Milk Thistle
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Milk thistle, (also known as Silymarin), is commonly used to protect the liver from damage, as well as help the liver regenerate after damage has occurred. Milk thistle can be useful for those who use phenobarbitol, which is toxic to the liver. Hundreds of studies have been done on milk thistle. Medline, for example, shows over 465 studies on milk thistle. By entering silymarin at the search prompt for Medline, (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Entrez/medline.html ), you can access these studies. Many of these studies have been done on rats, but their livers function basically the same as the dog's liver. There are also large scale, double-blind studies that show that milk thistle is safe and effective for humans and animals. Animal studies find no short-term or long-term toxicity, even at very high doses. In Germany, where the herb is government-endorsed, the herb is considered so safe that there are no warnings against using it, even during pregnancy and lactation. The results of numerous studies suggest that silymarin not only protects liver cells by preventing the actions of toxic substances but that it also stimulates protein synthesis to accelerate the regeneration and production of liver cells. Further protective effect of this herb is a result of it's antioxidant properties that prevent free radical damage and the formation of damaging leukotrienes. No toxic effects from milk thistle have been reported, but it can produce a looser stool as a result of increased bile flow and secretion. Milk thistle can also have an effect on the absorption of some medications, because the liver is processing the substances more efficiently. One well known controlled study involved the use of the Amanita phalloides mushroom, which contains two of the most toxic liver poisons, (phalloidin and amanitin). Ingestion of this mushroom leads to death in up to 40 percent of cases and severe liver damage in the balance. Silymarin given before ingestion of this mushroom is effective in 100 percent of cases in preventing death and liver damage. As an antidote given within 24 to 36 hours silymarin has been found to reduce liver damage and prevent death. Clinical studies involving humans have shown that this herb is effective in the treatment of liver diseases including fatty liver, chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. Milk thistle is widely available, at health food stores, and even some drug stores and grocery stores. The standardized extract that has been widely tested and has also been approved in Germany for liver disease and functional liver impairment contains 70 to 80 percent silymarin. Dosage recommendations are usually on each bottle, and should be discussed with an individual’s medical practioner, but a general guide offered by some for an adult human’s use is 420 mg. of silymarin taken in 3 divided doses daily. If there is no liver damage, and you simply want to protect your liver from damage, it’s often recommended that an adult human use around 280 mg. of silymarin daily.
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