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What is Milk Thistle?

Jane Harmon
Jane Harmon

Milk thistle is a common roadside plant characterized by prickly leaves and a tufted flowering top. It is related to the artichoke and has been used as a food throughout recorded history. Its use as a tonic for a variety of conditions dates back at least as far the fourth century BC. Pliny the Elder in the first century recommended the use of milk thistle to improve the flow of bile.

Milk thistle is currently being studied for effectiveness against a variety of liver and intestinal disorders. It shows the greatest promise in repairing and preventing liver damage such as results from chronic alcoholism or hepatitis. Milk thistle is most effective on less severe forms of liver damage, while cirrhosis, characterized by irreversible scarring, is not improved by the use of milk thistle.

Studies have indicated that milk thistle might be an effective treatment for liver damage caused by alcoholism.
Studies have indicated that milk thistle might be an effective treatment for liver damage caused by alcoholism.

The liver functions as a filter for the blood, processing and removing wastes and toxins. A damaged liver can repair itself to a certain extent, but some types of liver damage are irreversible. Milk thistle seeds contain the active component, silymarin, which is a powerful anti-oxidant. It helps the liver flush toxins and has been shown to repair damaged liver cells. Because the active ingredient of the milk thistle is in the seeds, milk thistle teas will not be able to extract enough of the ingredient to have any effects.

The liver is responsible for filtering and neutralizing toxic substances that enter the body.
The liver is responsible for filtering and neutralizing toxic substances that enter the body.

Extracts made from the milk thistle have been used as an antidote to poisoning by the deathcap mushroom, which contains toxin that attacks the liver. In studies using animals, milk thistle was completely effective against the poison if taken almost immediately; the longer the delay between ingesting the poison and taking the antidote, the more the liver was ultimately damaged.

Milk thistle is related to the artichoke.
Milk thistle is related to the artichoke.

The most promising use of milk thistle is its thus-far unproven anti-cancer effects. Milk thistle has been shown to retard the growth of certain forms of cancer grown in the laboratory; animal and human testing have yet to show results. But milk thistle has been used effectively against liver damage caused by certain of the chemotherapy drugs.

There are few known side effects of taking milk thistle, which has been used as a food for centuries, although a very few people may be severely allergic. Check with your doctor to be sure it is safe for you. Milk thistle may also reduce the effectiveness of certain AIDS/HIV drugs and should only be taken under doctor's supervision in these cases.

Discussion Comments

Alchemy

I honestly hate the milk thistle plant. It all stems from a horrible encounter with the plant. My parents always told me not to hang my arms out the car window, but I did anyway. I used to try to grab the grass by our house as we were pulling out of our driveway. Anyway, I grabbed a milk thistle plant by accident and got a handful of the most painful slivers. My hand hurt for weeks, and it was nearly impossible to get them all out.

Now I have to take milk thistle extract to detox my liver a few times a year, and it is the most disgustingly bitter taste imaginable. I almost feel like the plant is haunting me.

sputnik

There are also many other varieties of thistle, such as Scotch and Musk thistle. They are not looked upon favorably, and residents in certain communities, where thistle is not a native plant, are asked to eradicate it.

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    • Studies have indicated that milk thistle might be an effective treatment for liver damage caused by alcoholism.
      By: kmiragaya
      Studies have indicated that milk thistle might be an effective treatment for liver damage caused by alcoholism.
    • The liver is responsible for filtering and neutralizing toxic substances that enter the body.
      By: nerthuz
      The liver is responsible for filtering and neutralizing toxic substances that enter the body.
    • Milk thistle is related to the artichoke.
      By: brhlena
      Milk thistle is related to the artichoke.
    • Milk thistle is a common roadside plant characterized by prickly leaves and a tufted flowering top.
      By: Birute Vijeikiene
      Milk thistle is a common roadside plant characterized by prickly leaves and a tufted flowering top.
    • Milk thistle cannot reverse the effects of cirrhosis.
      By: peterjunaidy
      Milk thistle cannot reverse the effects of cirrhosis.