Milk thistle is used as a natural remedy for many health conditions, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and many other diseases. Other names include sage thistle or holy thistle. In this article, we will explore what benefits milk thistle provides, how we can use it, and what it is. Risks to consider when using it.

What is milk thistle?

Milk thistle is a type of chrysanthemum plant that grows in the Mediterranean countries. Different parts of this plant can be used to treat various health conditions, such as cirrhosis and gallbladder disorders.

One of the important components of this plant is silymarin, which is believed to have antioxidant properties. Milk thistle is sold in the form of tablets or oral liquid extract.

What are the benefits of milk thistle?

The many health benefits of this plant include:

1. Supports liver health

This is the most common benefit, as a study in mice found that it improved diet-induced liver damage in mice; Due to the presence of the antioxidant Silymarin, which plays a role in detoxification, but there is still a need for more evidence to prove this on liver damage in humans.

2. Supports healthy skin

It may also help improve skin health, as a study found that it helped improve inflamed skin conditions in mice, in addition to that some laboratory studies found that it has an anti-aging effect on human skin cells, and research is still ongoing to determine the benefits that humans will benefit from when using it. This plant on his skin.

3. Lower cholesterol

Scientists have concluded, after conducting some scientific studies, that the milk thistle plant may play an important role in maintaining low cholesterol levels in the blood, as high blood cholesterol leads to serious heart problems and in other cases may lead to strokes.

Scientists found that patients who take this plant as a treatment for diabetes have lower cholesterol compared to those who take an alternative medicine.

4. Help in losing weight

Some research has discovered the effect of silymarin on weight loss in rats that have been put on a diet aimed at gaining weight. This indicates that milk thistle is very beneficial for those who seek to lose weight, but there is still a need for more research to confirm the benefit of milk thistle in losing weight in humans.

5. Reduce insulin resistance

Some studies indicated that this plant has a role in treating type 2 diabetes. Milk thistle extract helped reduce insulin resistance in experimental rats, but more research is still needed.

6. Improvement of asthma symptoms

Scientists believe, through studies conducted on mice suffering from inflammation in the airways, that silymarin helps reduce these inflammations, which in turn improves asthma symptoms.

7. Limits the spread of cancer

Some studies have found that milk thistle extract inhibits and stops the growth of cancer cells, which will help stop the spread of certain types of cancer, such as rectal or colon cancer. Scientists are still doing more studies and research to use it in the fight against cancer.

8. Supports bone health

It may play an important and essential role in supporting bone health, as a study indicated that it helped prevent bone loss resulting from estrogen deficiency, but it is not yet clear whether it is useful in preventing bone loss resulting from other causes or not.

9. Improve cognition

Some studies believe that it helps improve cognition, which is what will help in treating Alzheimer’s disease and treating relapses that affect the mind, and scientists still need more research to confirm these results.

10. Strengthening the immune system

It may help strengthen the immune system and help it fight infection, as a study found that milk thistle extract had a positive effect on the immune system and its response in fighting infection in humans.

How to use milk thistle

Milk thistle has many benefits, which people want to take advantage of, so you can take advantage of its benefits by the following:

• The use of the milk thistle plant in the preparation of salad dishes, as its leaves are chopped on other salad ingredients.
• It is also sold as a food supplement in some stores, and it is recommended to read the appropriate dose that is written on the package, or to consult a doctor.
• You can take advantage of this plant as well by drinking a cup of milk thistle tea, but it is preferable not to drink more than 6 cups a day.

Milk thistle damage

Milk thistle is considered safe when taken orally, but some studies have found that about 1% of people can cause excessive use of the plant for a long period of time to the occurrence of some symptoms, such as:

• diarrhea
• Nausea
• stomach bloating

You should also be careful when taking milk thistle for some people, such as:

• pregnant womanAs there is no information available that it is safe for pregnant women yet; So it is better to avoid it.
• People with allergies towards certain types of plants, such as: kiwi or artichoke.
• Those who suffer from diabetesWhere milk thistle helps to lower the level of sugar in the blood, which may lead to risks to the health of the patient.
• People who are allergic to some types of hormonessuch as estrogen, so that it does not cause breast cancer.

In the end, the milk thistle plant is considered one of the most beneficial plants when ingested and is characterized by being natural. Therefore, its side effects are almost non-existent, but this does not prevent consulting a doctor before taking or using it, especially for those who suffer from some diseases such as diabetes so that it does not cause harm to the patient.