I copied these from the website
Milk thistle extract may protect the cells of the liver by blocking the entrance of harmful toxins and helping remove these toxins from the liver cells. I think that the keyword is "may".
silymarin is a powerful antioxidant.
Antiooxidants look good in test tubes but they have been almost universally disappointing in long-term trials in humans.
Look at the years of the publications
1. Wagner H, Horhammer L, Munster R. The chemistry of silymarin (silybin), the active principle of the fruits of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. Arzneim-Forsch Drug Res 1968;18:688?96.
2. Hikino H, Kiso Y, Wagner H, Fiebig M. Antihepatotoxic actions of flavonolignans from Silybum marianum fruits. Planta Medica 1984;50:248?50.
3. Faulstich H, Jahn W, Wieland T. Silibinin inhibition of amatoxin uptake in the perfused rat liver. Arzneim-Forsch Drug Res 1980;30:452?4.
4. Tuchweber B, Sieck R, Trost W. Prevention by silibinin of phalloidin induced hepatotoxicity. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 1979;51:265?75.
5. Feher J, Lang I, Deak G, et al. Free radicals in tissue damage in liver diseases and therapeutic approach. Tokai J Exp Clin Med 1986;11:121?34.
6. Sonnenbichler J, Zetl I. Stimulating influence of a flavonolignan derivative on proliferation, RNA synthesis and protein synthesis in liver cells. In Assessment and Management of Hepatobiliary Disease, ed. L Okolicsanyi, G Csomos, G Crepaldi. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1987, 265?72.
7. Schuppan D, Strösser W, Burkard G, Walosek G. Legalon® lessens fibrosing activity in patients with chronic liver diseases. Zeits Allgemeinmed 1998;74:577?84.
8. Salmi HA, Sama S. Effect of silymarin on chemical, functional and morphological alterations of the liver. Scand J Gastroenterol 1982;17:517?21.
9. Leng-Peschlow E. Alcohol-related liver diseases-use of Legalon®. Z Klin Med 1994;2:22?7.
10. Ferenci P, Dragosics B, Dittrich H, et al. Randomized controlled trial of silymarin treatment in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. J Hepatol 1989;9:105?13.
11. Velussi M, Cernogoi AM, De Monte A, et al. Long-term (12 months) treatment with an antioxidant drug (silymarin) is effective on hyperinsulinemia, exogenous insulin need and malondialdehyde levels in cirrhotic diabetic patients. J Hepatology 1997;26:871?9.
12. Pares A, Plancs R, Torres M, et al. Effects of silymarin in alcoholic patients with cirrhosis of the liver: results of a controlled, double-blind, randomized and multicenter trial. J Hepatol 1998;28:615?21.
13. Nassuato G, Iemmolo RM, Strazzabosco M, et al. Effect of silibinin on biliary lipid composition. Experimental and clinical study. J Hepatol 1991;12:290?5.
14. Palasciano G, Portinascasa P, Palmieri V, et al. The effect of silymarin on plasma levels of malondialdehyde in patients receiving long-term treatment with psychotropic drugs. Curr Ther Res 1994;S5:S37?45.
15. Allain H, Schück S, Lebreton S, et al. Aminotransferase levels and silymarin in de novo tacrine-treated patients with Alzheimer?s disease. Dementia Geriatr Cogn Disorders 1999;10:181?5.
16. Brown DJ. Herbal Prescriptions for Better Health. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1996, 151?8.
17. Reyes H. The spectrum of liver and gastrointestinal disease seen in cholestasis of pregnancy. Gastroert Clin N Am 1992;21:905?21.
They run from 1968 to 1999. If this works,why do they have to quote 38 year old studies. The newest is 6 years ago. Warfarin generates an average of over 1 article per day more than 50 years after it went on the market. Would you feel safe taking warfarin if nobody had published an article on it in the past 6 years.
Nicholas Culpeper, the well-known 17th-century pharmacist, cited its use for opening ?obstructions? of the liver and spleen and recommended it for the treatment of jaundice.
The Pilgrims arrived in the 17th century.
And the bottom line
%0
Double-blind trials indicate that it helps the liver return to a healthy state once a person stops drinking.
