Development of Silymarin History history.silymarin

Home
Dosage and Recipe
Side Effects
Benefits
Facts

• FAQ
• History

Properties

Picture

Basics Researches
Sitemap

History of Milk Thistle and Nowadays

Milk thistle has been highly regarded in Europe and is gaining recognition in the U.S.

Many Europeans use milk thistle as a supplement to protect their livers from the effects of alcohol or a polluted environment or workplace. However, in Europe, as a prescribed medicine, the milk thistle extract is also used to treat alcoholic cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, drug and alcohol-induced liver damage and other disease such as acute viral hepatitis.

Milk thistle seeds are approved in the German Commission E Monographs as a supportive treatment for inflammatory liver conditions such as cirrhosis, hepatitis, and fatty infiltration caused by alcohol and other toxins.

Many milk thistle products are available in the health food stores in the U.S. today. Even some drug stores have milk thistle extract on display for over-the-counter sales. These products cannot be labeled with the benefits which have been proven in European laboratories and clinics, but Americans are gradually becoming aware of these benefits.

Silybum marianum is an extraordinarily useful herb in today's world. With our increasingly polluted environment, our expanding reliance on often toxic medications and drugs, and our exposure to infectious organisms that damage the liver, our need for liver protection is tremendous. Milk thistle figures prominently in our arsenal of hepatic protection. More research is needed to further understand the mechanisms, indications, and benefits of this immensely important medicinal herb. In the meantime, our current understanding of milk thistle justifiably promotes its use for many people.


more articles in FactSheet