Everything about milk thistle and its properties

Milk thistle is considered an amazing plant that has been proven to have many benefits. This plant improves skin health, works great for treating liver problems, and has a significant effect on weight loss and slimming. Supporting the health of bones, preventing insulin resistance and slowing the growth of cancer cells are other benefits of consuming milk thistle. Milk thistle can even act as a collagen pill and be effective in removing wrinkles by increasing collagen production in the body. Stay with us for more information.

What is milk thistle?

Milk thistle is a flowering plant of the chicory family, which is especially used as a herbal medicine in Mediterranean countries. The active ingredient in St. John’s wort is silymarin, which doctors often use to treat liver problems. In some researches, it has been found that this plant can be effective in reducing cholesterol and managing type 2 diabetes.

Thistle has flowers with red to purple colors and its leaves are yellowish green. This plant can grow 30 to 200 cm tall. Iran, the southeast coast of England, North America and Australia are the countries where this plant grows more than anywhere else.

Benefits and properties of milk thistle

You can also drink milk thistle as tea. This plant is also used in some food supplements, such as: Livergel tablets that improve liver health. They even add this plant to skin creams to benefit from its benefits for skin health and to help rejuvenate it. Here we describe the properties of thistle plant:

Improving skin health and helping collagen production

Milk thistle helps maintain skin health. The results of a study in 2015 showed that using this plant on the skin of mice reduces inflammation. In other studies, it was found that sea buckthorn has antioxidant and anti-aging effects and helps to rejuvenate the skin. The active compounds in milk thistle may also be able to partially neutralize the harmful effects of exposure to sunlight and prevent the aging of skin cells.

Research on the properties of thistle has shown that this plant increases collagen production in the skin and has the ability to reduce skin wrinkles. For this reason, it is used in skin care products.

Treatment of acne with milk thistle

Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that is not dangerous but may cause scarring. Sometimes, acne may be painful and also does not have a good appearance on the face. St. John’s wort can be useful for acne sufferers due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Maintaining liver health and treating fatty liver

Diet-induced liver damage can be significantly improved by consuming milk thistle. Of course, more research is needed in this field. The active ingredient in milk thistle is silymarin, which acts as an antioxidant by reducing the production of free radicals. In fact, silymarin has detoxifying properties and that is why it can be useful for liver problems. St. John’s wort is used in many supplements that are used to treat fatty liver and promote liver health.

• The most common uses of St. John’s wort are: treatment of liver cirrhosis, fatty liver, hepatitis and gall bladder disorders.

How to use milk thistle juice for fatty liver

St. Mary’s sweat is hot and dry. The instruction for using this sweat is that you should drink 2 small glasses of it daily before meals. You can also use this plant as a decoction. Just boil the seeds and dried leaves of thistle in boiled water for 5 minutes.

Benefits of St. John’s wort in weight loss and slimming

Silymarin, or the active substance found in milk thistle, may cause weight loss, but more research is still needed in this field, and the relationship between milk thistle and slimming and the effect of this plant on weight loss cannot be confirmed with certainty.

Consumption of St. John’s wort up to a dose of 420 mg 3 times a day is considered safe for most people.

Cholesterol reduction

High cholesterol can lead to heart problems and strokes. Some research shows that milk thistle can lower blood cholesterol.

Reduce insulin resistance

In 2016, a study on mice showed that the extract of thistle plant can reduce insulin resistance. For this reason, people with type 2 diabetes may be able to benefit from the benefits of this plant. More research is needed in this field.

Reduce asthma symptoms

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease in which the immune system overreacts to environmental stimuli, resulting in inflammation of the respiratory system. The active ingredient in milk thistle helps reduce inflammation and may help asthma sufferers find relief.

The effect of thistle on cancer

St. John’s wort may help prevent the spread of certain types of cancer. Studies in this field show that this plant can reduce the growth of cancer cells. Probably, St. John’s wort will improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Also, the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be reduced by using this plant. The FDA has not approved St. John’s wort for the treatment of cancer, but it may be effective in the treatment of these cancers: prostate, breast, cervical, blood, small intestine, and skin.

Help maintain bone health

St. John’s wort can be effective in supporting bone health. This plant helps prevent bone loss and thus prevents osteoporosis.

Boosting the immune system

St. John’s wort may be able to boost the immune system. In this case, the human body can show more resistance against infection and pathogens. Since the silymarin in this plant may fight chronic inflammation, it may be effective in treating asthma and allergies.

Prevent brain function decline

For more than two thousand years, milk thistle has been used to treat diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of this plant protect the nervous system and prevent the decline of brain function with age. Studies show that silymarin from damage Oxidative stress Prevents brain cells and fights dementia. More research is needed in this area.

How to use St. John’s wort

Yarrow is available as a supplement in many pharmacies in the form of tablets and capsules. For dosage, it is better to read the instructions on the supplement because there is no exact standard dosage. You can also use this plant as a decoction, which we mentioned in the previous parts of the article. In skin creams, sea buckthorn extract is also used due to its anti-aging properties.

Effects of milk thistle

In general, the use of St. John’s wort in appropriate amounts is considered safe and secure. It is rare for a person to experience side effects from taking a supplement containing St. John’s wort. But the possible side effects are: nausea, heartburn, stomach upset, mild allergic reaction. There is not much information available about the medicinal interaction of this plant, so it is better to consult a doctor.

final word

Buckthorn seeds contain silymarin. This substance has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is also used as medicine. Among the most important properties of milk thistle that we have mentioned in this article are the following: weight loss, fatty liver treatment, blood sugar control, strengthening the immune system, improving skin health, and stimulating collagen production. To enjoy these properties, you can use supplements containing St. John’s wort in the pharmacy.