This herbal therapy is from the milk thistle plant, also known as Silybum Mariana. The thorny plant features unusual purple blossoms and white veins produced by the Virgin Mary’s milk drops upon its leaves. The active ingredients of milk thistle are a series of plant compounds called ‘silymarin.’ Milk thistle extract is the natural therapy for it. Milk thistle extract has a high concentration of silymarin, which comes from the milk thistle plant.
Milk thistle silymarin is recognised to have antioxidant, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory effects. It has long been used to heal liver and gallbladder issues, increase breast milk production, prevent and treat cancer, and even protect the liver from snake bites, alcohol, and other environmental toxins.
Here are a few of the benefits of milk thistle
Promote liver health
Silymarin’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics can help reduce liver damage and inflammation in persons with certain liver illnesses, such as alcoholic liver disease. However, there is no scientific evidence that consuming milk thistle would help your liver detox from alcohol faster or protect your liver from the effects of alcohol if you are healthy.
Could Help Prevent Cancer
Its seed has high antioxidant silymarin, which consists of numerous active chemicals known as flavonolignans. By stimulating the immune system, combating DNA damage, and reversing malignant tumour growth, silymarin may help lower the risk of cancer formation. In addition to preventing breast cancer, test-tube and animal studies indicate that silymarin may protect against other forms of cancer, including lung and prostate cancer.
Aids Diabetes Treatment
According to research, milk thistle may help with diabetes when used with standard medication. The plant can also help with insulin resistance and blood sugar control. Milk thistle’s effects can be related to silymarin. Milk thistle also includes Silybum, a chemical that has improved numerous diabetic problems. Another reason it may be beneficial to diabetics is that it preserves the liver, which also plays a role in releasing insulin into circulation.
It may aid in the prevention of age-related declines in brain function
Milk thistle is a traditional medicine for neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics, it may be neuroprotective and help avoid the deterioration in brain function that occurs as we age. Silymarin has been demonstrated in animal and test-tube tests to reduce oxidative damage to brain cells, which may aid in preventing mental decline. Milk thistle lowers the number of amyloid plaques in the brains of animals with Alzheimer’s disease.
Amyloid plaques are sticky amyloid protein clumps that can form between nerve cells as you age. They are found in high concentrations in the brains of persons with Alzheimer’s, suggesting that milk thistle might use to help treat this challenging illness. However, no human trials investigate the effects of milk thistle on patients with Alzheimer’s or other neurological disorders such as dementia or Parkinson’s.
Furthermore, it is unknown if milk thistle is adequately absorbed in humans to allow enough levels to cross the blood-brain barrier. It’s also unclear what dosages might be required to have a favorable effect.
Maintain a healthy blood sugar level
Do you have type 2 diabetes? Milk thistle contains silymarin, reducing fasting blood sugar levels and HbA1c while improving insulin sensitivity. However, milk thistle is not a replacement for diabetes medications and may create difficulties for people with diabetes. So, if you’re considering taking it, make sure to consult with your doctor first.
May Aid in Lowering High Cholesterol
By lowering inflammation, cleansing the blood, and minimizing oxidative stress damage within the arteries, milk thistle supports heart health and helps decrease high cholesterol levels. Although a more formal study is needed, preliminary investigations reveal that when combined with other typical treatment approaches, silymarin can improve total cholesterol, bad LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
However, it is significant to note that previous research on the potential cardiac benefits of milk thistle has primarily involved persons with diabetes, who tend to have high cholesterol levels.
CONCLUSION:
Milk thistle is usually safe for most individuals, while it might induce stomach problems, headaches, and itching. It may also cause an allergic reaction, especially if you are sensitive to similar plants such as marigolds, ragweed, daisies, or chrysanthemums.
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