Milk Thistle Protects the Liver, Heart and Brain

The liver is one of the mostcritical organs essential to human health. It serves more than 300 functions inthe body to detoxify against chemical and environmental intrusions, andpromotes metabolic function as well. Silymarin is commonly known as milkthistle and new science is emerging to validate the healing potential of thispowerful plant.

Publishing in the journalHepatitis Monthly, researchers providesolid evidence that natural milk thistle extracts can halt and even reverse theeffects of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), an affliction affecting asmuch as a third of the adult population. Supplementation with milk thistle willdramatically lower the risks associated with fatty liver disease,atherosclerosis and cognitive dysfunction.

Milk Thistle is a Powerful Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Agent

NAFLD is a significant healthconcern that is growing at an unprecedented rate due to the obesity anddiabetes epidemic currently gripping most western societies. The condition iscaused in part by excess accumulation of fats (triglycerides) in the cellularmatrix of the liverthat result in suboptimal function of the organ. Left unchecked, the diseasecan result in cell injury and damage, inflammation and ultimately to cirrhosisas the liver becomes less able to perform the multitude of tasks essential tolife.

Researchers found that the plant extract has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and becomes concentrated in hepatic tissue soon after ingestion. They found that silymarin promotes liver tissue regeneration by supporting multiple critical metabolic functions including lower oxidized LDL cholesterol levels, regulation of membrane permeability and stability and preventing the deposition of collagen fibers, leading to cirrhosis. In addition, milk thistle inhibits the absorption of many toxins, effectively preventing them from entering circulation through the bloodstream.

Silymarin from Milk Thistle Fight Arterial Hardening and Cancer

Silymarin is known to be apowerful cellular antioxidant with specific properties that can prevent excessoxidation of LDL cholesterol. Oxidized LDL cholesterol particles are sticky andbecome lodged in the delicate endothelial layer of coronary artery vessels wherethey combine with other blood-borne compounds to form plaque. Natural milkthistle extracts (570 mg per day) have proven effective to lower risk factors thatpromote arterial hardening.

Milk thistle has been used as achemopreventive agent in the fight against certain cancer lines, most notablymetastatic cancers of the prostate. Silymarininterferes with cancer growth and immortality, and exhibits anti-inflammatoryand anti-metastatic activity (preventscancer spread). Extracts of milk thistle have also been used as an agent in thewar against numerous malignancies including those of the liver, colon and skin.

Our body is continually underassault from a barrage of more than 70,000 chemicals and 900 drugs known toinduce liver damage. Milk thistle supplementation provides an effective tool toprotect and heal our primary filtration organ, the liver. Silymarin is alsoproving to be an important tool that can naturally lower cancer risk, whileproviding critical support for the heart and prostate.

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Posted in: Cancer,Heart Disease,Milk Thistle

Milk Thistle and Vitamin E Lower Risk of Fatty Liver Disease

As many as 1in 3 Americans are living with a ticking bomb known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The condition is virtually symptomless until the liver becomes inflamed or scarred from decades of dietary abuse. While a small percentage of cases are attributable to a genetic failure to metabolize fats properly, the vast majority of NAFLD is caused by poor dietary choices that increase dangerous blood fat levels.

As a consequence fat is deposited in the liver cells where it triggers inflammation and the release of chemical messengers known as adipokines as the liver attempts to repair itself. Left unchecked, NAFLD can progress to cirrhosis and liver failure. Emerging research provides powerful nutritional options including milk thistle and vitamin E that can dramatically lower the risk of developing fatty liver disease.

Understanding the Cause of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Many chronic conditions are known to initiate and progress due to inflammation within our body and fatty liver disease is no exception. The liver is responsible for metabolizing cholesterol and influences how fat is either burned for energy or stored for future use. An increasing burden is placed on the organ as we eat excess calories from sugar, refined carbohydrates and hydrogenated fats. Fat metabolism is disrupted as high levels of blood fats become stored in the liver. Eventually this leads to a decline in liver function and finally to total organ failure and death.

Study Supports the Antioxidant Power of Vitamin E

Natural nutrients that are known to exert strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties have proven more effective than any pharmaceutical in the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. Researchers from the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center compared the effect of vitamin E and the drug Actos on lowering liver enzymes that are associated with advancement of liver disease. They found that the insulin-sensitizing drug had no effect while vitamin E (800 IU per day) was shown to provide significantly lowered enzyme markers and improved scarring when liver biopsies were performed.

Fish Oil Fatty Acids Improve Blood Lipids, Improve Liver Function

EPA and DHA Omega-3 fats have gained notoriety for their ability to positively regulate cholesterol ratios and lower triglycerides. Research published on the British Medical Journal found that supplementing with 1,000 mg of Omega-3 fats per day markedly decreased serum markers of liver cell damage, triglyceride levels and glucose. Any natural therapy that helps the body eliminate triglycerides and lower blood sugar levels will lower the underlying risk factors for NAFLD.

Milk Thistle Shown to Directly Target the Liver

The active compound in milk thistle, known as silymarin is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that directly impacts liver function. Researchers have discovered that milk thistle inhibits the release of cytokines from the liver that normally increases with fatty liver inflammation. This action allows the liver to begin the natural healing process while reducing fat accumulation and reducing blood markers associated with liver damage.

Vitamin E, Omega-3 fats and milk thistle each help to restore normal liver function for the millions of men, women and children that suffer the silent effects of fatty liver disease. Including all three of these powerful natural nutrients in your daily disease-fighting arsenal will provide a multi-modal defense against NAFLD.

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Posted in: Diet and Nutrition,Milk Thistle,Vitamin E

Milk Thistle Boosts Liver Function and Slows Brain Aging

(Article first published as Milk Thistle Protects Your Liver and Can Slow Signs of Brain Aging on Technorati.)

The liver and brain are two metabolically active organs that are under constant attack from disease promoting free radicals. Elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels combined with blood glucose abnormalities and obesity cause damage to the cellular matrix of the liver and brain that worsen with time.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects an estimated 20 to 40% of adults in western society and dementia can touch nearly half of those reaching their 85^th birthday. Silymarin is the active compound found naturally in milk thistle that is shown to provide a significant degree of protection against NAFLD and abnormal brain aging.

Silymarin Shown to Prevent and Reverse Liver Damage

The liver is called upon to perform more than 300 critical metabolic functions within our body. One of those functions is the formation of cholesterol and essential lipids that are required for cellular synthesis and repair. A diet high in processed carbohydrates and synthetic hydrogenated fats can result in excess blood triglycerides that become lodged in the hepatic cells and NAFLD can develop.

NAFLD is a chronic disease that is characterized by inflammation of the organ that releases a flurry of free radicals and liver enzymes. Left unchecked, NAFLD can progress to cirrhosis, carcinoma and death. The result of research published in the journal Hepatitis Monthly demonstrates the effectiveness of treatment with silymarin for the treatment of NAFLD. Researchers noted a significant decline in liver enzyme markers that indicate reversal of the disease, and no serious side effects were reported as a result of the natural treatment.

Silymarin Found to Protect Nerves, Slow Brain Aging Process

Silymarin is one of a small number of compounds able to cross the blood-brain barrier and affect neural function and chemical neurotransmitters. Long known for its ability to detoxify the liver, silymarin also exerts a powerful protective edge against nerve damage and brain preservation.

Information from the journal Neurochemistry International shows that the nutrient is able to protect delicate glial cells in the brain against free radical damage that occurs as a result of low grade bacterial infection common in overweight and obese individuals.

Silymarin Inhibits Plaque Formation, Prevents Alzheimer`s Disease

One of the key indicators of Alzheimer’s disease are the protein amyloid plaques that form and prevent electrical and chemical signaling between neurons. It is known that plaque exists as a normal byproduct of metabolic activity in the brain and is not properly cleared in those exhibiting symptoms of dementia. The result of a study published in the journal Molecular Gerontology demonstrates that silymarin helps the brain to naturally clear amyloid plaque before it becomes tangled and restricts normal cellular communication.

Silymarin from milk thistle is shown to be a powerful nutrient that assists multiple biological pathways in the liver and brain to maintain optimal organ function. Milk thistle is available as an inexpensive nutritional supplement. Nutritional experts recommend 250 to 450 mg per day to provide optimal effectiveness. Take advantage of natural silymarin to boost liver detoxification, prevent NAFLD and prevent the damage from free radicals on the delicate brain matrix.

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Posted in: Brain Health,Milk Thistle,Supplements