly toxic environment, keeping all of our organs humming along is vital to maintaining good health. The liver, the body's sewage treatment plant, is key in keeping our bodies vibrant and strong. Milk thistle, blessed with a drop of the Virgin Mary's milk and endorsed by physicians both ancient and modern, is nature's means to a wholesome, healthy liver.
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