C. W. Randolph, M.D.
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 Finally, if you can't give up your toddies, take milk thistle as a supplement. Medical studies have shown that milk thistle has a protective effect on the liver and will improve its function. We recommend taking a 200 mg milk thistle capsule twice a day.
However, be aware that milk thistle can produce allergic reactions; these tend to be more common among people who are allergic to plants in the same family, such as ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold, and daisy. |
Bottom Line Health
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| MILK THISTLE
What it does: Because of its strong antioxidant activity, milk thistle detoxifies the liver and may help regenerate liver cells. It may be appropriate for patients who have alcohol-related liver damage or infectious or drug-induced hepatitis, as well as anyone who is regularly exposed to industrial pollutants.
Scientific evidence: At least 19 out of 21 clinical studies (a total of 2,200 people out of 2,400) have shown that milk thistle protects the liver against invasive toxins and possibly even stimulates the generation of new liver cells.
Potential side effect: Loose stools. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 The herb milk thistle (silymarin) is a premier liver nutrient. The active ingredient in milk thistle is silymarin, which is believed to be responsible for its medicinal qualities. milk thistle has been used in Europe as a treatment for liver disease since the sixteenth century.
The Supporting Cast of Liver-Friendly Nutrients
There are a number of other really important nutrients you should consider as part of a liver health/hep-C-fighting program.
N-A-C (N-acetyl-cysteine). This derivative of the amino acid L-cysteine is a precursor to the formation of the powerful antioxidant glutathione. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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 The active ingredient in milk thistle is silymarin, a substance that prevents inflammation and protects against the harmful effects of free radicals. It also stimulates liver cell growth and the production of bile. milk thistle seeds can be used to make a tea or powdered seeds can be taken in capsule form. To make a tea, steep 1 teaspoon of seeds in Vi cup of water; drink 1 to IV2 cups of tea daily. For the powdered form of milk thistle, take one capsule (approximately 1 teaspoon) with water five times per day. |
| Taken regularly, these herbs can be used to prevent liver disease and maintain the health of this vital organ. milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is native to Europe, where it is often prescribed to treat and protect the liver. As far back as the seventeenth century, this herb was known as "a friend to liver and blood." The active ingredient in milk thistle is silymarin, a substance that prevents inflammation and protects against the harmful effects of free radicals. It also stimulates liver cell growth and the production of bile. |
C. W. Randolph, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| We recommend taking a 200 mg milk thistle capsule twice a day.
However, be aware that milk thistle can produce allergic reactions; these tend to be more common among people who are allergic to plants in the same family, such as ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold, and daisy.
Indulging in these habits will slow down your weight-loss progress a bit, but even small steps will improve your health and your waistline. Ultimately, only you can decide what you are willing to give up in order to lose belly fat. |
C. P. Khare
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 Use in Western herbal
Preparations of milk thistle are used as a tonic, for functional disorders of liver and gallbladder, as well as for jaundice, gall-bladder colic and diseases of the spleen. (PDR.) It is also used as an antidote to Death-Cap poisoning.
In the past, the plant was used as a galacta-gogue.
Over-the counter, milk thistle Vegicaps (520 mg), milk thistle capsules (100 mg), milk thistle tablets, Silymarin Extract are available.
Cruciferae j
SISYMBRIUM
Sisymbrium irio Linn. Habitat
Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and from Rajasthan to Uttar Pradesh, especially on moist soils. |
Gabriel Cousens
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 Eighty-percent silymarin extracts of milk thistle (for example, a 200-mg capsule of milk thistle will have 160 mg of silymarin) have been found to have antioxidant and glucose-regulating properties. In a study at Monfalcone Hospital in Groiza, Italy, sixty insulin-dependent diabetics took either 600 mg of silymarin or a placebo for twelve months. After the first month, in which fasting glucose levels were elevated, fasting glucose declined by 9.5 percent and average daily glucose dropped 14.9 percent among the treated group. |
Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN
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| Organic milk thistle helps the liver and the gallbladder flush out harmful toxins, encourages the growth of new cells, and promotes optimal function of these vital organs. Many individuals take milk thistle to detox their bodies of residue from alcohol, drugs, and a lifetime of neglectful eating habits. This natural herb also provides antioxidants to help prevent damage of the body's cells by free radicals. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
See book keywords and concepts |
| It also stimulates liver cell growth and the production of bile. milk thistle seeds can be used to make a tea or powdered seeds can be taken in capsule form. To make a tea, steep 1 teaspoon of seeds in Vi cup of water; drink 1 to IV2 cups of tea daily. For the powdered form of milk thistle, take one capsule (approximately 1 teaspoon) with water five times per day.
"Dandelion root {Taraxacum officinale) is regarded as one of the finest liver remedies, both as food and as medicine," according to naturopaths Michael Murray, ND, and Joseph Pizzorno, Jr. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
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 After consumption of poisonous mushrooms such as death cap {Amanita phalloides) or exposure to carbon tetrachloride, which destroy liver cells and usually cause death, if intravenous applications of milk thistle seed compounds are given within 48 hours, the survival rate is almost 100 percent. milk thistle seed has also been shown to stimulate and quicken liver regeneration in animals who have had partial hepatectomies. It also helps lower cholesterol levels and can help inhibit the growth of cancer cells in the breasts, cervix, and prostate. |
David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes
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 Other products that meet these parameters are milk thistle, cur-cumin (made from turmeric), and saw palmetto (which consists of 85 to 95 percent fatty sterols). These products are highly concentrated and they no longer represent the whole herb, so they are now considered to be phytopharmaceuticals. In many cases, such as with ginkgo and milk thistle, they are vastly more effective than the whole herb, but some effects of the herb may be lost and the potential for adverse effects and herb/drug interactions may increase. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
See book keywords and concepts |
| After consumption of poisonous mushrooms such as death cap {Amanita phalloides) or exposure to carbon tetrachloride, which destroy liver cells and usually cause death, if intravenous applications of milk thistle seed compounds are given within 48 hours, the survival rate is almost 100 percent. milk thistle seed has also been shown to stimulate and quicken liver regeneration in animals who have had partial hepatectomies. It also helps lower cholesterol levels and can help inhibit the growth of cancer cells in the breasts, cervix, and prostate. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
See book keywords and concepts |
| The active ingredient in milk thistle is silymarin, which is believed to be responsible for its medicinal qualities. milk thistle has been used in Europe as a treatment for liver disease since the sixteenth century.
The Supporting Cast of Liver-Friendly Nutrients
There are a number of other really important nutrients you should consider as part of a liver health/hep-C-fighting program.
N-A-C (N-acetyl-cysteine). This derivative of the amino acid L-cysteine is a precursor to the formation of the powerful antioxidant glutathione. |
Gabriel Cousens
See book keywords and concepts |
| Eighty-percent silymarin extracts of milk thistle (for example, a 200-mg capsule of milk thistle will have 160 mg of silymarin) have been found to have antioxidant and glucose-regulating properties. In a study at Monfalcone Hospital in Groiza, Italy, sixty insulin-dependent diabetics took either 600 mg of silymarin or a placebo for twelve months. After the first month, in which fasting glucose levels were elevated, fasting glucose declined by 9.5 percent and average daily glucose dropped 14.9 percent among the treated group. |
Bottom Line Health
See book keywords and concepts |
| Scientific evidence: At least 19 out of 21 clinical studies (a total of 2,200 people out of 2,400) have shown that milk thistle protects the liver against invasive toxins and possibly even stimulates the generation of new liver cells.
Potential side effect: Loose stools.
Typical dose: Take 140 mg of milk thistle three times daily.
SAW PALMETTO
What it does: Relieves symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a noncancerous swelling of the prostate gland, which causes frequent and/or weak urination and is common in men older than age 50. |
Jack Challem
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 People with serious blood sugar problems may benefit greatly from silymarin, an antioxidant extract of the herb milk thistle (Silybum marianum). Silymarin is widely used to enhance function of the liver, which works in tandem with the pancreas to regulate glucose levels. In a twelve-month study of seriously ill diabetic patients, 600 mg daily of silymarin reduced glucose in diabetics by 9.5 to 15 percent. The patients also benefited from lower levels of sugar in the urine, glycated hemoglobin, and insulin requirements. |
volker schulz and Rudolf Hansel
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 Qj§| milk thistle Fruits, Silymarin
The majority of all biochemical, pharmacologic, and clinical tests of herbal liver remedies have employed a fraction extracted from the fruits ("seeds") of the milk thistle. Seventy percent of this fraction consists of silymarin, a mixture of four isomers including the main active constituent silybinin.
5.7.1.1 Medicinal Plant and Crude Drug
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum, Fig. 5.15) is an annual to biennial plant of the family Asteraceae growing to 2 m. It is native principally to southern Europe and northern Africa and grows in warm, dry locales. |
David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
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 Artichokes contain the flavonoid silymarin, also found in a relative of the artichoke, milk thistle. Silymarin is thought to lend protective support to the liver and protect from heart disease by preventing LDL cholesterol from turning into the more harmful oxidative form. Artichokes ranked seventh out of the top 100 highest antioxidant-containing foods, according to a 2004 USDA study.
Home Remedies
Throughout history, Egyptians and Europeans believed that the artichoke enhanced sexual power and aided in conception. |
C. W. Randolph, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| However, be aware that milk thistle can produce allergic reactions; these tend to be more common among people who are allergic to plants in the same family, such as ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold, and daisy.
Indulging in these habits will slow down your weight-loss progress a bit, but even small steps will improve your health and your waistline. Ultimately, only you can decide what you are willing to give up in order to lose belly fat. |
volker schulz and Rudolf Hansel
See book keywords and concepts |
| Qj§| milk thistle Fruits, Silymarin
The majority of all biochemical, pharmacologic, and clinical tests of herbal liver remedies have employed a fraction extracted from the fruits ("seeds") of the milk thistle. Seventy percent of this fraction consists of silymarin, a mixture of four isomers including the main active constituent silybinin.
5.7.1.1 Medicinal Plant and Crude Drug
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum, Fig. 5.15) is an annual to biennial plant of the family Asteraceae growing to 2 m. It is native principally to southern Europe and northern Africa and grows in warm, dry locales. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 There are many options here, including a lipotropic supplement and herbs such as dandelion root, burdock root, and milk thistle.
Little information is available about any interactions between botanicals and birth control pills. For now, my only real caution is with Saint-John's-wort. A few case reports, as well as two controlled clinical trials, indicate that Saint-John's-wort can cause breakthrough bleeding and interferes with the metabolism of the hormones in the pill. |
| Traditional herbs that supporr the liver include burdock root, dandelion root (not leaf), milk thistle, celandine, fringe tree, and beet root.
Herbal Recommendation
Yarrow Leaf capsules: 2-6 per day; or yarrow leaf liquid tincture or extract: V4-I tsp per day
Phytolacca oil: apply to breasts nightly for 2 weeks, then reduce to 3 times per week
Additional Natural Therapies
Natural Progesterone. Once we agree that fibrocystic breasts are, at least in part, due to a high-estrogen/low-progesterone problem, then it is logical to use progesterone therapy as a treatment. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
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| Range and Appearance
Native to the Mediterranean region but naturalized throughout North America, milk thistle thrives on dry, rocky ground with full sun. The plant has shiny pale green leaves that are prickly at their outside edges and marked with "milky" white veins that run throughout the leaves. The flowers are red to purple.
MINT
Botanical Name
Mentha spp., including M. x piperita (peppermint), M. spicata (syn. M. viridis; spearmint)
Etymology
The genus name, Mentha, is taken from that of Minthe, in Greek mythology a nymph taken by Pluto as a lover. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Use turmeric, ginger, milk thistle, and flaxseeds.
Omit or decrease alcohol, dairy, red meat, sugar, and caffeine.
Eat cold water fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, herring) 2 or 3 times per week.
Eat organic foods. pathway to be tipped toward prostaglandins and leukotrienes that cause inflammation, smooth muscle contraction, and vascular constriction. Alcohol use depletes stores of B vitamins in the liver and also has estrogenic effects on the body. |
Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN
See book keywords and concepts |
| Many individuals take milk thistle to detox their bodies of residue from alcohol, drugs, and a lifetime of neglectful eating habits. This natural herb also provides antioxidants to help prevent damage of the body's cells by free radicals.
Horsetail has been used topically for thousands of years to treat a variety of minor skin conditions, but it has been discovered to also work as an astringent within the kidney and other organs. Saponins within the plant act upon toxins within the body to help break them down for efficient elimination during the cleansing process. |
C. P. Khare
See book keywords and concepts |
| Over-the counter, milk thistle Vegicaps (520 mg), milk thistle capsules (100 mg), milk thistle tablets, Silymarin Extract are available.
Cruciferae j
SISYMBRIUM
Sisymbrium irio Linn. Habitat
Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and from Rajasthan to Uttar Pradesh, especially on moist soils.
Classical and common names
Unani: Khaaksi, Khoobkalaan. English: London Rocket.
Classical use
Seeds are prescribed by Unani physicians for treating throat affections, fevers, cough, asthma, loss of voice. A decoction of seeds is administered for aborting smallpox and measles. |
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