{"id":6280,"date":"2019-05-09T02:23:50","date_gmt":"2019-05-09T02:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=6280"},"modified":"2021-11-10T10:56:36","modified_gmt":"2021-11-10T10:56:36","slug":"milk-thistle-top-14-health-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/milk-thistle-top-14-health-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"Milk Thistle: Top 14 Health Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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If you\u2019ve never heard of milk thistle before and you\u2019re wondering what it is; it\u2019s generally a flowering plant.
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This flowering plant can be used to cure health problems naturally. From acne to liver problems, you can know more about how many problems milk thistle can help with.
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Not only that, various parts of milk thistle can be used to treat different health problems.
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Milk thistle can be recognized by its purple petal and white veins. Its herbal remedy is called milk thistle extract and it has a large amount of silymarin in it that can range from 65 percent to 80 percent.
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The silymarin that is derived from the milk thistle extract has proven to have anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
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It has healing properties within the extract that helps in curing various health problems. Here are 8 of the top amazing health benefits of milk thistle:
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1. Milk Thistle Lowers Blood Sugar Levels for People with Diabetes:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Milk thistle can be used as an additional way of therapy to help in managing type 2 diabetes.  
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It has been discovered by a study<\/a> published in 2014 by NCBI that milk thistle can possibly work similarly to most diabetic medications through showing efficiency in the improvement of insulin sensitivity as well as in decreasing blood sugar.
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Milk thistle has been used for over 2,000 years as a herbal remedy for curing various disorders and illnesses.
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In 2016, scientists discovered that people consuming silymarin quite frequently ended up undergoing a significant reduction in their blood sugar levels.
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Except for that, the additional health benefits of milk thistle that includes anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties can help in reducing the risk of developing diabetic symptoms like kidney disease.
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Though, more high-quality studies are needed on this subject since the quality of these studies was not very high.
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2. Milk Thistle Helps in Protecting your Liver:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Milk thistle has been proven to be quite effective for keeping the liver healthy.
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Upon regular usage of the extract, people with liver damage (caused by hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, liver cancer, or even non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) experience a significant change.
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Milk thistle is used as a complementary therapy for these people that underwent liver damage.
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Not only that, milk thistle is used to protect the liver from toxins like amatoxin that is found in death cap mushrooms.
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Various studies have discovered that liver function can be further improved in people suffering from liver disease through milk thistle supplements, which also suggest that milk thistle can help in reducing liver damage, as well as liver inflammation.
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Another study<\/a> by NCBI talks about the hepatoprotective effect of silymarin and how it may increase the life expectancy of people with liver cirrhosis caused by alcoholic liver disease.
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3. Milk Thistle Helps in Lowering Cholesterol Levels: <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Milk thistle helps lower LDL cholesterol <\/a>levels (bad cholesterol levels), which in return helps in decreasing the chances of heart disease.
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The supplements or the extract can be taken along with other cholesterol-lowering medicines, like statins. Though, it should involve your doctor\u2019s consent. If your doctor recommends it, then only stick to the recommended amount per day.
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Just like lower cholesterol levels can help with diabetes, it can help with decreasing chances of heart conditions too.
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Nevertheless, more deep research is needed on how it works efficiently in improving heart health.
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People with heart conditions could possibly be benefited from milk thistle extract too, upon regular usage. Make sure to ask your doctor before taking it, since the effects can vary.
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Milk thistle has estrogenic effects, which means you should avoid using the extract if you have a hormone-sensitive illness, like breast cancer.
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4. Milk Thistle May Help you Deal with Acne:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Since acne is an inflammatory skin condition, using milk thistle supplements may help you cope with it.
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It has been stated<\/a> that oxidative stress in the body might be playing a significant role in the development of acne.
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However, since milk thistle has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in it that help in various conditions, it may also prove to be quite helpful in dealing with acne.
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Milk thistle is a natural herb, which means if you’re looking for a natural way to heal your acne, the silymarin in supplements may help you.
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What makes this even more interesting is that a study done in 2012 suggests that people with acne that took 210mg of silymarin a day regularly for 8 weeks underwent a 53 percent reduction in acne lesions.
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However, there is only 1 study whatsoever supporting the fact that milk thistle may help improve acne conditions.
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5. It Can Help with Breast Milk Production:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another benefit of milk thistle extract is that it can help with breast milk production in mothers undergoing lactating.
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It boosts the production of a milk-producing hormone called prolactin. By helping in boosting these hormones, it helps with breast milk production in women.
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Though there may be limited data or research available on this fact, there is one study that was done to prove it.
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In 2008, a randomized study<\/a> on the relation of silymarin and lactating mothers proved the efficiency of milk thistle.
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In the study, some mothers were asked to take 420mg of silymarin for 63 days. When the final results came, it stated that the mothers who took 420mg of silymarin produced 64 percent of more milk than those that had been taking placebos.
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This shows how effective milk thistle extract can be for women that are lactating.
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6. Milk Thistle may Protect your Bones:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking for an alternative remedy or a natural way to protect your bones, then you may want to look at the benefits of the milk thistle supplements.
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Recent studies<\/a> about milk thistles have shown to be quite effective for fighting against bone loss. Though, the studies have been conducted on animals only and through test tube experimentations.
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That\u2019s why studies suggest that milk thistle can be beneficial in preventing bone loss in postmenopausal women mostly.
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However, no studies on humans have been conducted regarding this aspect of milk thistle, so its true effectiveness in humans remains unclear.
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In general, milk thistle has proven to boost bone mineralization in animals, but its genuine effects on humans are quite unknown even to this day. But you may want to try this natural herb to see its effects on your bone health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. It May Help in Cancer Treatment<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It has been suggested by some studies<\/a> that the antioxidant properties of silymarin that is found in milk thistle might have some anticancer properties in them – which can help with cancer treatment and overcoming the side effects.
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Many animal studies<\/a> have demonstrated that milk thistle may prove to be quite beneficial for decreasing the negative side effects of cancer treatments.
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Not only that, milk thistle can help in increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy for certain types of cancers. Also, it may even destroy cancer cells<\/a> in certain circumstances.
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Nonetheless, there is a need for more studies to yet prove the effects of milk thistle on humans. The studies that are already done are limited and still need to show a meaningful and clinical impact on people
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Though, we have enough research to show the benefits and how it may have anticancer properties that can help in dealing with certain types of cancers.
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8. Milk Thistle Can Help in Preventing Age-Related Mental Decline<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For people with an age-related decline in brain function, milk thistle has proven to be quite helpful.
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It has been used as a traditional and natural remedy to cope with neurological disorders<\/a> like Parkinson\u2019s disease or Alzheimer\u2019s.
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The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties suggest that it may have properties that are neuroprotective and prove to be beneficial in coping with age-related mental decline.
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Milk thistle avoids oxidative harm to brain cells, which means it may help with preventing a decline in brain function as you age.
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Other than that, the same studies that prove its efficiency have also demonstrated that milk thistle may help in reducing the number of amyloid plaques that are found in the brains of animals with Alzheimer\u2019s disease.
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Although there aren\u2019t many studies published on this to prove its impact on humans, they still show how beneficial it is for animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Boost Skin Health <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Milk thistle contains silybin, a potent antioxidant <\/a>that helps rejuvenate liver cells and prevent liver breakdown through processing toxins. When your liver is under stress, it takes a toll on your skin. People with liver issues may find they develop a yellowish tinge to their skin, which is one of the first signs of jaundice in the liver. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With jaundice, the liver starts to produce too much bilirubin, a substance used in the digestive process. As a result, the affected individual experiences discoloration of the skin and eyes. Jaundice only occurs in people with severe liver distress. However, it serves as an example of how the liver affects skin health. If your liver is under stress, then your skin isn’t going to look great.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, adding a milk thistle supplement to your diet improves liver function and health. Therefore, your skin gets a boost, giving it that glowing, soft look envied by others. A 2015 study in lab mice found supplementing with milk thistle improves inflammatory skin conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Support Weight Loss<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Are you trying to lose a few pounds? Adding milk thistle to your supplements can increase your weight loss results. When the liver is operating at optimal efficiency, it removes waste from the body, providing a vital function for metabolic health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the issues with dieting for fat loss is the slowdown in your metabolism induced by prolonged periods in a caloric deficit. As your body gets used to low calories, it goes into survival mode. As a result, it slows your metabolism <\/a>to conserve energy. Most people running a diet for longer than six weeks find they stall at this time, and they can’t seem to lose weight, even in a caloric deficit.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To stimulate the metabolism, you need to increase calories into an excess temporarily. Adding milk thistle supplements into your diet helps you prolong the weight loss plateau, allowing you to diet at a caloric deficit for longer without experiencing a slowdown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to research on lab mice in 2016, silymarin assisted with weight loss in mice fed a high-calorie diet. The study results show that milk thistle may be beneficial as a weight-loss supplement when eating a caloric deficit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Stops Allergic Asthma Reactions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People dealing with allergic asthma <\/a>find they have trouble breathing when they are around environmental or synthetic allergens. An allergic reaction to pollen or a bee sting could end up being minor or create severe health complications in the affected individual. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The active ingredient in milk thistle, silymarin, provides an anti-inflammatory effect to the liver, digestive system, and airways. When ingested, the silymarin in the milk thistle reduces inflammation in the digestive system, preventing the onset of systemic inflammation that worsens the effect of an asthma attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By integrating milk thistle into your diet, you reduce the frequency and intensity of allergic asthma reactions. Research from 2012 shows silymarin helps to protect against asthmatic inflammation in the airways of lab mice with asthma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, while the lab research is convincing, there are no tests in humans replicating this effect. Try adding some milk thistle to your diet and see if it helps to reduce your allergic asthma reactions this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Boosts the Immune System<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that most of your immune system<\/a> is in your digestive tract? The gut biome plays a central role in managing digestive health, affecting our immune system. If you have good gut health, then you’re likely to have a strong immune response. People with strong immune systems find it easier to fight off viral and bacterial infections without resorting to the use of OTC or prescription medications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you have a weak immune response, viruses and bacteria can spread easily through your body, leading to disease. There are plenty of ways to boost the health of the digestive system and your immune response. Eating a diet free from refined carbohydrates and processed foods reduces inflammation in the digestive system, increasing your immune response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is convincing research showing milk thistle supplements have a positive effect on digestive health. The silybin and polyphenol antioxidants found in milk thistle help reduce inflammation in the intestinal wall, preventing systemic inflammation throughout the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Readily Available and Easy to Consume<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you’re looking to add a new supplement to your regime, you need a readily available product. Visit your online health retailer and review their milk thistle<\/a> products. Look for products that contain the highest amount of milk thistle per serving. There are plenty of milk thistle brands, but not all of them have similar products. Some brands offer better quality products than others.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Milk thistle comes in pill and encapsulated formats, as well as a liquid suspension. The liquid suspension is harder to find and more expensive than the pills or capsules. However, with a liquid version of the supplement, you get a better bioavailability in the digestive system, allowing you to absorb more of the nutrients and polyphenols in the milk thistle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are no standard dosing guidelines for milk thistle set by the FDA. However, starting at 500mg to 1-gram a day can help you get an idea of what you can expect from this powerful supplement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Risks and Side Effects of Milk Thistle Use<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Milk thistle is a beneficial supplement to add to your daily protocol. Since it’s a supplement and not a medicine, the FDA doesn’t regulate the distribution or sale of milk thistle in any way. Therefore, it’s readily available at online retailers and in health stores. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no research or evidence on side effects associated with milk thistle. There are no recorded incidents of allergic reactions to milk thistle and plenty of anecdotal evidence on the herb’s efficacy in resolving liver toxicity issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, milk thistle may interact with certain medications, especially if you’re using a liquid version. Patients taking blood pressure<\/a> or diabetes medication should consult with their doctor before adding milk thistle to their diet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To reduce the chances of milk thistle supplements reducing your medication’s efficacy, take it 12-hours apart from your prescriptions. If you notice any changes in your blood pressure or blood sugar, discontinue the use of milk thistle products and consult with your doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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