Milk Thistle Extracts treat liver ailments for more than 2,000 years.

What Is Milk Thistle Extracts? Healers have used the prickly Milk Thistle Extracts plant to treat liver ailments for more than 2,000 years. Somehow these early practitioners figured out that preparations of this purple-flowered member of the sunflower family could stimulate the flow of bile from the liver, improving digestion and various liver-related ills. Interestingly, bile and other bodily fluids, also known as humors, were once associated with different personality types. Because it was thought that black bile was inherent to a melancholic nature, Milk Thistle Extractswas prescribed for treating depression and melancholy (which actually means "black bile"). Today, the word "biliousness" and the phrase "having excess bile" are still used to describe negative personality traits. While Milk Thistle Extracts is no longer seen as a remedy for melancholy, hundreds of medical studies have substantiated the fact that the herb does indeed protect and heal the liver. European physicians currently consider Milk Thistle Extracts a mainstay for liver disorders ranging from hepatitis to cirrhosis. But even though a 19th-century American medical group called the Eclectics prescribed Milk Thistle Extracts for liver ailments, it has never been widely used in the U.S. for healing purposes. Milk Thistle Extracts grows throughout the world (including North America) in both cultivated and wild form. Many sources refer to the herb, by its botanical name, Silybum marianum, as well as by its active compounds, collectively known as silymarin. Concentrated stores of silymarin are found in the herb shiny black fruits (seeds), which are typically collected at summer end. Health Benefits of Milk Thistle Extracts: Although most widely associated with liver complaints, Milk Thistle Extracts is also being examined for treating a variety of other disorders, from gallstones and high cholesterol to skin cancers and allergy symptoms. As a potent antioxidant, the versatile milk thistle extract helps prevent highly reactive oxygen molecules called free radicals from damaging cells throughout the body, but especially in the liver, stomach, and intestines. An injectable form of Milk Thistle Extracts is a powerful antidote to mushroom poisoning. And the oral extract shows promise for minimizing chemotherapy-associated liver damage. This is a function of the herb antioxidant actions as well as its ability to accelerate the excretion of toxic compounds that can accumulate in the body. Specifically, Milk Thistle Extracts may help to: Treat acute and chronic liver disease. Milk Thistle Extracts "cleanses" and therefore fortifies the liver, a vital organ responsible for processing everything from nutrients in foods to medications and chemical pollutants. The herb partly accomplishes this task by preventing a reduction in concentrations of glutathione, an amino-acidlike compound that is critical to neutralizing toxins. Some studies indicate that Milk Thistle Extracts can actually increase glutathione levels by as much as 35%. In addition, silymarin alters the outer membrane of liver cells in such a way that toxins are barred from entering. It even encourages the formation of new, healthier liver cells to replace old, damaged ones. Various types of liver damage benefit from these remarkable properties, and the herb has repeatedly demonstrated its power to do so. In the largest trial to date specifically studying the use of Milk Thistle Extracts for chronic liver disease, more than 2,500 people suffering from this condition showed improvement in their liver function tests when taking the extract. Many also reported that they felt better. People with an acute form of liver disease--acute viral hepatitis--also stand to benefit from milk thistle. In a double-blind study reported in 1998, the extract improved the results of liver function tests, speeded recovery, and reduced the length of hospital stays as compared with a placebo. Treat alcohol-related liver problems. Excessive alcohol intake depletes the amount of toxin-neutralizing glutathione in the liver and can cause severe scarring and dysfunction, a condition called cirrhosis. Milk Thistle Extracts not only boosts glutathione levels, it also helps to actually repair the liver by promoting the growth of new cells in this large and vital organ. An important 1989 trial of patients with chronic alcoholic hepatitis is frequently cited to demonstrate the extract powers. In the study, liver function test results returned to normal and overall liver health improved over six months in those who took Milk Thistle Extracts instead of a placebo. Control psoriasis. The herb has anti-inflammatory properties that may be useful for keeping the charasteristic psoriasis rash in check and for slowing the proliferation of abnormal skin cells. Forms tincture tablet softgel liquid capsule For more details:Milk Thistle Extracts