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7 Ways Milk Thistle Supports Your Health
You already know milk thistle can protect your liver, and even help you reverse liver damage. But did you know this hearty little plant offers health benefits to the rest of your body, too? It’s true. Milk thistle packs a powerful punch.
You already know milk thistle can protect your liver, and even help you reverse liver damage. But did you know this hearty little plant offers health benefits to the rest of your body, too?
It’s true. Milk thistle packs a powerful punch.
#1 – Milk Thistle Strengthens the Immune System
Want to be one of those people who can proudly say, in all seriousness, “I never get sick?”
While milk thistle can’t guarantee that, it certainly can help. A 2002 SUNY Upstate Medical System study found milk thistle offers an “immunostimulatory effect.” This means it helps your immune system produce vital substances like interferon gamma, interleukin 4 and interleukin 10.
Interferon gamma helps to fight viral and microbial infections. Interleukin 4 helps to stimulate the production of B-cells and T-cells. Interleukin 10 reduces inflammation in the body.
#2 Milk Thistle Clears Up Your Skin
The anti-inflammatory properties of milk thistle can provide a huge benefit to acne sufferers. Studies show reducing inflammation can help you clear up your skin.
Of course, part of this benefit is the impact milk thistle has on your liver. There is a strong correlation between liver health and clear skin. For example, people with hepatitis are more prone to getting acne.
#3 Milk Thistle Slows the Aging Process
We live in an era where people are out there suggesting hundreds of solutions for slowing the aging process. Nothing can stop you from getting older, of course, but there are ways you can defend your body against the ravages of age.
One of them is a vital nutrient called glutathione. In addition to slowing the aging process, it protects you against a number of diseases, like chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, various autoimmune disorders, and Parkinson’s.
Milk thistle helps to boost the presence of this powerful substance, which means you may be able to ward off the wrinkles, age spots, and vision problems a lot longer than those who don’t take any.
#4 Milk Thistle Lowers Cholesterol
If you’ve got high cholesterol you’re at risk for heart disease. You may also be lining up to take an expensive pharmaceutical which carries side-effects of its own.
You may not have to, though. Studies have shown milk thistle can lower LDL levels just as well as the prescription drug, Probucol. It also provides a benefit Probucol can’t; it raises beneficial HDL levels. Talk about an easy way to support a healthy heart.
#5 Milk Thistle Gives You Stronger Bones
Fragile, brittle bones are a danger nobody wants to face later in life. Fortunately, you can prevent osteoporosis by reaching for the milk thistle.
A 2013 study from the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur Campus, indicated silymarin, the active ingredient in milk thistle, “may modulate multiple genes in favor of helping to build bone and prevent bone loss.”
If you’re approaching your 50th birthday you should have osteoporosis prevention on your mind. If you’ve already passed your 50th birthday, you’re already at risk. Milk thistle can help you mitigate this risk.
#6 Milk Thistle Can Help Prevent and Slow Lung Cancer
As mentioned earlier, milk thistle can act as a cancer preventative. It may also help to slow the progression of one cancer specifically. This year, researchers learned milk thistle is capable of slowing the formation of lung cancer tumors. The study was recently published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Slower tumor formation gives your doctors more time to help you drive the disease into remission. Thus, if you’re at risk for lung cancer, or are actively fighting it, milk thistle really could help you save your life.
#7 Milk Thistle May Help You Lose Weight
Like anti-aging benefits, “weight loss” is one of those claims people throw around for everything from calcium to clams. Yet milk thistle may really have the goods, at least in the face of one specific weight loss problem: insulin resistance.
It’s difficult to lose weight if you have developed insulin resistance, as your body won’t process carbs or sugars properly. Whether you have full-blown type 2 diabetes or are just pre-diabetic, milk thistle can help by lowering blood glucose levels. When coupled with a smart diet and exercise routine, this could be the secret weapon that helps you shed some pounds.
Milk thistle: super-supplement?
Are you taking a bunch of other supplements to try to tackle any of these problems? Well, you can stop buying those and get one power-packed supplement in the form of milk thistle! If you’re interested in purchasing a milk thistle supplement, read about the one we recommend – UltraThistle. It’s not just the most effective, it’s cost-effective too!
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientreview-138-MILK+THISTLE.aspx?drugid=138&drugname=MILK+THISTLE&sortby=3, Retrieved April 30, 2018, WebMD.com
About the Author
Stephen Holt, M.D. is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine NYCPM (Emerite) and a medical practitioner in New York State. He has published many peer-review papers in medicine and he is a best-selling author with more than twenty books in national and international distribution. He has received many awards for teaching and research. Dr. Holt is a frequent lecturer at scientific meetings and healthcare facilities throughout the world. He is a best selling author and the founder of the Holt Institute of Medicine.
