Liver Protector (CT–403)
Silymarin
FACTS
Silymarin is a supplement that contains three bioflavonoids extracted from the milk thistle plant: silybin, silydianin, and silychristin. Since ancient times, milk thistle has been the primary herb used to treat liver disorders. Modern scientific research has confirmed that silymarin does indeed enhance liver function.
One of the hardest-working organs in the body, the liver detoxifies the poisons that enter our bloodstream, including nicotine, alcohol, chemicals, drugs, and pollutants. Exposure to chemicals, infections, or poisons can promote the formation of free radicals, which can cause oxidative damage to liver cells. Silymarin is an antioxidant that can not only block the destructive action of free radicals but also increase the levels of glutathione and superoxide dismutase, two of the body’s own most important antioxidants.
Silymarin can also help repair damaged or injured liver cells. Natural healers use silymarin to treat many liver problems, including damage due to excess alcohol consumption, jaundice, hepatitis, and even amanita mushroom poisoning, which can be lethal. In animal studies, when silymarin is given within 24 hours of amanita mushroom consumption, it can help prevent serious liver damage that can lead to death.
There have also been numerous human clinical studies performed on silymarin, primarily in Europe. Some of the most successful have involved patients suffering from cirrhosis of the liver due to alcohol damage. In one study, patients suffering from cirrhosis of the liver who were given silymarin lived longer than those who were given a placebo. German scientists are now evaluating the use of silymarin on patients with viral hepatitis along with other medications. Earlier studies have been quite promising and show that silymarin can help improve common symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, and abdominal discomfort.
The eclectic physicians, herbal healers from the turn of the century, used milk thistle to treat psoriasis, a skin condition that may be aggravated by sluggish liver function, which allows toxins to form in the blood.
Don’t get the idea, however, that silymarin is just for people with specific liver disorders. I believe it can be particularly useful for people who are exposed to toxins on the job, such as people who work near chemical plants or beauty parlors, or who live in polluted areas.
Possible Benefits:
Protects live from free radical damage.
May be a useful treatment for hepatitis and cirrhoses of the liver.
May improve overall liver function.
The Right Amount:
Take up to three 500-mg. tablets or capsules daily.
Milk Thistle (Silyburn marianum or Cardus marianus)
Source: Seeds, leaves.
Principle body parts it benefits: Liver, spleen.
Principle health related actions: Antidepressant, hepatoprotective, cholagogue, demulcent, detoxifier, tonic.
Suggested uses: Enhances liver function and liver cell reproduction. Promotes flow of bile, critical for breakdown of fats. Detoxifies poisons, such as alcohol, nicotine, carbon monoxide and others that get into the bloodstream. Tonic for liver, kidneys, gallbladder, spleen and stomach. Beneficial for sufferers of liver diseases such as cirrhosis, jaundice and hepatitis. The liver is the main storage site for vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Note: If you are constantly exposed to smoke, pollutants or other chemical stressors, it would be wise to cleanse your liver at least twice a year using milk thistle, or even better, a synergistic herbal combination with milk thistle in it. It contains powerful flavonoids and Silymarin.
Milk Thistle (Silymarin/Silybum marianuum)
Extract from seeds of the milk thistle plant contains silibinin which is a substance that helps keep you healthy.
Functions of Milk Thistle: