Posts Tagged ‘thistle’
Is Milk Thistle Safety Acceptable?
Let’s face it. Milk thistle safety is good, but what about the effectiveness? That depends on the quality of the extract or supplement and what it is being used for. If you are in the market for a new dietary supplement, here’s what you need to know.
Whether your concerns are the health of your body or the appearance of your skin, there is only one dietary supplement that you simply cannot do without. That one is fish oil.
Assuming you are already taking fish oil, it is a good idea to invest in a multi-nutritional formula. It is becoming more and more difficult to get all of the basic vitamins and minerals that we need every day, through diet, alone. Mostly, that’s because of the mass production of foodstuff.
Some multi-nutritional formulas are better than others. The big companies, with names that you know and trust, use synthetic vitamin E and other ingredients derived from petrochemicals. Although scientists may be afraid to say it, there is no reason to believe that synthetic vitamins are good for your health. If they are derived from petrochemicals, they could actually cause health problems.
So, your best bet is a multi-nutritional formula that contains all natural ingredients, no additives, no artificial colorings and no chemical preservatives. Probably one of the reasons that the milk thistle safety is so good is because there is no synthetic version of the supplement. It’s all natural.
Some multi-nutritional formulas contain the extract. So, you can get all of your basic vitamins and minerals, as well as some herbal extracts that support liver function and immune system health. Unless you want to take a handful of different pills every day, it makes since to look for a supplement that contains everything that you want.
It’s understandable that people have questions about milk thistle safety. The news is always reporting about dietary supplements being recalled or removed from the market, because customer’s experience adverse reactions. One of the most recent recalls was for hydroxy-cut, a body building and weight loss aid that was found to cause liver damage.
You see, manufacturers are not required to prove that a supplement is safe, before putting it on the market. It is actually up to the FDA or researchers to prove that it is not safe. The same thing is true of cosmetic ingredients. Until someone becomes ill or dies, the manufacturers can include any ingredients they want.
The milk thistle safety profile has proven to be very good, even at very high doses. But, the effectiveness is not that great, when it is taken by mouth, unless other ingredients are included in the formula. Researchers refer to that as bioavailability. When injected directly into the bloodstream it works to protect the liver. When taken orally, it doesn’t work that well.
In conclusion, ways to improve bioavailability have been found. For example, the inclusion of lecithin has no effect on milk thistle safety, but it does improve the bioavailability and enhance the effectiveness. You might want to learn more about bioavailability, before you .
You can learn more insights by visiting my web site and discovering more natural ingredients I personally use daily.
Laurel is a long time user and passionate advocate of natural skin care products. Visit her site now to discover cutting edge, anti-aging skin care products she recommends after extensive research: . Article Source:
The Truth about Milk Thistle Side Effects
Let me tell you a quick story. No milk thistle side effects have yet to be reported in clinical studies. Something negative could come up in the future, but it is not likely to. The seeds of the plant have been used for hundreds, if not thousands of years as liver tonics.
A 2000 review published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality concluded that the effectiveness of the plant extract for protecting the cells of the liver or treating liver diseases had not been “clearly established”. In 2005, the Cochrane research group reported that more good quality clinical trials were needed.
For doctors treating patients with hepatitis C or other diseases that do not respond well to drugs, waiting for more trials is not an option. Their patients could be dead from liver failure by the time the studies were completed.
The active components of the seeds have been identified. Silymarin is the major component. It contains a number of different metabolites, including Silibinin.
In laboratory, animal studies and a number of small clinical trials, silymarin or Silibinin has been shown to have anti-viral, anti-oxidant and liver-protective activity. Good results have been seen in the treatment of gallbladder disease, cirrhosis and jaundice, as well as hepatitis.
So, there are no negative milk thistle side effects, but there may be positive ones. For example, the health and appearance of the skin may improve.
The antioxidant activity of other plants has been investigated for the ability to protect the skin from oxidative damage caused by exposure to sunlight. Although silymarin has yet to be used in these studies, other antioxidants have proven beneficial.
Antioxidants may not be the proverbial fountain of youth, but it does seem that keeping the body’s antioxidant status high is a good choice, if you want to live a long healthy life.
If you experience any negative milk thistle side effects, you should look at the quality of the supplement you have been taking. It could contain the roots, stems or flowers of the plant or the entire plant ground up.
The plants are cultivated in several parts of Europe, specifically for use in the supplement industry. But, not all supplements contain the European variety.
Regulations concerning the use of toxic pesticides and herbicides have been in place in Europe for quite some time. Regulations in the US have yet to catch up. So, if you experience negative milk thistle side effects, it could be because of pesticide or herbicide residue.
The things that you should notice are higher energy levels and better looking skin. Your doctor would need to evaluate other health benefits. If you are suffering from a liver disease, it is important to discuss the supplements that you take with your doctor. Because of the beneficial effect on the liver, the extract can inhibit the activity of certain drugs.
Now you know. Most drugs are metabolized by the liver and are recognized as toxins. Since, the positive milk thistle side effects are to protect against toxins, they interfere with drug metabolism. So, be cautious and be well.
You can learn more insights by visiting my web site and discovering more natural ingredients I personally use daily.
Laurel is a long time user and passionate advocate of natural skin care products. Visit her site now to discover cutting edge, anti-aging skin care products she recommends after extensive research: . Article Source:
Learn about Milk Thistle Silymarin Content
Did you know the milk thistle silymarin content varies from one seed to the next? So, logically, the concentration present in the extracts varies. Since it is the active component of the seeds, it is important to find out what concentration is present in the supplement you are about to take.
Manufacturers have different standards for measuring the concentration of active components. Some of them take an average. Others measure the minimum amount that will be present and include that figure on the label. So, it is important to find out what standard the manufacturer uses for measuring.
In the better supplements, 65-85% of the total is silymarins. There are a number of different silymarins, including Silibinin A and B. In vitro studies, animal research and a few clinical trials indicate that silymarins have properties that protect the liver from toxins.
There are many toxins in the environment. Heavy metals, pesticides and herbicides are among the ones that we cannot always avoid. Alcohol and drugs are among the ones that we can avoid, if we try.
There are beneficial effects of alcohol and drugs, when used in moderation or under a doctor’s supervision. But, even when they are used correctly, they can cause damage to the cells of the liver. The milk thistle silymarin component can help protect against that damage.
Some of the clinical trials were done to see if the extracts could protect against damage done to the organs by chemotherapy. The side effects caused by chemotherapy can be as disabling as the cancer, itself.
In the trials, researchers found that extract did protect the organs from damage and actually helped to fight the cancer. Some researchers are calling it a promising new cancer treatment, but there is more research to be done, before the mainstream medical community will accept the findings. There’s no doubt about that.
In addition to investigating the milk thistle silymarin content, before you , it is important to learn about the bioavailability of the supplement. Silymarins have low bioavailability when taken orally, according to researchers. To me and you, that means that very little of the active compound makes it to the bloodstream.
Research has shown that co-supplementation with other nutrients, lecithin, for example, increases the absorption of the silymarins by tenfold. Some manufacturers post information about the bioavailability of their supplements on their websites.
If you are interested in milk thistle silymarin benefits, you might also be interested in things that you can do to protect the health of your liver. One is to avoid skincare products containing toxins.
As you may be aware, toxins can penetrate through the skin and enter the bloodstream. It is the liver’s responsibility to clear those toxins from the blood, which means they can begin to build up in the liver over time.
There are many toxins found in skincare products, including the supposedly natural ones. Your best bet is to look at the ingredients carefully and then do your own research.
Make no mistake about it. With the right milk thistle silymarin concentration and the avoidance of toxins, you should be able to keep your liver and other bodily organs in good shape for life.
You can learn more insights by visiting my web site and discovering more natural ingredients I personally use daily.
Laurel is a long time user and passionate advocate of natural skin care products. Visit her site now to discover cutting edge, anti-aging skin care products she recommends after extensive research: . Article Source:
Discover Many Milk Thistle Uses
Here’s a quick look at the milk thistle uses. You may be surprised by how many there actually are. But, it is not unusual for a plant extract to be accompanied by so many benefits.
The active components of this plant are called silymarins. Silibinin is the term sometimes used by researchers. It is a complex compound that is partly flavonoid and partly lignans.
Flavonoids are best known for their antioxidant activity. Collectively, they are sometimes referred to as vitamin P, but they include a wide range of micronutrients, such as quercetin, rutin, catechins, hesperidin and resveratrol. They are responsible for the plants flavor and partially responsible for the color.
Lignans are antioxidants, too. They belong to a group called phytoestrogens, literally plant estrogens. Research indicates that phytoestrogens are beneficial for reducing menopausal symptoms.
Helping to correct hormonal imbalances is one of the milk thistle uses. For a woman going through menopause, that could mean a reduction in symptoms ranging from hot flashes to constipation. For someone suffering from PMS, it could mean improved mood throughout the month. There is also reason to believe that phytoestrogens may help protect against the increased risk of heart disease that is found in post-menopausal women.
Phytoestrogens and flavonoids may be beneficial for the skin’s health and appearance for a number of reasons. The causes of wrinkles and an aged appearance include decreased collagen production and free radical damage. Antioxidants and other nutrients have been shown to stimulate collagen production and repair free radical damage.
In post-menopausal female alopecia or hair loss, decreased estrogen production is believed to play a role. Increased phytoestrogen intake may help to prevent or even reverse the hair loss.
Flavonoids have been the subject of numerous studies, because they have the ability to modify the body’s reactions to allergens, viruses and carcinogens. This expands the milk thistle uses to include anti-allergen, anti-viral and anti-cancer.
It is hoped that increased intake of dietary flavonoids will reduce a person’s risk of heart disease and cancer. So, we may feel better for life and look better, too, if only we eat a few more plant foods.
But, to be honest, it is not always possible to get much of the active flavonoids or lignans by eating the natural foodstuff. That’s why we have dietary supplements. They don’t take the place of a healthy diet. They complement it and provide an added bit of insurance.
The best known milk thistle uses are to protect the liver from toxins. The seeds have been used as a liver tonic for centuries. The ability to extract the active components and concentrate them has made them even more beneficial. The seeds are tiny. So, you wouldn’t get much silymarin from one or two little seeds.
All of the benefits mentioned here are dependent upon the quality of the supplement. If the manufacturer makes every effort to provide the highest quality, then you should see the benefits.
Now, that you know a little more about the milk thistle uses, you might also want to learn about choosing healthy supplements and good skincare products.
To learn more about unique ingredients for healthy skin, and other incredible substances you’ve probably never heard of, visit my website today.
Laurel is a long time user and passionate advocate of natural skin care products. Visit her site now to discover cutting edge, anti-aging skin care products she recommends after extensive research: . Article Source:
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