Common names: Milk Thistle, St. Mary’s Thistle, Marian Thistle, Blessed Milk Thistle, Silybi Mariae Fructose, Silymarin, Mary Thistle, Cardui Mariae Fructose, Holy Thistle, Lady’s Thistle, Mariendistelfrüchte, Wild Artichoke, Chardon-Marie, Carduo Mariano, Mediterranean Milk Thistle, Variegated Thistle, Venus Thistle.

Botanical name: Silybum marianum

Nutritional Support at a Glance: Used as nutritional support by persons with Liver Disorders, Abnormal Liver Function, Hepatitis, Cirrhosis, Jaundice, Gallbladder Disorders, Gallstones, High LDL Cholesterol, Decreased Lactation, Psoriasis, Hemorrhoids, Pleurisy, Type II Diabetics secondary to cirrhosis, Allergies, Inflammation, Heartburn, Bloating, Dyspeptic conditions, Liver Poisoning from Death Cap Mushrooms and other Hepato-Toxic Chemicals, Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Prostate Cancer, UVB Radiation-Induced Skin Cancers.

Notice to Consumers:
No information is provided as an enticement to purchase and in accordance with section 201(g) of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, is not intended to treat, prevent, cure or mitigate any disease and is for your perusal and to be used in concert with your physician.

To view product formulation: Blessed Milk Thistle (Milk Thistle)

 Origin: Although indigenous to the Mediterranean area and native of Southern Europe to Asia, it has now spread throughout most of the World and is considered by many countries an “invasive weed.” Blessed Milk Thistle’s extensive use for many liver conditions dates back over 2,000 years (23 A.D), including, perhaps the most common folk medicine use for increasing nursing mothers milk out-put, but its use for liver problems is also well documented, with the young leaves and stalks eaten in salads for food as well as medicinally. It has been called Venus Thistle and was dedicated to Freya, the Norse Goddess of love and beauty.

It is mentioned by Pliny as early as the 1^st century for biliary complaints and by Discorides as well, for a wide variety of remedies. In medieval times the Doctrine of Signatures (a belief that the physical appearance of the plant reveals its healing power) caused some to assert that Blessed Milk Thistles markings and milky sap were created by milk falling from the Virgin Mary's breast as food for the baby Jesus, hence the folk names Our Lady's Thistle, Mary's Thistle and Holy Thistle.

Both John Gerard and the famous 17^th century Herbalist Nicholas Culpeper revered its use for all liver disorders. Blessed Milk Thistle gained a resurgence of interest in Germany in the mid-19^th century for treatment of jaundice, hemorrhoids, pleurisy, gallstones and certain types of cancer. The American Eclectics of the late 19^th the early 20^th century used it for congestion of the liver, spleen and kidney disorders, menstrual difficulties and varicose veins.

By the 1930’s Blessed Milk Thistle reemerged in common practice and by the 20^th century had been widely and extensively researched primarily as a hepato-protective herb, anti-oxidant, choleretic (increased bile production), and a hepatic trophorestorative (ability to restore normal liver function).

Parts Used Medicinally:  The whole seed is used for medicinal purposes and are available as a bulk herb, but usually processed as a hydroalcoholic extract, glycerite and standardized extract of 70%-80% Silymarin. Capsules and standardized pills are common on the market and should be standardized to 80% Silymarin post-manufactured testing rather than a pre-manufactured certificate of analysis (COA) and are usually available in 150 to175 mg capsules. The entire plant is edible, leaves, roots, flower head and seeds.

Traditional and/or Historical Use: Historically Blessed Milk Thistle was widely acclaimed for the healing of both acute and chronic liver damage, including its use for protecting the liver from damage due to many toxins and pollutants. Dioscorides even recommended the use of Blessed Milk Thistle seeds to treat snake bites and as a cure for the bite of a mad dog. John Gerard stated in 1596 that, “My opinion is that this {Blessed Milk Thistle} is the best remedy that grows against all melancholy (bile liver) diseases.” In Germany, Blessed Milk Thistle was a primary cure for jaundice and the treatment of liver and biliary disorders. Its use by Eclectics in the 19^th century is well documented for use in all conditions associated with liver disease, including liver congestion, varicose veins and certain menstrual disorders. The liver protective qualities of Blessed Milk Thistle was the result of accumulated empirical data on the hepatoprotective and hepatic trophorestorative properties which eventually led to the isolation and investigation of its active chemical compounds. The literature of today is replete with research on the active ingredients, primarily silymarin. The research on the active phytochemical’s in Blessed Milk Thistle support its use as an anti-oxidant, detoxificant, hepato-protective, anti-inflammatory, choleretic, hepatic trophorestorative, anti-cholestatic, anti-tumoric (skin, breast, ovarian, and colon cancer agent with one case of hepatocellular carcinoma complete regression reported). There is also evidence that it may improve diabetic neuropathy. Clinical trials are supportive of its use in fatty infiltration of the liver, sub-clinical cholestasis of pregnancy, cholangitis, non-alcoholic liver damage as well as alcohol related liver diseases, including cirrhosis and hepatitis, as well as for a wide range of toxic chemicals and phytochemical liver poisoning. Germany’s Commission E. has approved the use of Blessed Milk Thistle seed to treat gallbladder and liver complaints as well as dyspeptic conditions, including heartburn and bloating.

Active Biochemical’s or Phytochemical’s and/or Mechanisms of Action: The key constituents in Blessed Milk Thistle are a class of flavanolignans (1.5%-3.0%) that are collectively known as Silymarin; silybin (called silibinin in Europe), silychristin, silydianin and 2,3-dehydro derivatives. Blessed Milk Thistle also contains fixed oils that give the extract a milky color (20%-30%), flavonoids, taxifolin and sterols. Silymarin is probably the most or one of the most potent liver protecting chemical compounds known by increasing intracellular glutathione concentration, free radical scavenging, regulating cell membrane permeability and stability from xenobiotic injury, regulating nuclear expression of RNA and DNA for cellular regeneration as well as demonstrating a remarkable ability to restore liver function.

Not only does Blessed Milk Thistle protect the liver cells from damage , it also increases the liver tissue turn-over time enhancing the repair rate of liver cells and with a biochemical “thank you” the liver spares silymarin so it can re-circulate and continue its protective and repairing action. Silybin is also a potent free radical scavenger with total Silymarin anti-oxidant activity about 10 times greater than vitamin E.

Silymarin also has a stabilizing effect on red blood cell membrane via increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase with demonstrated isoenzyme selectivity by markedly inhibiting glutathione S-transferase. Silymarin increases glutathione (GSH) liver content by 35% in humans and 50% in rats, thereby increasing the livers detoxification potential for a wide variety of chemicals, drugs, and hormones. Silydianin also has shown inhibitory action on superoxide radical production. Silymarin additionally enhances liver function, protects existing liver cells and stimulates the growth of new liver cells while inhibiting lipoxygenase formation preventing leukotriene damage and additional cellular death. In vitro inhibition of carbon tetrachloride and galactosamine on cytotoxicity is noted by decreasing metabolic activity and by antioxidant activity as well as demonstrating a protective action against numerous heptotoxic chemicals including heavy metals and FV3 virus and also interrupted the recirculation of amanitins (death cap mushrooms) and by preventing liver cell penetration by competing with amatoxin for transmembrane transport as well as inhibiting the binding of alpha-amanitin to liver cell membranes.

Blessed Milk Thistle also demonstrated not only a curative effect, but also prophylactic activity against the amatoxin. Iron-induced hepatic toxicity was aborted due to antioxidant activity of silymarin. Histological changes of the liver were prevented in pregnant women and those taking birth control pills possibly by increasing nuclear RNA synthesis or by inhibition of leukotriene formation by Kupffer cells.

Normal cell restoration has been observed histologically in patients with liver damage from alcohol, toxic chemical exposure, fatty degeneration, chronic hepatitis or diabetic damage and remarkably favorable blood chemistry changes were noted in SGPT, iron, cholesterol levels and bromsulfophthalein retention with reversals noted in low platelet counts, increased white counts, elevated AST and ALT activity in human studies. Although silymarin demonstrated increased immune function in patients with cirrhosis, it is not known whether it is because of demonstrated improved liver function or the hepatoprotective activity of silymarin. An anticholesterolemic effect was noted in rats fed a high cholesterol diet similar to the drug probucol, resulting in a decrease in liver cholesterol and also prevented decreased levels of liver glutathione. Studies involving patients with viral hepatitis demonstrated significant improvement in bilirubin levels and liver enzyme profiles with high doses of silymarin up to 1 year resulted in a reversal of liver damage confirmed by biopsy and the common symptoms of hepatitis were all improved.

A double-blind trial on patients with chronic persistent hepatitis using a silybin complex phosphatidylcholine revealed a decrease in liver enzymes after 3 months and in a short-term double-blind study with active chronic hepatitis the silybin complex also showed a reduction in parameters related to hepatocellular necrosis. Numerous studies confirm that the absorption of phosphatidylcholine-bound silymarin is better absorbed (up to 10 times more absorbable than silymarin alone) in the gut and also improves the solubility of bile hypothetically by improved gastrointestinal mucosal facilitation and numerous other studies confirm decreased serum malondialdehyde levels indicative of reduced lipid peroxidation by 36% while liver function increased by 15% determined by galactose elimination capacity and AST decreased 17% with ALT decreased by 16%; in one study ALT and GGTP liver enzymes showed a dramatic and statistically significant decrease even with short-term and low-dose treatment of viral or alcohol-induced hepatitis, however, higher dosing was more efficacious.

Inhibition of human ovarian and breast cancer cells were achieved in vitro by silybin with decreased cell numbers in the S and G2-M phases while increasing cells in the G0-G1 phases. Silymarin also inhibited the carcinogen-caused induction of TNF-alpha and mRNA expression and also reduced the tumor incidence, multiplicity and volume per mouse in UVB-induced tumor initiation to complete carcinogenesis with topical application. A 14 month treatment of 14 non-insulin dependent diabetics with silybin significantly reduced red blood cell sorbitol compared to baseline and had no effect on fasting blood sugar levels suggesting it may be an aldose reductase inhibitor and may be useful in treatment and prophylaxis of diabetic complications. In vitro studies demonstrate anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting arachidonic acid metabolites and arachidonic acid-induced chemoluminescence of human platelets and inhibition of the formation of prostaglandins were also noted while non-competitively inhibiting lipoxygenase  and has also inhibited leucocyte accumulation in inflammatory exudates while reducing the neutrophil count.

Silymarin, in vitro, has demonstrated potent inhibitory effects on cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and also prevented the inhibition of protein mono-ADP-ribosylation and the treatment was associated with prevention of substance P-like immunoreactivity loss in the sciatic nerve typically seen in diabetic neuropathy and also inhibited ADP-ribosylation of proteins in Schwann sciatic nerve cells which may show promise in improving diabetic neuropathy. Silymarin may be useful in the treatment of psoriasis due to its ability to correct abnormal liver function, inhibit the synthesis of leukotrienes, lowering the cGMPlevels and raising the cAMP levels and it is noteworthy that if the liver is over burdened and cannot perform the basic tasks of detoxification of circulating endotoxins from gut bacteria, the psoriasis gets worse, therefore, the use of Blessed Milk Thistle preparations in psoriasis and other dermatoses seems prudent.

Recommended Dosage: Blessed Milk Thistle seems to work better at higher doses, therefore, 150 mg taken 3 times a day is preferred (based upon the amount of silymarin present), but lower amounts can be appropriate for “maintenance” dosing. Due to the choleretic action of silymarin, higher dosing may loosen the stool due to increased biliary affect and this can be countered by increasing gut fiber. There does not appear to be any contra-indication for pregnancy or nursing.

There are no known side effects from prolonged use reported and it is considered to be a very safe and effective herbal liver remedy. It is advisable to avoid alcohol based extracts, whenever possible, because appropriate dosing is not possible due to alcohols inability to “extract” the active ingredients well.

Toxicity, Cautions, Contra-Indications:  Blessed Milk Thistle is considered to be an extremely safe herb for humans, however, there is evidence that the wild Blessed Milk Thistle plant is toxic to cattle and sheep (ruminates) due to its high potassium content, which produces a nitrate ion in their gut and then combines with hemoglobin to form methaemoglobin blocking oxygen transportation resulting in oxygen deprivation.

Human side-effects are rare and usually mild gastrointestinal complaints with a mild laxative effect noted. Only one anaphylactic reaction has been reported and this person exhibited a marked immediate-type reaction by skin prick test. DNA damage has been reported in mice using doses that are not achievable by human consumption.

Drug Interactions: George T. Grossberg, M.D. & Barry Fox, Ph.D reports, ”Taking milk thistle with these drugs may be harmful: acarbose-may increase the risk of loose stools and adverse effects of the drug, phentolamine-may interfere with the action of the drug.”

General References: Balch, J. and Balch, P., (1997) Prescription for Nutritional Healing. Garden City Park, New York: Avery Publishing Group. Castleman, M., (1991) The Healing Herbs. Emmaus, Pennsylvania: Rodale Press. Chopra, D., (1993) Alternative Medicine. Fife, Washington: Future Medicine Publishing, Inc. Flynn, R. and Roest, M., (1995) Your Guide to Standardized Herbal Products. Prescott, Arizona: One World Press. Murray, M., (1996) Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements. Unites States of America: Prima Publishing. Murray, M. and Pizzorno, J., (1998) Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. United States of America: Prima Publishing. Null, G., (1998) The Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing. New York, New York: Kensington Publishing Corp. Werbach, M., (1993) Nutritional Influences of Illness. Tarzana, California: Third Line Press. Melvin R. Werbach, M.D. & Jeffrey Moss, D.D.S., C.N.S., C.C.N. (1999) Textbook of Nutritional Medicine. Third Line Press, Inc. Tarzana, CA. Simon Mills, MCPP, FNIMH, MA & Kerry Bone MCPP FNHAA FNIMH BSc (Hons) (2000) Principles and Practices of Phytotherapy. New York, NY Churchill Livingstone. Joseph Pizzorno, Jr. & Michael Murray, (1999) Textbook of Natural Medicine. New York, NY, Churchill Livingstone. M. Murray, N.D.(1995) The Healing Power of Herbs. New York, NY, Gramercy Books. Melvin R. Werbach M.D. & Michael T Murray, N.D., (2000) Botanical Influences on Illness. A Sourcebook of Clinical Research. Tarzana, CA, Third Line Press. George T. Grossberg, M.D. & Barry Fox, Ph.D. (2007) The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide. New York, NY, Broadway Books. James F. Balch, M.D. & Mark Stengler, N.D., (2004) Prescription for Natural Cures. Hoboken, NJ, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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