Milk Thistle
Milk Thistle (Silybum mariana)
Milk Thistle is also known as Holy Thistle, Lady’s
Thistle, Marian Thistle, Mary Thistle, Our Lady’s Thistle, St. Mary Thistle,
Silybum and Silymarin. Milk thistle (or St. Mary Thistle) fruit is one of the
most encouraging traditional herbs to be handed down to modern scientific
medicine
The milk thistle plant grows wild
throughout much of Europe, being native to the Mediterranean and thriving in
sunny locations. Milk thistle has distinctive white markings on its leaves,
traditionally believed to be caused by the
Virgin Mary’s milk (thus the name). The flowerheads are picked while in full
bloom in early summer (1).
The fruit and seed of the milk thistle plant are commonly
applied to treating gallbladder and liver conditions (2), as a liver protectant,
for treating hepatic cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis, and diseases of the spleen
(3) (4) (5) (6).
The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia has listed milk thistle
fruit as having a hepatoprotective (liver protecting) action (7). Thus this herb
is used in conditions when the liver is under stress or when toxicity is
present, such as times of infection, excess alcohol, or during periods of
chemotherapy (1).
Milk thistle has been used for many centuries in Europe as
a remedy for depression and liver problems (1). Historically milk thistle has
also been used for treating malaria, uterine disorders and to stimulate
menstruation (3).
Duke’s Handbook of Medicinal Herbs lists both antioxidant
and antiviral properties for milk thistle, as well as the liver protecting
functions otherwise well established (8).
Studies in animals have shown that milk thistle can exert
a protective effect
on the liver against various toxins. Other studies and some human trials suggest
that milk thistle can actually help the liver in regenerating and producing new
liver cells (9). Thus this herb has been endorsed by German health authorities
as a supporing treatment for inflammatory liver conditions and cirrhosis (10).
Other animal studies have demonstrated milk thistle’s
power as an antioxidant and a liver protector (5) (11).
Milk thistle fruit is generally accepted as safe when
consumed in moderate amounts. Due to the lack of reliable information regarding
the use of milk thistle during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, it is
recommended that you avoid using it during these times (3).
REFERENCES
(1) Chevallier A. Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants.
Revised Edition. Sydney, Australia: Dorling Kindersley. 2001.
(2) Blumenthal M, et. al. ed. The Complete German
Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin: American
Botanical Council, 1998.
(3) Jellin JM, Batz F, Hitchens K. Natural Medicines
Comprehensive Database. Third Edition. Stockton, California: Therapeutic
Research Faculty, 2000.
(4) Gruenwald J, et.al. PDR for Herbal Medicines. First
Edition. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
(5) Barnes J, Anderson LA, Phillipson JD, Herbal
Medicines: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. Second Edition. London:
Pharmaceutical Press, 2002.
(6) World Health Organisation (WHO) (1999). Monographs on
Selected Medicinal Plants. Volume 2. WHO, Geneva.
(7) British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (1996). Fourth Edition.
British Herbal Medicine Association Scientific Committee, West Yorks, England.
(8) Duke JA, et. al. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Second
Edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 2002.]
(9) Bisset NG. ed. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals.
Translated from Second Edition. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1994.
(10) Foster S, Tyler VE. Tyler’s Honest Herbal: A Sensible
Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies. Fourth Edition. New York: The
Haworth Herbal Press, 1999.
(11) Bruneton J. Pharmacognosy Phytochemistry Medicinal
Plants. Second Edition as Translated by Caroline K. Hatton. Paris: Lavoisier
Publishing, 1999.
|
