Milk Thistle Herbal Remedy

Milk Thistle is a famous herb used since Ancient Greece for improving liver functions and protecting the organ from toxins. It grows prolifically throughout Southern Europe, Northern Africa, Australia and in some parts of North America. Milk Thistle's seeds contain silymarin, a compound flavonoid with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that enhances the liver's ability to heal itself. Milk thistle can be taken internally through a number of means; the most common form is capsules, followed by tinctures and liquid extract.

Mushroom Poisoning

• Due to its interactions with the liver, use milk thistle as an antidote for poisoning from the deadly Amanita, or deathcap mushroom. Clinical studies have proven its efficacy and determined that silybin, a compound in silymarin, stimulates RNA found in the liver to begin activating cells to regenerate. In this way, it can greatly reduce liver damage caused by toxins, making it a valuable antidote against amatoxins, or cyclopeptides that target certain proteins in the liver, rendering it unable to function.

  In animal studies, it was determined that if it's administered within 10 minutes of the initial mushroom ingestion, milk thistle can counteract the toxins in the liver entirely and re-establish its functionability. Within 24 hours, milk thistle has been shown to reduce the risk of death or liver damage at all.

  Milk thistle as an antibiotic should be reserved for emergencies, and when you are unable to get yourself or the poisoned person to the hospital. In 2004, a researcher at Thomson Healthcare administered 20 mg/kg of milk thistle to 60 victims of deathcap poisoning within 48 hours, of which not a single person died.

Liver Function & Disease

• Milk thistle is becoming a favorite for use by those with damaged livers for nearly any type of liver disease. It's been effective against alcoholic hepatitis and liver poisoning. Milk thistle works the same way as with deathcap poisoning, and seeks to help the liver regain its regenerating abilities. It's less effective against cirrhosis, which is a permanent scarring and irreversible damage to the liver, and is usually the end-stage of liver disease.

  Even though milk thistle's efficacy is nearly undisputed in the homeopathic and folk herbal realms, scientific studies are still showing mixed results, though, and most studies have been labelled as flawed in some way.

  When milk thistle is not aiding in the healing of the liver, it's acting as a protector. It's been known to protect the liver against many of our common medications that typically damage it, such as acetaminophen, or your typical non-aspirin pain reliever. This makes it particularly useful if you are using antibiotics on your body or regularly taking pain killers. Taking a cup of milk thistle tea may help fortify your liver against these medications.

  If you are considering milk thistle as a homeopathic alternative to your liver damage, it's important that you talk to a doctor or holistic practitioner. There are many things to take into consideration, including your medical history and other outstanding health conditions. If you're male and have prostate cancer, avoid milk thistle unless you have the explicit recommendation from a doctor. Other conditions, such as endometriosis or uterine fibroids in women may also have adverse reactions to milk thistle as the active ingredients in the herb may react with estrogen production.