Milk thistle

Milk thistle

Latin Name: Silybum marianum/ Carduus marianus
Family: Asteraceae

Part used: Fruit/seed.
Energetics: Pungent, bitter, warm, dry.
Iris: Haematogenic.
Interactions: Please check with your Healthcare Provider

CONTRA-INDICATIONS

  • Allergic hypersensitivity.
  • Caution Type 2 diabetes - Monitor blood sugar levels.

ACTIONS

  • Decongestant
  • Demulcent
  • Anti-bacterial
  • Anti-viral
  • Anti-allergic
  • Anti-oxidant
  • Anti-emetic
  • Anti-neoplastic
  • Depressant
  • Anti-histamine
  • Astringent
  • Restoring
  • Stimulating
  • Expectorant
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Immuno-modulator
  • Cholagogue
  • Hepato-protective
  • Splenic tonic
  • Galactagogue
  • Emmenagogue
  • Prostatic tonic.

Main Constituents

  • Flavonolignans (Silymarins up to 3%)
  • Sterols
  • Mucilage
  • Flavonoids
  • Amines
  • Tannin
  • Polyacetylenes
  • Bioflavonoids -silibinin
  • Silydianin
  • Silicristin.

Main Uses

Digestive System: Inflammation of liver and gallbladder, Pale stools, To raise bilirubin levels, Decongests/protects liver, Promotes digestion
Skin: Assists tissue repair
Circulatory: Varicose ulcers, Lowers blood fats, Hypertension, Toxaemia from drug addiction, Toxaemia from drug addiction, Anaemia, Improves low platelet count, Rebalances cholesterol, Stimulates circulation
Endocrine: Increase flow of milk in nursing mothers, PMT, Moderates menstruation
Reproductive System: Prostate carcinoma

Infections:
Bacteria: MRSA, Yersinia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Viruses: Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E

More About Milk Thistle

With a history stretching back over 2000 years, the Milk Thistle herb has a myriad of health benefits. The Greek physician and botanist Dioscorides first described its healing properties in 40 AD, using the seeds as a remedy for infants and for those bitten by serpents.
In herbal medicine, Milk Thistle is considered a hepatic (liver tonic), galactagogue (promotes lactation), demulcent (anti-inflammatory, protects mucous membranes) and a cholagogue (stimulates the flow of bile from the liver).
Milk thistle is native to southern Europe, southern Russia, Asia Minor, and northern Africa. It also grows in North and South America and South Australia.
Can tone both the liver Yang and Yin. It is also considered a pungent, warm arterial stimulant and hypertensive relieving symptoms of cold and weakness from low blood pressure.
Historically, people have used milk thistle for liver disorders, such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, and gallbladder problems.
A more common use these days is to counter adverse side effects of alcohol on the liver such as nausea, appetite loss and alcohol induced cirrhosis. Milk Thistle is a powerful liver detoxifier.
Milk thistle products are available as capsules, powders, and extracts.
Silymarin is considered to be the main component of milk thistle seeds, but the terms “milk thistle” and “silymarin” often are used interchangeably.

Recipes:


Milk Thistle Tea

Ingredients:

  • Approx. 250ml unsweetened oat milk
  • 1 tsp Milk Thistle Powder
  • 3 cardamom pods, crushed
  • 2-3 tsp honey or agave nectar
  • Pinch of ground cinnamon

Method:

  • In a saucepan, add the oat milk together with milk thistle powder, cardamom pods and sweetener of choice.
  • Bring everything to a boil then steep the latte for 5 minutes. Strain and pour into a serving cup, garnish with a pinch of cinnamon and enjoy!

References


Anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic, regulating inflammation,protective properties, anti-toxic compounds

Milk thistle ( Silybum Marianum) as an antidote or a protective agent against natural or chemical toxicities: a review.
This review reveals that main protective effects of milk thistle and its components are attributed to radical scavenging, anti-oxidative, chelating, anti-apoptotic properties, and regulating the inflammatory responses.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30033764/

Hepatitis, hepatoprotective, anti-imnflammatory

Milk thistle and the treatment of hepatitis
Research results of some small studies suggest silymarin has hepatoprotective, anti inflammatory, and regenerative properties producing a beneficial effect for some types of hepatitis.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11847735/

UV skin damage, antioxidant, cytoprotective

Milk thistle and olive extract: old substances with a new mission against sun-induced skin damage.
The study substances were well tolerated by cells and displayed good cytoprotective and antioxidant activities, being milk thistle dry extract more effective in limiting the direct DNA damage.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29192469/

Anti-osteoporotic, fracture healing, post-menopause, osteoporosis

Milk thistle: a future potential anti-osteoporotic and fracture healing agent.
Silymarin also demonstrated clear estrogenic antiosteoporotic effects in bone structure. Silymarin appears to play a crucial role to prevent bone loss and might regulate osteogenesis and may be beneficial for fracture healing. If silymarin is considered for the use of post menopausal women, it may be used for the treatment of osteoporosis. It would be of great benefit to postmenopausal women to develop an oestrogen antagonist that is as potent and efficacious as oestrogen in preventing bone loss without the major side effect associated with HRT.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24093748/

Antioxidant; Apoptosis, Nephrotoxicity, S. marianum, VancomycinVero cells.

Silybum marianum (milk thistle) improves vancomycin induced nephrotoxicity by downregulating apoptosis.
S. marianum extract has protective effects against renal damage from vancomycin induced oxidative stress and relieves symptoms may be by downregulating apoptotic genes.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32638317/

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