Silybum marianum has (Milk thistle) been revered and used for thousands of years as an edible food and effective herb for its healthful properties. However, early on all parts of the plant were used for a variety of purposes. The leaves were extensively utilized and often eaten as a vegetable. Milk thistle supports the liver's natural detoxification process.
Milk thistle grows as an annual or biennial from three to seven feet in height, has smooth, shiny, lettuce-like leaves with white veins and spines along the margins, and a solitary purple flower that can grow up to two and a half inches in diameter. It is native to the Mediterranean region and southwestern Europe and has been widely cultivated for hundreds of years. In the U.S, it is considered a noxious weed in several states, particularly in the Pacific Northwest in states such as Washington. It is a member of the vast sunflower or Asteraceae family, which encompasses a wide variety of well-known plants such as lettuce (Lactuca sativa), the common daisy (Bellis perennis), the blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus), and artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus), to name a few. Many of the common names, and the outdated Latin name, refer to the belief that the milk of the Virgin Mary dropped on the plant leaving behind the milky white 'marbling' that give the leaves their very distinctive coloration.
In ancient Greece and Rome, it was the leaves that were utilized for their beneficial properties. However, Dioscorides does mention the usefulness of the seeds, as they were helpful for venomous stings and bites such as snake bites. Another, association, however peculiar, is made with snakes. An old wives' tale suggested that a man wear milk thistle around his neck in order to inspire aggression among snakes.
Nicholas Culpepper, the 17th century botanist, avid astrologer, physician, herbalist, and author of the Complete Herbal (1653 CE), also concluded that both milk thistle and blessed thistle shared similar qualities. Culpepper, alongside many other herbalists of the time, also recommended boiling the young, tender plant as it had virtue as a spring tonic or alterative. During those times it was often eaten like boiled cabbage (after removing the spines, of course). The flowerheads, similar and related to the artichoke, were eaten as well. All parts of the milk thistle plant were utilized, including the root. Eventually, milk thistle seeds were incorporated into the Eclectics practice (physicians who practiced a branch of American medicine popular in the 1800-early 1900's which made use of botanical remedies) as a remedy for "congestion of the liver, spleen, and kidneys.”
Milk thistle grows as an annual or biennial from three to seven feet in height, has smooth, shiny, lettuce-like leaves with white veins and spines along the margins, and a solitary purple flower that can grow up to two and a half inches in diameter. It is native to the Mediterranean region and southwestern Europe and has been widely cultivated for hundreds of years. In the U.S, it is considered a noxious weed in several states, particularly in the Pacific Northwest in states such as Washington. It is a member of the vast sunflower or Asteraceae family, which encompasses a wide variety of well-known plants such as lettuce (Lactuca sativa), the common daisy (Bellis perennis), the blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus), and artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus), to name a few. Many of the common names, and the outdated Latin name, refer to the belief that the milk of the Virgin Mary dropped on the plant leaving behind the milky white 'marbling' that give the leaves their very distinctive coloration.
In ancient Greece and Rome, it was the leaves that were utilized for their beneficial properties. However, Dioscorides does mention the usefulness of the seeds, as they were helpful for venomous stings and bites such as snake bites. Another, association, however peculiar, is made with snakes. An old wives' tale suggested that a man wear milk thistle around his neck in order to inspire aggression among snakes.
Nicholas Culpepper, the 17th century botanist, avid astrologer, physician, herbalist, and author of the Complete Herbal (1653 CE), also concluded that both milk thistle and blessed thistle shared similar qualities. Culpepper, alongside many other herbalists of the time, also recommended boiling the young, tender plant as it had virtue as a spring tonic or alterative. During those times it was often eaten like boiled cabbage (after removing the spines, of course). The flowerheads, similar and related to the artichoke, were eaten as well. All parts of the milk thistle plant were utilized, including the root. Eventually, milk thistle seeds were incorporated into the Eclectics practice (physicians who practiced a branch of American medicine popular in the 1800-early 1900's which made use of botanical remedies) as a remedy for "congestion of the liver, spleen, and kidneys.”
Health benefits
Milk thistle has been used for centuries (almost 2 millennia) as a herbal remedy for liver disorders. Silymarin is a mixture of flavolignans extracted from the milk thistle. The main component of silymarin is silibinin, with the remaining components include silydianin, silycristin, isosilybinA, isosilybinB, isosilycristin, and taxifolin. The precise mechanism of action of silymarin is unknown. However, silibinin has strong antioxidative and antifibrotic properties, which makes it a potentially useful drug for treatment of chronic liver diseases. Silymarin, which is a mixture of several different plant compounds known as flavonolignans, is the bioactive component of milk thistle and sold as “milk thistle extract.”
Evidence suggests that silymarin protects liver cells, reduces liver-related deaths, and improves markers of liver function in people with chronic liver disease. These effects are primarily attributed to silymarin’s role as a free radical scavenger, thus reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Silymarin also seems to have antifibrotic properties.
Evidence suggests that silymarin protects liver cells, reduces liver-related deaths, and improves markers of liver function in people with chronic liver disease. These effects are primarily attributed to silymarin’s role as a free radical scavenger, thus reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Silymarin also seems to have antifibrotic properties.
Pharmacologlic actions
A variety of pharmacologic properties have been observed with the consumption of milk thistle, and are therefore responsible for it's therapeutic actions, including but not limited to:
Rich in Antioxidants |
Hepatoprotective |
Up-regulates Superoxide Dismutase |
Apoptotic |
Hypolipidemic |
Anti-Inflammatory Agent |
Cell cycle arrest |
Anticarcinogenic Agent |
Hypoglycemic Agent |
Inhibits/Down-regulates Insulin-Like Growth Factor |
Down-regulates Interleukin-8 |
Antiviral Agent |
Up-regulates Catalase |
Down-regulates Interleukin-1 alpha |
Iron Chelating Agents |
Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Alpha Inhibitor |
Antiproliferative |
Enzyme Inhibitor |
Radioprotective |
Up-regulates Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 |
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A Inhibitor |
Anti-Fibrotic |
Regenerative |
Anti-Angiogenic |
Anti-Apoptotic |
Anti-atherogenic |
Chemopreventive |
Chemoprotective Agents |
Chemotherapeutic |
Gastrointestinal Agents |
Gluconeogenesis Inhibitor |
Down-regulates Interleukin-6 |
Down-regulates Malondialdehyde |
NF-kappa-B-inducing kinase (NIK) modulator |
NF-kappa-B Inhibitor |
Neuroprotective Agents |
Renoprotective |
Secretagogue |
Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators |
Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 Inhibitor |
Anti-metastatic |
Antihypertensive Agents |
Antimicrobial |
Cardiovascular Agents |
Health properties
A variety of health conditions have been demonstrates to be improved following the consumption of milk thistle based on current available evidence. These conditions, listed in order of the greatest available evidence, include but are not limited to:
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Supplementation
There are many options for milk thistle supplements. As always, it is best to find an organic source, which also supports liver function.
References
Dehmlow C, Erhard J, de Groot H. Inhibition of Kupffer cell functions as an explanation for the hepatoprotective properties of silibinin. Hepatology. 1996 Apr;23(4):749-54. doi: 10.1053/jhep.1996.v23.pm0008666328. PMID: 8666328.
Boigk, G., Stroedter, L. H., & Herbst, H. H., Waldschmidt, J., Riecken, EO & Schuppan, D.(1997) Silymarin retards collagen accumulation in early and advanced biliary fibrosis secondary to complete bile duct obliteration in rats. Hepatology, 26(3), 643-649.
Pietrangelo A, Borella F, Casalgrandi G, Montosi G, Ceccarelli D, Gallesi D, Giovannini F, Gasparetto A, Masini A. Antioxidant activity of silybin in vivo during long-term iron overload in rats. Gastroenterology. 1995 Dec;109(6):1941-9. doi: 10.1016/0016-5085(95)90762-9. PMID: 7498660.
Lucena MI, Andrade RJ, de la Cruz JP, Rodriguez-Mendizabal M, Blanco E, Sánchez de la Cuesta F. Effects of silymarin MZ-80 on oxidative stress in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2002 Jan;40(1):2-8. doi: 10.5414/cpp40002. PMID: 11841050.
Mira, Lurdes, et al. “Scavenging of Reactive Oxygen Species by Silibinin Dihemisuccinate.” Biochemical Pharmacology, vol. 48, no. 4, Aug. 1994, pp. 753–759, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0006295294900531, https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-2952(94)90053-1. Accessed 23 Jan. 2020.
Gillessen A, Schmidt HH. Silymarin as Supportive Treatment in Liver Diseases: A Narrative Review. Adv Ther. 2020 Apr;37(4):1279-1301. doi: 10.1007/s12325-020-01251-y. Epub 2020 Feb 17. PMID: 32065376; PMCID: PMC7140758.
Berkson BM. A conservative triple antioxidant approach to the treatment of hepatitis C. Combination of alpha lipoic acid (thioctic acid), silymarin, and selenium: three case histories. Med Klin (Munich). 1999 Oct 15;94 Suppl 3:84-9. doi: 10.1007/BF03042201. PMID: 10554539.
Tel'nykh IuV, Maevskaia MV, Glushenkov DV. [The use of hepatoprotector LiverPro in combined therapy of chronic viral hepatitis C]. Klin Med (Mosk). 2008;86(11):60-2. Russian. PMID: 19177797.
El-Kamary SS, Shardell MD, Abdel-Hamid M, Ismail S, El-Ateek M, Metwally M, Mikhail N, Hashem M, Mousa A, Aboul-Fotouh A, El-Kassas M, Esmat G, Strickland GT. A randomized controlled trial to assess the safety and efficacy of silymarin on symptoms, signs and biomarkers of acute hepatitis. Phytomedicine. 2009 May;16(5):391-400. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2009.02.002. Epub 2009 Mar 19. PMID: 19303273; PMCID: PMC2733865.
Melhem A, Stern M, Shibolet O, Israeli E, Ackerman Z, Pappo O, Hemed N, Rowe M, Ohana H, Zabrecky G, Cohen R, Ilan Y. Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection via antioxidants: results of a phase I clinical trial. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2005 Sep;39(8):737-42. doi: 10.1097/01.mcg.0000174023.73472.29. PMID: 16082287.
Ferenci P, Scherzer TM, Kerschner H, Rutter K, Beinhardt S, Hofer H, Schöniger-Hekele M, Holzmann H, Steindl-Munda P. Silibinin is a potent antiviral agent in patients with chronic hepatitis C not responding to pegylated interferon/ribavirin therapy. Gastroenterology. 2008 Nov;135(5):1561-7. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2008.07.072. Epub 2008 Aug 3. PMID: 18771667.
Boigk, G., Stroedter, L. H., & Herbst, H. H., Waldschmidt, J., Riecken, EO & Schuppan, D.(1997) Silymarin retards collagen accumulation in early and advanced biliary fibrosis secondary to complete bile duct obliteration in rats. Hepatology, 26(3), 643-649.
Pietrangelo A, Borella F, Casalgrandi G, Montosi G, Ceccarelli D, Gallesi D, Giovannini F, Gasparetto A, Masini A. Antioxidant activity of silybin in vivo during long-term iron overload in rats. Gastroenterology. 1995 Dec;109(6):1941-9. doi: 10.1016/0016-5085(95)90762-9. PMID: 7498660.
Lucena MI, Andrade RJ, de la Cruz JP, Rodriguez-Mendizabal M, Blanco E, Sánchez de la Cuesta F. Effects of silymarin MZ-80 on oxidative stress in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2002 Jan;40(1):2-8. doi: 10.5414/cpp40002. PMID: 11841050.
Mira, Lurdes, et al. “Scavenging of Reactive Oxygen Species by Silibinin Dihemisuccinate.” Biochemical Pharmacology, vol. 48, no. 4, Aug. 1994, pp. 753–759, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0006295294900531, https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-2952(94)90053-1. Accessed 23 Jan. 2020.
Gillessen A, Schmidt HH. Silymarin as Supportive Treatment in Liver Diseases: A Narrative Review. Adv Ther. 2020 Apr;37(4):1279-1301. doi: 10.1007/s12325-020-01251-y. Epub 2020 Feb 17. PMID: 32065376; PMCID: PMC7140758.
Berkson BM. A conservative triple antioxidant approach to the treatment of hepatitis C. Combination of alpha lipoic acid (thioctic acid), silymarin, and selenium: three case histories. Med Klin (Munich). 1999 Oct 15;94 Suppl 3:84-9. doi: 10.1007/BF03042201. PMID: 10554539.
Tel'nykh IuV, Maevskaia MV, Glushenkov DV. [The use of hepatoprotector LiverPro in combined therapy of chronic viral hepatitis C]. Klin Med (Mosk). 2008;86(11):60-2. Russian. PMID: 19177797.
El-Kamary SS, Shardell MD, Abdel-Hamid M, Ismail S, El-Ateek M, Metwally M, Mikhail N, Hashem M, Mousa A, Aboul-Fotouh A, El-Kassas M, Esmat G, Strickland GT. A randomized controlled trial to assess the safety and efficacy of silymarin on symptoms, signs and biomarkers of acute hepatitis. Phytomedicine. 2009 May;16(5):391-400. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2009.02.002. Epub 2009 Mar 19. PMID: 19303273; PMCID: PMC2733865.
Melhem A, Stern M, Shibolet O, Israeli E, Ackerman Z, Pappo O, Hemed N, Rowe M, Ohana H, Zabrecky G, Cohen R, Ilan Y. Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection via antioxidants: results of a phase I clinical trial. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2005 Sep;39(8):737-42. doi: 10.1097/01.mcg.0000174023.73472.29. PMID: 16082287.
Ferenci P, Scherzer TM, Kerschner H, Rutter K, Beinhardt S, Hofer H, Schöniger-Hekele M, Holzmann H, Steindl-Munda P. Silibinin is a potent antiviral agent in patients with chronic hepatitis C not responding to pegylated interferon/ribavirin therapy. Gastroenterology. 2008 Nov;135(5):1561-7. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2008.07.072. Epub 2008 Aug 3. PMID: 18771667.
