Milk Thistle is an herb many herbalists recommend for a healthy liver...but does it actually protect the 2nd biggest organ of your body? or is it no better than lettuce or any other fiber you can take?

Our Liver, gosh it's important. In fact, our liver saves our lives every single day. It is what cleans out all the toxins from our body, lest we poison ourselves with our daily lives. And I'm not just talking about the fatty food we eat, or the alcohol and soda we drink. If you drive in rush hour traffic, you are breathing pollution. Why doesn't this pollution kill us quickly? Our liver filters it out. What about dead bacteria...or even dead viral dna...yep, our liver again. What about if you touch a substance poisionous, and some gets in your body via a cut, or absorption. Yes...our liver filters all that out.

Not to mention alcohol, and any drugs or pharmacuticals we take (asprin, aleve, castor oil...everything.)

So it's very important that we keep a healthy liver...but since it is our liver that keeps US healthy from everything else...is there a filter for our "filter"? is there actually a herbal remedy that can make our liver more resiliant to damage due primarily to drugs, alcohol, and daily pollutants?

The History:

Well, according to herbalists and herbologists...milk thistle is the answer. It has been used In europe historically for...well, liver and gallbladder disorders, and has caught on in recent years in other parts of the world. It is believed that the active "ingredient" in milk thistle is silymarin.

Now, folklore is fine and good, but we are interested in the proof...so is it really proven to work?

The Real Deal:

The good news is, quite a few studies have been conducted on milk thistle, and specifically silymarin, to see if it does indeed help heal and protect a liver. Here are what the studies have shown:

In cases of cirrhosis due to alcoholism or other reasons, milk thistle showed improvement of certain liver enzymes after 30 days of testing. Another 2 studies showed trending toward an increase in survival for those with cirrhosis. These should all be considered preliminary only, and not conclusive.

For Hepititus, the studies have been inconclusive, poorly designed, or just too preliminary to determine if it can do much for those with hepititus.

For liver protection, against prescription drugs, OTC drugs, and alcohol, studies generally conclude that it can help protect a liver against damage. In fact, much of europe recommends silymarin capsules if a patient is also taking a potentially liver damaging medication...such as Tylenol.

Milk Thistle Exposed:

Now, the FDA, along with some leading researchers say that the evidence for milk thistle for liver protection just isn't conclusive enough. More thorough, controlled studies are needed. While this is true, there is quite a bit of preliminary evidence that milk thistle can help people with cirrhosis heal, and help those who take drugs protect their liver. Side effects are generally few and mild, but in rare cases can be severe, interact with birth control medication, and cause hormonal imbalances. So please consult a doctor before taking milk thistle.

So, for those of you who are looking for liver protection, or even liver healing, Milk Thistle may be one herb that can give you a genuine benefit.

Dosage:

Standard dosages do not exist, because it is a herbal supplement and not a drug. However, common clinical trials test with a dosage of 420mg daily of milk thistle, using a product that contains 70% - 80% Silymarin. If this causes an upset stomach, you can take 140mg - 210mg at a time, taken 2 - 3 times a day.