MILK THISTLE

SILYBUM MARIANUM

“The liver has direct control over the growth and functioning of every cell in the body.”

Supporting a healthy liver is one of the most important things we can do to maintain long term health. The liver has over 500 functions and is one of the organs that directly impacts how we age. Here are a few more interesting liver facts:

  • The liver and kidneys are the organs that “age” us. Longevity herbs used are liver and kidney tonics.

  • The emotions associated with the liver are anger, frustration and resentment.

  • The liver distributes power.

  • Between 1-3 am the liver goes into repair, fresh new blood is made and toxins are released.

  • The liver is responsible for the smooth flow of energy, emotions and cycles.

General Benefits

  • When your liver is healthy and excreting hormones and toxins efficiently, there is little estrogen accumulation in breast tissue. Estrogen is a cell division stimulator and will fuel the growth of fibroadenomas, cysts, lumps, tumors and cancer. Now there are many other factors that contribute to excess estrogen. Maintaining a clear and healthy liver is incredibly important for not only breast health but whole body health. 

  • Milk thistle protects and detoxifies the liver and helps the liver detoxify hormones efficiently. A healthy liver is incredibly important when it comes to metabolizing and excreting estrogen. A congested liver can often lead to an increase in excess estrogen by allowing hormones to circulate longer in the bloodstream.

  • Anti-inflammatory

  • It can literally regenerate the liver 

  • Anti-cancer

  • Prevents damage from chemo-therapy

  • Improves digestion and helps strengthen the digestive tract

  • Helps heal irritable bowels syndrome, colitis and crohn’s

  • Used regularly, protects the liver from chemotherapy, pollution, hormones and free radical damage by increasing glutathione by 35%

  • Inhibit cancer cell growth for prostate cancers

  • It’s a wonderful source of zinc, selenium, iron, antioxidants, and flavonoids.

  • Improves mental health and beneficial for those who struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Women’s Health Benefits

  • Milk thistle is an Incredibly important complementary medicine for women choosing chemotherapy

  • Inhibits cancer cell growth for breast, cervical, and prostate (not a woman’s issue, but I thought I put it in in case you know someone who might benefit) cancers

  • Increases breast milk production.

  • Promotes healthy hormone levels.

  • Supports healthier skin

  • Improves hair growth.

Emotional Support

  • Helps with diseases of melancholy

  • According to TCM, the liver is the organ most affected by stress and associated with anger, resentment, frustration, irritability, envy and bitterness. The liver is involved in the smooth flow of energy and blood in the body. The liver’s coupled organs are the eyes and gallbladder which also affected by the same emotions.

Spiritual Powers

  • Offers protection, healing, vitality and strength

  • Attracts good spirits and wards off evil influences.

Synergy

  • Works well with burdock and dandelion

Use

  • Both the seeds and the leaves can be consumed in either pill, powder, tincture, extract or tea form.

  • Best taken on an empty stomach

Toxicity

  • None , even with large doses over longer periods.

Other Liver Supporting Herbs

  • Dandelion: increases bile flow which benefits liver congestion

  • Burdock: liver cleansing agent

  • Turmeric: protects the liver from toxins

  • Schizandra: helps the liver flush out hormones, reduces liver inflammation

  • Astragalus: protects the liver from viruses

Tip

  • Silymarin is the active compound in milk thistle that contains most of the healing properties.

  • Look for a product that contains at least 70-80% of silymarin