Milk Thistle Side Effects

Milk Thistle Side Effect; Research Finds
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Milk Thistle Side Effects

Milk thistle appears to be safe and accepted by patients. Only a few cases of
milk thistle side effect have been reported. Citations about milk thistle side
effects and safety issues from various researchers are summarized as follows:

Silymarin (milk thistle) with few side effects that has been safely used for
centuries to treat liver ailments. Giese LA. Milk thistle and the treatment of hepatitis.
Gastroenterol Nurs. 2001 Mar-Apr;24(2):95-7.

Silymarin (milk thistle) side effects include gastrointestinal disturbances and
allergic skin rashes. Saller R et al, The use of silymarin in the treatment of liver diseases
Drugs. 2001;61(14):2035-63.

In a study of 170 patients with cirrhosis, researchers observed no milk thistle
side effect. Ferenci P. et al, Randomized controlled trial of silymarin (milk thistle) treatment in
patients with cirrhosis of the liver. J Hepatol. 1989 Jul;9(1):105-13.

Silymarin (milk thistle) exposure did not produce any signs of overt toxicity or
any changes in relative organ weights. Johnson VJ et al, Physiological responses of a
natural antioxidant flavonoid mixture, silymarin, in BALB/c mice: III. Silymarin inhibits T-lymphocyte
function at low doses but stimulates inflammatory processes at high doses. Planta Med. 2003
Jan;69(1):44-9.

Treatment with milk thistle appears to be safe and well tolerated. No reduction
in mortality, but improvements in histology and in biochemical markers of liver
function among patients with chronic liver disease were found with milk thistle
supplement. Jacobs BP, Milk thistle for the treatment of liver disease: a systematic review and
meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2002 Oct 15;113(6):506-15.
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INTRODUCTION

Milk Thistle, Silybum Marianum, is a spiny leaved plant containing
reddish-purple flowers. The seeds or fruits consist of four
substances-silymarin. The most potent one is silibin. Milk Thistle is commonly
used for liver cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, alcoholic fatty liver, liver poisoning,
and viral hepatitis. Silymarin plays a role in displacing toxins binding to the
liver and causing the liver cells to regenerate at a faster rate.

Milk Thistle-a liver protector (Family: Asteraceae, Genus and Species: Silybum
marianum)

Milk thistle is an herbaceous annual or biennial plant with a dense prickly
flower head with purplish tubular flowers. It is native to southern Europe,
southern Russia, Asia Minor, and nothern Africa. All parts of the plant have
been used as food. The milk thistle extracts are prepared from the fruits
(seeds) of Silybum marianum. In general, milk thistle extracts are standardized
to a concentration of 70-80% of flavone lignans including isosilybinin, silybinin,
silychristin, and silydianin, which are collectively called silymarin.

MILK THISTLE BENEFITS

Milk thistle silymarin is known to protect the liver by altering and strengthening
the structure of outer cell membranes of hepatocytes (liver cells), preventing
toxins from entering the liver cells, and by stimulating the regenerative ability
of the liver and the formation of new hepatocytes through the activation of an
enzyme nucleolar polymerase A, which leads to the increase in ribosomal
protein synthesis and cell division. Milk thistle silymarin, as an anti-oxidant,
may also reduce damages to liver cells caused by chronic use of certain
prescription drugs. The silybin component of milk thistle sillymarin has been
related to cholesterol-lowering effects. Through the capability to increase bile
solubility, sylimarin may also help prevent or alleviate gallstones.

RESEARCH ARTICLES ON MILK THISTLE

Gastroenterol Nurs 2001 Mar-Apr;24(2):95-7 - Milk thistle and the treatment of
hepatitis

Am J Gastroenterol 1998 Feb;93(2):139-43 - Milk thistle (Silybum marianum)
for the therapy of liver disease

THIS MILK THISTLE ARTICLE IS FOR YOUR REFERENCE ONLY. IF YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTION ON MILK THISTLE OR OTHERS,, PLEASE, CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR. ALL
RIGHT RESERVED. DO NOT COPY THIS ARTICLE TO OTHER WEBSITES OR BLOGS.

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