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Revised 2007
Milk Thistle - Silybum marianum / Carduus marianus
Milk Thistle
is one of the 'Carduus'
thistles - 'Carduus marianus', also known as 'Silybum marianus'.
It has been used to benefit health of the
Liver for at least 2000 years. The Roman Pliny wrote
of the beneficial effects of Milk Thistle on the
Liver. And it was highly regarded by well know
herbalists Dioscorides, Galen, Gerard and
Culpepper.
The thistles are a sub-group of
the Compositae - daisy - family, found mainly in Europe and Asia,
though also in other parts including Australia. Thistles tend to be
found where fertile ground has been neglected, where they may
smother other plants. Such was the concern in Australia, that an
Act of Parliament imposed penalties on anyone who permitted
thistles to grow on their land.
In the last few
decades, much research has been carried out in Europe on Milk
Thistle . In some parts - Germany, for example, Milk Thistle has
become one of the most used herbs.
Milk Thistle And The
Liver
The main reason
for the popularity of Milk Thistle is that it both protects
the
Liver, and improves its function. This in turn helps
the body to detox itself, as
the liver performs the most detox-related functions of any organ
in the body.
In addition, there are no
contra-indications that I know of for Milk Thistle. I can find no
reports of bad reactions; the only mild reaction which has been
noted is occasional loosening of the bowels. This is nearly always
for a few days only; and is because Milk Thistle stimulates Liver
function. Extra bile is therefore produced, which may have a
temporary laxative effect.
The only noteworthy 'inter-actions' with drugs have been
where Milk Thistle
has reduced the damaging effects
of taking drugs. Milk Thistle is widely regarded in the natural
therapy field as being protective of the Liver when drugs are being
taken as well as help to detox
these drugs when appropriate.
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