Milk thistle can interact with some chemotherapy drugs — check with your doctor before you start taking it. Extracts from parts of the plant other than the seeds may increase estrogen levels in the body. Side effects include stomach upset, allergic reaction, and diarrhea.
Hormone-sensitive conditions such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids: Milk thistle extracts might act like estrogen. If you have any condition that might be made worse by exposure to estrogen, don't use these extracts.
What does milk thistle do to estrogen? Sure enough: in one recent study, an herbal conglomerate featuring milk thistle as one of the active participants increased estrogen metabolism, effectively reducing the amount of active estrogen by speeding up its clearance from the body.
"Any excess hormones we have in our body are detoxified and excreted via the liver and gut, which makes milk thistle an excellent herb to help support hormonal balance," she adds. One of the most common symptoms of the menopause is low mood and self-esteem and irritability, thanks to hormonal fluctuations.
Milk thistle may produce allergic reactions, which tend to be more common among people who are allergic to plants in the same family (for example, ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold, and daisy). Milk thistle may lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. People with diabetes should use caution.
Milk thistle is good for liver disease, indigestion, acne, brain health, and breast milk production and it is safe enough to take daily.
Supplements of milk thistle may help decrease the frequency and severity of hot flashes for menopausal women, says a new study. Data published in Phytotherapy Research indicated that 400 mg per day of a Milk thistle (Silybum marianum (L.))
When it comes to the hair, it is found that the extract of milk thistle. specifically silymarin, promotes healthy hair by preventing hair loss and strengthening hair follicles. When combined with other natural ingredients and plants, it is known to be more effective in protecting the hair.
Animal studies suggest that milk thistle may help lower cortisol levels in the blood (16). Cortisol helps regulate stress, metabolism, and other vital functions (17).
Black cohosh, red clover, chaste-tree berry, dong quai, evening primrose, ginkgo, ginseng and licorice are among the most popular herbs for women experiencing problems with menopause. Some of these herbs have powerful hormone-like effects, and women should not assume herbs are harmless.
Preliminary studies have shown that it does have beneficial effects on the kidneys, nerves and retinas. Silymarin may even have anti-cancer properties, but this needs to be studied further in humans. As for the side effects of silymarin, they include abdominal discomfort, headache, muscle aches and fatigue.
In addition, a series of studies show that milk thistle can directly slow down the skin aging process by inhibiting collagen degradation, helping to maintain firm and smooth skin. Milk thistle also helps improve rosacea redness, itching, and redness, as silymarin acts as a potent anti-inflammatory.
Uses of Milk Thistle
These are mostly used by the bodybuilders as they lose essential nutrients during heavy workouts that may lead to a weaker liver health. Thus, milk thistle helps replenish the liver cells and promotes liver detox to remove free radicals and toxins.
While milk thistle is best known for its liver health benefits, it's also a natural remedy that can help with acne, low breast milk supply, high blood sugar, and potentially even age-related cognitive decline. Milk thistle also helps prevent cancer, osteoporosis in women, and illnesses of the liver.
Promotes skin health
Researchers also found in another study that milk thistle had antioxidant and anti-aging effects on human skin cells in a laboratory environment.
Milk thistle can be helpful for those experiencing acne, eczema and psoriasis. Supports thyroid function and metabolism via its action on the liver. The liver plays a role in converting the thyroid hormone (T4) to its active form T3, and also transporting thyroid hormones around the body.
Additionally, when people overeat, milk thistle supplementation helps the body to remove toxins and reduce weight. According to experts, milk thistle supplementation also helps with indigestion, improves metabolism, and burns fat.
Medical research on milk thistle and liver health has led to mixed results. Studies show that silymarin may help ease inflammation and promote cell repair. This may help ease symptoms from liver diseases like jaundice, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and fatty liver disease.
As it's well tolerated by your body, you can really take milk thistle oil at any time of day. It won't keep you up at night, and you can even take it on an empty stomach if you like.
Milk thistle supports not only the liver, but also the gallbladder, bile ducts, and bile flow, which in turn supports detoxification, digestion, and elimination.
Although there is no standardized milk thistle dosage at this time, most people do best consuming between 20–300 milligrams daily. If you're taking milk thistle for the liver, the recommended daily intake of milk thistle is 150 milligrams, taken one to three times daily.