FREE SHIPPING ON ALL $35+ ORDERS / SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 25% WITH CODE "SAVE25

Milk Thistle - How to Clean Your Liver

April 18, 2019

Milk Thistle - How to Clean Your Liver

About Milk Thistle



Milk thistle is a plant where when the stems and leaves of the mortar are cut, a milky white juice will flow out, hence the "milk" part of the name. The Kashmir Mountains in India and Pakistan are the main source of Milk Thistle, and it also now is grown in Europe, the Americas and Australia. In Europe, the use of milk thistle has been a history of thousands of years in liver disease. The earliest record appeared in the first century (AD 23-79). This milk thistle has been used as a natural botanical drug for the treatment of hepatobiliary diseases. Milk thistle is an excellent liver-protecting plant. Its seeds contain new flavonoids, the main ingredient of which is silybin. Pharmacological experiments have proved that silybin can protect liver cell membrane and improve liver function, and can prevent liver damage caused by various liver poisons.

Silymarin is a new type of flavonoid extracted from the seeds of milk thistle. It is a light yellow powdery substance. The main components are water feifei, shuifeifeibin, silibinin, silibinin and so on. Among them, the highest content of silybin and the strongest activity. It has physiological functions such as liver protection, blood fat reduction, anti-oxidation, prevention of diabetes, protection of the myocardium, anti-platelet aggregation and anti-tumor. 

Source and Plant Form

The water-flying grape is a genus of the genus Asteraceae, a 1-2 year old herb with a height of about 100-150 cm. The stem is erect and has many branches. Root block, multi-rooted leaves 30-50cm long, alternate, sessile, rosette-like leaf margin serrated with hard thorns, leaf surface shiny, white markings on the leaves, white fluff on the back, for ornamental flower heads Spherical, 4-6cm in diameter, about 30 pieces of bracts, mostly lavender, top or sputum hard and long thorns. Filaments tubular, purplish red or white, bisexual anthers combined with achenes seeds are long elliptical, flat on both sides, protruding at the top, 7 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, dark brown or dark brown after maturity, longitudinal stripes on the surface, in each inflorescence Seeds 40-60 roots are developed with a main root length of 40-80 cm; flowering period from June to July, fruiting period from July to September. The milk thistle adaptability is strong, cold-resistant, and high-temperature resistant. The soil environment is not strict, and it can be planted in sandy soil, saline-alkali land, deserted beach, roadside, and land.

 

Chemical Composition

1. Flavonoids
Milk thistle seeds contain a large amount of flavonoids, mainly silymarin. The water-flying glucosinolate is a general term for compounds such as silibinin, silibinin, sylvestre, and silibinin. Among them, the highest content of silybin. In 1975, Takemoto Tsutsumi obtained two kinds of new flavonol lignans from the seeds of the milk thistle, in addition to the above-mentioned silybin isomers. After analysis by infrared, ultraviolet and nuclear magnetic, the structure was determined to be 2,3-dehydro-silibin and 2,3-dehydro-silibin. In addition, it also contains quercetin, silibinin, silibinin, flavan lignan, 5,7-dihydroxychromone, polyhydroxychroman-4-one.

2. Milk thistle Oil
The milk thistle contains about 26% oil, which contains 46.46% linoleic acid and 2.46% linolenic acid. The myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and oleic acid are separated from the milk thistle fruit produced in India. However, in North Africa, the planted milk thistle has also isolated arachidonic acid, succinic acid (docolinic acid) and so on. The oil content of the Egyptian fruit is 34.0%, and the non-saponified part accounts for 2.7%, mainly B-sitosterol.

3. Other Chemical Formation
In addition to the flavonoids and silymarin produced from the milk thistle, the roots of the milk thistle contain 12 polyacetylene compounds and a polyolefin, and also contain alkaloids such as betaine.

Physical and Chemical Properties

The main substance in silymarin, silybin, is a crystal containing 1 molecule of water, melting at 167 ° C and decomposing at 180 ° C. The silybin is soluble in acetone, ethyl acetate, methanol, and ethanol. It is slightly soluble in chloroform and insoluble in water. The solubility of silymarin in water is 0.0401 mg/ml

 

So, how does the milk thistle protect the liver?


The application of milk thistle, especially in Europe and the United States, has carried out a number of clinical trials. So far, hundreds of studies on silymarin have been carried out in countries around the world. Pharmacological and toxicological tests have shown that silymarin has the following effects:

1. Prevent Liver Damage

A protective film is formed on the liver cells to block toxic substances, especially environmental pollutants (pesticides, heavy metals, toxic chemicals, etc.) from invading the liver. For some cases of acute liver poisoning, milk thistle can have a certain detoxification effect. It can significantly reduce the damage to the liver caused by excessive alcohol.

2. Strengthen and Repair the Liver

By stimulating protein synthesis, it can promote liver cell repair and promote cell renewal. It has obvious protection and stabilizes the function of liver cells, and has obvious improvement on symptoms and liver function of patients with hepatitis.

3. Silibinin Has a Strong Anti-oxidation Fffect

This can reduce the chance of liver cells being destroyed by free radicals and protect the liver cell membrane. It has anti-radiation effect. It can also inhibit peritonitis caused by formaldehyde.

4. Regulate the Secretion of Bile

Help digestion of fat, but also nourishes the stomach, spleen, gallbladder and kidneys.

5. Provide Nutrition for the Circulatory System

It can also reduce cardiovascular problems, including atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia

 

Pharmacological Action


1. Protection of Liver Cell Membrane

Silymarin can maintain the cell membrane fluidity through lipid peroxidation to protect the hepatocyte membrane and block the binding of mycotoxin phalloidin and a-amanita base to specific receptors on the hepatocyte membrane, inhibiting it against the liver. Cell membrane attack and transmembrane transport, interrupting the hepatic and intestinal circulation, and enhancing the resistance of the liver cell membrane to various damage factors.


2. Promote the Repair and Regeneration of Liver Cells

Silymarin can bind to and activate estradiol receptors after entering hepatocytes. Activated receptors can enhance the activity of RNA polymerase in hepatocytes, enhance the transcription of ribosomal RNA, increase the number of cytoplasmic ribosomes, and promote enzymes and structural proteins. Such synthesis and indirectly promote the synthesis of cellular DNA, which is conducive to the repair and regeneration of hepatocytes. This effect can be seen in damaged hepatocytes and partially excised residual hepatocytes, but not in normal hepatocytes and various malignant cells.


3. Anti-Fibrosis

Hepatic fibrosis refers to the transitional deposition of diffuse extracellular matrix (especially collagen) in the liver. Recent studies have shown that hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation is central to liver fibrosis. Activation of HSC is a complex process that is the result of complex effects such as multiple cells, oxidative stress, cytokines and growth factors. Studies at home and abroad have confirmed that silymarin can achieve anti-fibrotic effects by inhibiting the activation of HSC by anti-oxidation and direct inhibition of various cytokines.



4. Lowering Blood Fat

Cholesterol Silymarin oil contains large amounts of linoleic acid, linolenic acid, is a polyunsaturated fatty acid, can cause oxidation of cholesterol in the intestinal tract, can reduce blood fat, prevent atherosclerosis, can be significantly reduced exogenous hyperlipidemia And triglycerides, as well as lowering plasma cholesterol and treating hypertension.

5. Antioxidants Delay Aging

Silymarin can reduce the content of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in malarial (MDA) and leukotrienes in damaged brain tissue by eliminating oxygen free radicals, inhibiting lipid peroxidation and 5-lipoxygenase activity.

6. Prevent Diabetes

SM inhibits MDA and AGE production in liver homogenates, ie enhances lipid peroxide clearance and prevents AGE formation, so SM can be used to prevent diabetic complications.

7. Protecting Myocardium

Silibinin can alleviate the damage of hypoxia- and glucose-deficient cardiomyocytes, and partially counteract the damage of isoproterenol to aggravate hypoxia and glucose-deficient cardiomyocytes. Silibinin has obvious protective effect on cardiomyocytes cultured by cox-sackie.B5 virus infection, which can improve the synthesis rate of DNA and reduce the virus titer in the culture medium of infected cells. Silibinin can significantly reduce the range of myocardial infarction after ligation can prevent reperfusion arrhythmia.

8.  Anti-platelet aggregation

Silymarin can significantly reduce platelet adhesion.

9.  Anti-tumor effect

Various reactive oxygen species can oxidize guanine to form 8-hydroxyguanine, causing DNA damage, which in turn causes tumors. The use of antioxidants, especially free radical scavengers, can prevent this from happening. Silymarin as an effective anti-free radical substance also shows the role of prevention and treatment of malignant tumors.

10. Anti-inflammatory effects

In the pharmacological test of acute inflammation caused by carrageenan and toluene-induced mouse ear swelling, silymarin has been inhibited. The highest content of silybin in silymarin is the strongest anti-inflammatory activity. In addition, silymarin prevents sepsis.

11. Prevention and treatment of new cerebrovascular diseases


By inhibiting lipid peroxidation and eliminating activities such as oxygen free radicals, silybin can reduce the SOD content of leukotrienes and malondialdehydes that damage brain tissue.

12. Protecting cerebral ischemia


Silymarin has a protective effect on ischemia-reperfusion injury. After the cerebral ischemia of the gerbils, the cerebral cortex edema was reduced and the ATPase activity was increased.

Testing Methods


1. Spectrophotometry

The national standard for silymarin raw materials contained in the 2005 edition of the Pharmacopoeia was mainly spectrophotometric (colorimetric method), which was used to measure the content of silymarin indirectly. Mainly add methanol to dissolve, add 2,4 dinitrophenyl hydrazine solution, the detection wavelength is measured at 490nm. The Yiganling tablets and capsules contained in the ministerial and national standards were separately treated with methanol and filtered, and the content of silymarin was measured by silibinin at 288 nm.

2. Thin layer scanning method

Using CS-9301 thin-layer scanner, toluene-ethyl acetate-glacial acetic acid (2: 1: 0.5), the spread was about 13cm, and the identification of foreign tobacco, coneberry and silymarin in Ganning tablets. , there is a better separation effect.

3. High performance liquid chromatography

(1) Medicinal materials and preparations The 2005 edition of the Pharmacopoeia specifies the HPLC method for the determination of silymarin content. The mobile phase is methanol:water:glacial acetic acid (48:52:1), and the detection wavelength is 287 nm.
(2) Biological sample A reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography method for the concentration of silybin in rat plasma. Chromatographic conditions: mobile phase is acetonitrile-methanol-dihydrogen phosphate buffer (volume ratio 24:24:50) , pH 5), the detection wavelength is 288 nm.

Application

Widely used in the treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver damage.


Benefits to the liver
1. Promote the stability of the liver cell membrane and protect the liver cells from damage;
2. Eliminate free radicals and prevent hepatitis from occurring due to lipid peroxidation;
3. Stimulate protein synthesis in the liver, promote hepatocyte regeneration, repair damaged liver cells and tissues;
4. Prevent and contain the occurrence and development of cirrhosis;
5. Accelerate the decomposition of excess fat deposited in the liver and reduce the incidence of fatty liver;
6. Enhance the resistance of liver cells to alcohol, accelerate the decomposition and excretion of ethanol by the liver, take anti-drunk before drinking, and take alcohol to protect the liver after drinking;
7. Accelerate the secretion and excretion of bile, and prevent cholecystitis and cholelithiasis.

For people
1. People who drink too much, often drink alcohol and have irregular work and rest
2. All kinds of liver function strain, liver disease, liver and gallbladder disorders, hepatitis, fatty liver, cirrhosis
3. Jaundice, cholecystitis patients
4. Business entertainment, busy people
5. Prevention of high blood lipids, high cholesterol caused by arteriosclerosis, thrombosis and fatty liver, etc.
6. Workers who are often in a polluted environment


Milk Thistle supports healthy liver function, promotes liver detoxification, provides powerful antioxidant protection, clears skin tone, promotes digestion, protects cells from damage by neutralizing free radicals, provides anti-inflammatory support, helps reduce cholesterol and improves kidney function .

Why choose FarmHaven Organic Milk Milk Capsules?

FarmHaven Organic Milk Milk Capsules | 18750mg Strength | 50:1 Concentration and 80% Silymarin Milk Thistle Seed Extract for Liver Detoxification, Cleaning and Support | Non-GMO and Made in the USA | 120 Veggie Caps

1.The silymarin content is extremely high: standardized to 80% silymarin which few others have. Our 30:1 concentration means that each capsule is actually equivalent to 11,250 mg of milk thistle and our 80% silymarin standardization means that each capsule contains 300 mg of silymarin.

2. FarmHaven only uses organic milk seed extract, so you know that you are getting the best into your body. While other brands use non-organic and non-standardized milk thistles to cut corners, FarmHaven uses only the best organic milk thistle. Our is non-GMO and free of gluten, corn, yeast, soy, dairy, preservatives and Any artificial ingredients. We use plant-based vegetarian capsules, and production in the United States NSF cGMP certified facility in accordance with the standard, so you can ensure that you have the milk thistle is safe and effective.

3. Since the Middle Ages, milk thistle (silymarin) has been used as an all-natural way to improve liver function, which is a discovery of this little purple flowers in the compound silymarin. Silymarin by promoting regeneration to help strengthen the liver and help detoxify the liver and liver cells by resisting toxin binding. Milk thistle helps ensure that your liver is in advanced state, no matter what you are to throw it.

4.  Silymarin acts as a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage by neutralizing free radicals. Antioxidant ability supports clear skin tone and improves digestion. Many people also like silymarin because it helps lower cholesterol, improve kidney function, and provides anti-inflammatory support.