How Milk Thistle Works

Milk thistle seeds contain a chemical component called silymarin.

Milk thistle is also called Silybum marianum and St. Mary's thistle. Its seeds contain a chemical component called silymarin. This active compound is made of flavanoids that are responsible for how milk thistle works in the human body.

Poison Antidote

Milk thistle is useful against the deathcap mushroom's toxins.

Silymarin keeps certain organic poisons from entering the cells of the liver. For this reason, milk thistle is the preferred antidote for deathcap mushroom poisoning.

Cancer

Milk thistle extract is used to improve treatment outcomes for breast cancer patients on chemo.

Milk thistle works directly against cancer cells in the cervix and prostate. Studies suggest it can both slow and stop their growth. Ovarian and breast cancer patients on chemotherapy are given milk thistle extract to increase the treatment's effectiveness.

Liver Protection and Growth

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose can cause extensive liver damage.

In the liver, milk thistle extract promotes the growth of new liver cells and protects existing cells from the negative impact of free radicals. This is due to the action of the four antioxidants in silymarin. This makes milk thistle effective against the action of hepatitis, cirrhosis and acetaminophen (Tylenol) poisoning.

References

• National Cancer Institute: Milk Thistle
• Mayo Clinic: Milk Thistle (Silybum Marianum) Evidence
• University of Maryland Medical Center: Milk Thistle