Did you hear of Health and Nutrition

Agnus Castus CapsulesMilk Thistle Means Healthy Life

What Is Milk Thistle?

Healers have used the prickly milk thistle plant to treat liver ailments for more than 2,000 years. Somehow these early practitioners figured out that preparations of this purple-flowered member of the sunflower family could stimulate the flow of bile from the liver, improving digestion and various liver-related ills.

Milk Thistle grows throughout the world (including North America) in both cultivated and wild form. Many sources refer to the herb, by its botanical name, Silybum marianum, as well as by its active compounds, collectively known as silymarin. Concentrated stores of silymarin are found in the herb's shiny black fruits (seeds), which are typically collected at summer's end.

Health Benefits of Milk Thistle:

Although most widely associated with liver complaints, milk thistle is also being examined for treating a variety of other disorders, from gallstones and high cholesterol to skin cancers and allergy symptoms. As a potent antioxidant, the versatile milk thistle extract helps prevent highly reactive oxygen molecules called free radicals from damaging cells throughout the body, but especially in the liver, stomach, and intestines.

An injectable form of Milk Thistle is a powerful antidote to mushroom poisoning. And the oral extract shows promise for minimizing chemotherapy-associated liver damage. This is a function of the herb's antioxidant actions as well as its ability to accelerate the excretion of toxic compounds that can accumulate in the body.

Specifically, Milk Thistle may help to:

Treat acute and chronic liver disease.
Milk Thistle "cleanses" and therefore fortifies the liver, a vital organ responsible for processing everything from nutrients in foods to medications and chemical pollutants. The herb partly accomplishes this task by preventing a reduction in concentrations of glutathione, an amino-acidlike compound that is critical to neutralizing toxins. Some studies indicate that milk thistle can actually increase glutathione levels by as much as 35%.

In addition, silymarin alters the outer membrane of liver cells in such a way that toxins are barred from entering. It even encourages the formation of new, healthier liver cells to replace old, damaged ones. Various types of liver damage benefit from these remarkable properties, and the herb has repeatedly demonstrated its power to do so.

In the largest trial to date specifically studying the use of Milk Thistle for chronic liver disease, more than 2,500 people suffering from this condition showed improvement in their liver function tests when taking the extract. Many also reported that they felt better. People with an acute form of liver disease--acute viral hepatitis--also stand to benefit from milk thistle. In a double-blind study reported in 1998, the extract improved the results of liver function tests, speeded recovery, and reduced the length of hospital stays as compared with a placebo.

Treat alcohol-related liver problems.
Excessive alcohol intake depletes the amount of toxin-neutralizing glutathione in the liver and can cause severe scarring and dysfunction, a condition called cirrhosis. Milk Thistle not only boosts glutathione levels, it also helps to actually repair the liver by promoting the growth of new cells in this large and vital organ.

An important 1989 trial of patients with chronic alcoholic hepatitis is frequently cited to demonstrate the extract's powers. In the study, liver function test results returned to normal and overall liver health improved over six months in those who took milk thistle instead of a placebo.

Control psoriasis.
The herb has anti-inflammatory properties that may be useful for keeping the charasteristic psoriasis rash in check and for slowing the proliferation of abnormal skin cells.

Forms of Milk Thistle:

1. Tincture

2. Tablet

3. Softgel

4. Liquid

5. Capsule

Click here for more Information and for buyers guide: Milk Thistle.com.com

About the Author

Homeherb offers Nutritional Supplements ,Weight Loss ,Vitamins ,Health Care ,Anti aging ,Vision Care ,Herbal Teas ,Natrol ,Twin Lab ,Now Foods ,St. John's Wort ,American Ginseng ,Black Cohosh ,Sports at Homeherb.com

Agnus Castus CapsulesGym Love

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:39:59 EDT
The place is hot and steamy, pulsing with the beat of blaring music and gyrating bodies. You see her

Friday, January 04, 2008

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:34:53 EDT
The hormone-balancing complex contains soy isoflavones and Vitex Agnus-Castus, an herb often used to treat menstrual problems and may ease symptoms related to PMS....

Eco Friendly Wash Nuts | Natural Detergent | Sprout Bags | Sprouts