Milk thistle is primarily used for its hepato-protective properties. Results from clinical trials using standardized extracts of milk thistle suggest that it may be useful in protecting the liver from environmental toxins and drugs (e.g. acetaminophen). It is also useful in cases of cirrhosis.

 

50ml/1.75oz     Item #6023          
INGREDIENTS


HISTORY

Although milk thistle originally grew wild throughout much of Europe, it is now naturalized to the east coast of North America, California, and South America. This biennial grows up to 1 meter or 40 inches in height with spiny leaves that are marked with white along the veins. The plant is crowned with a bright pink-to-red flower head that produces numerous small seeds. Milk thistle has been used medicinally for several thousand years. Both the Greeks and the Romans noted its hepato-protective effects, however, current interest in this product did not begin until the late 1960s when silymarin, a combination of flavonolignans believed to be responsible for the hepatic activity, was first isolated from the ripe seeds.