Milk Thistle -- Side Effects and Benefits

Milk thistle is a compound that's been used for thousands of years in supporting the liver, and in order to understand some of the potential peculiar milk thistle side effects, one needs to know how milk thistle works. The active ingredient of milk thistle is called silymarin. Silymarin works by increasing the concentration of glutathione by up to 35%. Glutathione is a compound I've written extensively about in other hubs. It's an amino acid-like compound involved in liver detoxification and many other bodily functions. So in asking if there are any milk thistle side effects, one also needs to examine glutathione side effects, which you can read more about if you click the link. But I'll give you the basics, if you just want a quick summary. Glutathione has a peculiar side effect of whitening the skin when taken for extended periods of time. Glutathione has been added to many cosmetics in recent days, because producers believe that the skin whitening also revitalizes the skin and returns a youthful rosiness. But most consider skin whitening as an unwanted side effect of glutathione. You'll have to decide for yourself.

There are a few other milk thistle side effects that we should talk about before moving on.  Milk thistle is considered safe, but may react negatively with other drugs and herbs.  So be careful when starting on it if you're already taking other herbs and medications.  As a rule, milk thistle should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women.  In addition to that, certain persons who have had cancers of the prostate, breasts, uterus, or other hormone related cancers should definitely consult their physician before taking milk thistle.  Other than that, milk thistle side effects are usually very mild and include things like headaches, upset stomach, and diarrhea.

Milk thistle has been shown to have many benefits. It supports the healthy function of multiple organs, including the liver and kidneys, by protecting them from toxins. In these modern days of pesticides, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, smog, alcohol, overly-processed food, etc, having a supplement that helps detoxify the body is a great idea. Not only that, but the main ingredient in milk thistle, Silymarin, has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and it may even assist the liver in repairing itself by growing new cells. That's pretty amazing.

I generally tend to trust anything that's been used by people for a few thousand years.  People are smart, and before the invention of medical technology, people needed to take care of themselves with the tools they have on hand.  The Chinese culture is a very good example of this.  Traditional Chinese Medicine is still a widely practiced form of medicine, and the herbal solutions made for patients are very potent and often do much good for the treatment of many ailments.  Milk thistle is an herb that's been used for many thousands of years.  That to me, is the biggest evidence in favor of it.

There are different ways of taking milk thistle, and many types of supplements that incorporate milk thistle into them. I mentioned in the first section that glutathione was one of the main chemicals that milk thistle promotes. That's why many glutathione supplements also have milk thistle in them, like the one pictured to the right.  Other supplements are just purely milk thistle extract.  Still other supplements have a wide range of liver supporting compounds.  These are actually the ones that I like the best.  Liver support formulas, which contain a number of different compounds like high potency Silymarin, COQ10, and others, give your body a power packed boost in liver support from a variety of sources.  I've left you a link at the bottom to the brand that I like the best, Source Naturals.  If you're having liver or gall bladder problems, this supplement might be a great way to go.

**This article is meant to add to your general knowledge and is not meant to be taken as medical advice or a medical diagnosis