Milk Thistle 50 ml

Slow digestion, slow liver, bad breath, hepatitis, poisoning and food poisoning. Promotes the health of liver and gallbladder tissues. In Europe, Milk Thistle is the accepted treatment for mushroom poisoning by death cap (Amanita phalloides).

Composition

Each ml contains:
Milk Thistle fruit tincture (f) (Silybum marianum)
Alcohol content = 61 % v/v
1 ml = 33 drops

Dosage

Adults: take 10 drops in a small amount of water, 3-5 times daily. Salivate before swallowing.

Children 4-12 years of age: give half the adult dose.
Milk Thistle may be taken for up to 2 months uninterrupted.

Historical overview

Milk Thistle is a magnificent plant with its leaves covered by large white veins and spots. There is a medieval tradition saying that the milk-white veins of the leaves come from the milk of the Virgin Mary, which once fell upon a plant of thistle. Milk Thistle seeds are probably the best liver regenerator in existence. Their active ingredients are flavones and flavo-lignans, collectively called silymarin. These molecules have antioxidant and anti-proliferative effects, some of which are still being discovered.

Actions and pharmacology

A.Vogel’s Milk Thistle extract is prepared with great care. The silky hairs covering the Milk Thistle fruit are removed so that only the fruit is used in the tincture. This tincture contains silybin, silydianin, silychristin, isosilybin, small quantities of silandrin, silymonin and silybinomere, flavonoids like quercetin and taxifolin, phytosterols like sitosterols, and mucilage.

Milk Thistle’s action mechanisms have not all been elucidated but its antioxidant⁽¹⁾, anti-inflammatory⁽²⁾ and anti-proliferative⁽³⁾ effects are acknowledged. Although clinically proven, its liver protection effect has not yet been explained.The German Commission E acknowledges its benefits in cases of: dyspeptic complaints; toxic liver damage; supportive treatment in chronic inflammatory liver disease and hepatic cirrhosis.⁽⁴⁾

Scientific studies

A study on patients taking a medication for Alzheimer’s disease, Tacrine, demonstrated that Milk Thistle reduces the gastrointestinal and cholinergic side effects of the medication.⁽⁵⁾

Milk Thistle’s hepatoprotective effect has been evaluated on Hungarian workers exposed to industrial solvents containing toluene. After 30 days of treatment with Milk Thistle, all liver function parameters (blood enzymes) and blood platelets were significantly improved.⁽⁶⁾

An in vivo study proved silymarin’s ability to reverse the effects of aflatoxin B1 on the liver cells.⁽⁷⁾

Many reports mention Milk Thistle’s efficacy in the treatment of mushroom poisoning by death cap (Amanita phalloides). Silybin and silybinin would be responsible for this effect.^(8-9)

Precautions, contraindications and interactions

Contraindication: known allergy to Milk Thistle. Since Milk Thistle is a member of the compositaceae (asteraceae) family, cross allergy is possible with flowers such as daisy, chrysanthemum, echinacea, etc.

Milk Thistle may cause loose stools due to the increase in bile production.
The authors do not agree on Milk Thistle’s safety during pregnancy. Its anti-proliferative effect motivates the warning. On the other hand, many authors (Hoffmann D, Provost M, etc.) consider Milk Thistle to be safe during pregnancy and beneficial during breast-feeding. Caution is advised. Please consult a competent health professional.

Therapeutic combinations

DIFFICULT DIGESTION
Arabiasan, Molkosan^®

HYPERINSULINEMIA (SYNDROME X)
Helix Slim, Siberian Ginseng, Molkosan^®