See also: silymarin
The milk thistle (Silybum marianum = Cardus marianum) is a wild herbaceous plant, widespread throughout the Mediterranean area. The drug consists of fruits (achenes), about 1 cm long, of a bright black color with yellow spots.
Milk thistle has been known since ancient times for its food uses and numerous beneficial virtues. In particular, it has been and still is used in the treatment of hepatic disorders.
Property of the Milk Thistle
- It exerts a "hepato-protective action against numerous toxic agents (such as alcohol, some drugs and the poisonous principles of the Amanita phalloides mushroom)
- Stimulates the regeneration of hepatocytes (liver cells)
- It is sometimes recommended during breastfeeding for its galactogenic properties
- Strengthens the walls of the capillaries
- It acts as an antioxidant by controlling the damage caused by free radicals.
The therapeutic properties of milk thistle derive from silymarin, a blend of flavolignans (silybin, isosilybilin, dihydroxy silybilin, silidianinin and silicristin) absent in the leaves and concentrated in the outer protein layer of the fruit. It also contains sterols, flavonoids, proteins and vegetable oils, such as oleic, linolenic and palmitic acids, which can however be separated from the other components of the extract.
The mother tincture, prepared from fruits, is used in homeopathic medicine, whose clinical applications exactly reflect those dictated by popular experiences and phytotherapeutic science.
Milk thistle is marketed in the form of a dry extract, generally contained in capsules of 200-400 mg. It should be stored in tightly closed containers protected from sunlight.
Milk thistle extracts are contraindicated in cases of gallbladder stones, better known as gallstones, liver or gallbladder. Its mild hypertensive and mildly laxative effect should also be considered.
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