It helps to facilitate, improve and restore liver function, therefore key in the body s natural detoxification process.

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1 Milk Thistle Extravaganza Sometimes called Mary thistle or holy thistle Silymarin 1) The herb that you want to adopt. Milk Thistle 2) Why you want to learn more about this herb. In my late teens a close friend brought for me from Scotland a hand blown glass ornament of a thistle. It was vivid green and purple and although one of the most beautiful things I owned at the time, I ended up breaking it in a fit of rage. The symbolic thistle was to prove more significant than I could have imagined. Having engaged in a merry dance of clogging and cleansing my liver, milk thistle has been my companion, although I really know very little about it. The liver being the governing organ of anger in Chinese medicine and a place where emotion is stored has meant that cleansing, and so milk thistle, are important aspects of my personal development. 3) What you know already (brief please). It helps to facilitate, improve and restore liver function, therefore key in the body s natural detoxification process. 4) What more you would like to know. What it s key chemical components are. How it works / what it does in the body. Spiritual associations. 5) If you have any ideas for an image of the herb- art/ photo/ other. Definitions Milk thistle is a common weed with a distinctive white marking on its leaves, and reaching a height of five feet, the plant puts out distinctive purple flowering heads. This spiny perennial grows throughout Europe but its naturalized to Australia and California (Holland and Barrett website) Native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, milk thistle is a flowering plant from the daisy family. It gets its name from the appearance of its leaves which are dappled with white splashes and contain a milky sap. The flowers of

2 the plant are quite beautiful to behold and are a purple to pink colour with long spiky petals that fan outwards; much like a Scottish thistle. (Holland and Barrett website) Milk Thistle extract supplements typically contain 80% silymarin. This active ingredient, found in the seeds of the plant, contains three phytochemicals: silybin, silidianin and silicristin. Phytochemical: Phytochemicals are biologically active chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants (phyto means plant in Greek). Phytochemicals are the molecules responsible for the color and organoleptic properties (properties affecting the organs and the senses). For example, the deep purple color of blueberries and the smell of garlic. The term is generally used to refer to those chemicals that may affect health, but are not established as essential nutrients.[1] Scientists estimate that there are about 10,000 different phytochemicals that are considered beneficial in the prevention of chronic diseases such as cancer, stroke, and heart disease. Although certain phytochemicals are available as dietary supplements, research suggests that their health benefits are best obtained through the consumption of whole foods. (Wikipedia Dec 2011). Available in: Natural plant form. Capsules. Powder. Extract. Tincture. Effervescent drink. The liver and Milk Thistle in Chinese Medicine In Chinese Medicine the liver is said to govern Qi and emotions, namely clogging/unclogging and deflation of these aspects.

3 How milk thistle works The main compound of the milk thistle plant is silymarin, shown to protect the liver from harmful substances and functions in five primary ways. 1. It strengthens the liver cells outer membranes to help prevent damaging toxins from penetrating the liver. 2. It neutralizes liver cell damage caused by toxins - its antioxidant action is 10x greater than those found in Vitamin E. 3. It helps to enhance protein synthesis. 4. It helps to reduce fibriotic activity. 5. It reduces the action of liver enzymes responsible for causing inflammation in the liver. ( Too much alcohol or a toxic liver? If you are dealing with alcoholism, you may find that you want to try some alternative methods before thinking about looking into a rehab facility. There are natural treatments out there that are said to help with alcoholism, alcohol cravings, and even the harmful effects that drinking alcohol can have on your body. Milk Thistle: Alcohol addiction can be extremely harmful to your liver. In fact, it can completely destroy your liver, for some people in as little as a few years. Luckily, milk thistle is known to help, as an alcohol addiction treatment that can also help your liver get in better shape. In fact, it has been shown that milk thistle can help fix liver cells that are dying or injured due to alcohol abuse. Kudzu: This is a vine that has been used for many, many years in Chinese medicine to help curb cravings of alcohol in humans. Because of the blood flow to the brain and heart that this herb produces, many people do not feel the cravings of alcohol any longer. It is believed that this is because of the feeling of fullness that this blood flow produces. It is also believed that milk thistle can help you feel better if you have a plain old hang over. To get the best effects of this herb, it is believed that you should use a pill that is made from the actual dried extracts of the plant, rather than a powder made from the seeds. One major plus for those who choose to use milk thistle, whether as a hang over medication, or to help with alcoholism, is that it only has limited side effects. In fact, it has been shown that the only side effect you may notice is that if you take more than 1500mg a day, you may suffer from some diarrhea. (ajcm.org)

4 Other Uses: Beside benefits for liver disease, other unproven treatment claims include: Lowering cholesterol levels [21] Reducing insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes who also have cirrhosis, [21][22][23] Reducing the growth of cancer cells in breast, cervical, and prostate cancers. [24] Used in many products claiming to reduce the effects of a hangover [25] Reducing liver damaging effects of chemotherapeutic drugs [16] Clinical study has shown that liver function tests can be improved in active hepatitis patients. [26] silymarin may have use, potentially, in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy. [27] Use as food Around the 16th century the milk thistle became quite popular and almost all parts of it were eaten. The roots can be eaten raw or boiled and buttered or par-boiled and roasted. The young shoots in spring can be cut down to the root and boiled and buttered. The spiny bracts on the flower head were eaten in the past like globe artichoke, and the stems (after peeling) can be soaked overnight to remove bitterness and then stewed. The leaves can be trimmed of prickles and boiled and make a good spinach substitute or they can also be added raw to salads. [28] Links: The Liver and Detoxification Milk Thistle family Milk Thistle Habitat Milk Thistle Can Milk Thistle Save Your Liver?

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