Milk thistle is an herbal supplement that has been around for literally hundreds of years.
Milk thistle is an old remedy that’s been used in both Asia and Southern European traditional medicine as a liver and kidney treatment, but there’s so much more that it can do.
Studies have been conducted into the many benefits of milk thistle, and you’ll be amazed by how it can improve your health. Read on to find out all the ways that taking milk thistle will make you healthier.
Improves Liver Health – This is the #1 benefit of milk thistle, and the reason that it’s so popular as an herbal remedy and supplement. After all, because of all the fat, alcohol, and sugar the average person consumes, our livers are always in need of detoxing and repairing.
Animal studies have found that milk thistle can help to restore liver function , particularly after diet-induced damage. Theoretically, it’s able to work on human livers as well, thanks to the antioxidant properties of its active ingredient, silymarin. Silymarin is believed to have a detoxifying effect on the liver, eliminating the buildup of chemicals, fats, cholesterol, and toxins that are the result of our modern diet. By restoring the liver to full function, it enables our bodies to more effectively flush harmful particles and keep things working optimally.
Enhances Brain Function – Yes, you read that right! Milk thistle contains potent antioxidants that can help to protect the body—and the brain, specifically—against oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is one of the known risk factors in neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. By preventing the inflammation that triggers the build-up of plaque in the brain, it essentially protects the brain from degeneration. There are even indicators that decreasing oxidative stress may be able to improve brain function and cognition, too!
Reduces Cholesterol – As you know, heart disease is the #1 killer in the world. Fortunately, many people can lower their risk of potentially fatal heart problems just by taking steps to lower their blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels.
Milk thistle can help to deal with your cholesterol. The antioxidant properties of the supplement are known to not only reduce cholesterol levels, but prevent the cholesterol from hardening into the plaque that can damage the arterial walls. One study found that people taking milk thistle to treat diabetes experienced lower cholesterol levels—a wonderful byproduct!
Protects Bones – As we age, the balance of our hormones tends to take a turn for the negative. Men see a natural decrease in testosterone production, while many women suffer from estrogen deficiency. This lack of estrogen has been linked to higher instances of osteoporosis in women. In fact, women outnumber men significantly when it comes to osteoporosis and bone degeneration cases.
Milk thistle, however, has been proven potentially effective as a remedy to decrease the bone loss caused by estrogen deficiency. It not only protects bone health, but prevents the amount of bone mass lost as a result of this lack of hormones.
Boost Immunity – The antioxidant properties of milk thistle may be able to not only raise your natural defenses, but make your body more effective at fighting off infections. Animal studies have looked at the immune-boosting benefits of milk thistle and found that it raised immune response—a result supported by another human trial.
Promotes Better Skin – Milk thistle is also a skin remedy, known to be particularly effective against inflammatory skin conditions. Animal studies have proven that the anti-inflammatory properties of silymarin can help to decrease swelling on the skin, thereby decreasing the severity of skin conditions.
Lab tests also proved that the antioxidants in milk thistle can benefit human skin cells, protecting against oxidative stress and creating an anti-aging effect.
Reduces Asthma and Allergy Symptoms – Silymarin is a known anti-inflammatory agent, which can help to decrease both allergic reactions and asthma symptoms. One study from 2012 found that taking silymarin helped to decrease airway inflammation in mice that suffered from allergic asthma. While more research is needed to determine how effectively it works on humans, the potential benefits are clear!
Decrease Insulin Resistance – Insulin is the hormone our bodies produce to regulate blood sugar levels. However, chronically high sugar intake can lead to insulin resistance, which is a precursor to diabetes.
Milk thistle has proven effective as a remedy for decreasing insulin resistance. By making your body more sensitive to insulin, it has the potential to be an effective diabetes management supplement. Further research is needed, but the results are promising!
As you can see, there are a lot of pretty amazing benefits of milk thistle.
Yes, more research is needed to determine just how effective the herbal remedy is for all of these benefits, and to find clearer links between the supplement and the positive outcome. However, even these preliminary results are seriously awesome!
Want to get more milk thistle in your life? Give a try. With easy-to-take capsules packed with high-quality ingredients—including milk thistle, dandelion leaf extract, chloroplasts, and important metabolic enzymes—this supplement will give you everything your body needs to improve liver function. Start taking care of your health today, and your organs will thank you by keeping you healthy and active for years to come!