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How is your liver health, doing??

The liver of modern people is always busy..

Frequent drinking, various medications, and food additives in snacksâ…

the liver works tirelessly to process all of this..

And the harder the liver works, the more our body experiences fatigue..

As liver-related health becomes increasingly important,,

milk thistle is receiving attention as a representative ingredient for liver health..

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How much do you know about milk thistle? Today, let's join me in learning about what milk thistle is and how it works,, and why you should pay attention to liver health. !

1. What is Milk Thistle??

Milk thistle is the English name for a plant with the herbal medicine name Silybi mariani.

In Korean, it is called Mary's thistle..

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📷 The plant in the photo above is milk thistle.!

This plant has been widely used since ancient Greece and Roman times

as a hepatic agent((a medication that acts on the liver) or cholagogue((a medication that promotes bile secretion) as a medicinal plant..

Given its long history, it continues to be widely used as an ingredient for liver health..

📌 Functional Efficacy Recognition by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recognizes that the main active components of milk thistle ‘can help support liver health’..

Then, why is 'liver health' so important??

2. Why is Liver Health Important??

The liver is one of the organs in our body that performs many functions..

Briefly, it performs the following roles::

Detoxification of medications, alcohol, and chemical substances
Storage of excess fat and fat metabolism
Metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins
Synthesis of hormones and enzymes
Generation and excretion of bile

When the liver, which performs so many diverse roles, is damaged,,

beyond simple fatigue, itching,, digestive disturbances,, lethargy,, and chronic fatigue may appear as systemic symptoms..

Moreover, the liver is 'called the 'silent organ''for good reasonâ,

special symptoms often do not appear until liver damage has progressed considerably..

That's why proactively managing liver health is even more important..

3. How Does Milk Thistle Work on the Liver??

The main active component of milk thistle is ‘silymarin)’..

This is a flavonoid complex that comprises approximately 70% or more of milk thistle extract..

In particular, the component called silibinin(is known to protect hepatocytes..

According to research, silymarin can be expected to have the following effects:.

Protection of hepatocyte membranes
Anti-inflammatory action
Antioxidant action
Inhibition of liver fibrosis
Promotion of hepatocyte regeneration

However, results vary across studies regarding the effects of silymarin..

Some research has shown that silymarin did not demonstrate significant effects..

Nonetheless,, in numerous clinical studies of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease((NAFLD),

silymarin has demonstrated positive effects in terms of improving liver enzyme levels and inhibiting fibrosis,as reported in multiple studies.

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Furthermore,, in patients with alcoholic fatty liver disease, many studies have also reported that silymarin can help improve liver enzyme levels..

In fact, some milk thistle over-the-counter medications currently distributed in Korea are

approved by health insurance for auxiliary treatment of toxic liver disease, chronic hepatitis, and cirrhosis..

This means that the efficacy of silymarin is medically recognized to a certain extent..

4. Milk Thistle is Recommended for These People!

Those experiencing persistent fatigue or lethargy
Those with fatty liver or who drink frequently
Those with elevated liver enzyme levels
Those aged 40 and older who are attentive to health management (particularly liver health management))

Milk thistle has relatively few side effects and is a safe medication, but there are people who should avoid it, so please check carefully.!

⛔ These people should avoid milk thistle:!

Those with a history of hormone-related diseases such as breast cancer or endometrial cancer (silymarin may have weak estrogenic activity))
Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children 12 years of age or younger (insufficient safety data))

5. Conclusion

Milk thistle is an herbal medicine that has been used for liver disease for a long time..
The liver performs many functions, and when liver function declines, fatigue can result..
The liver is a silent organ, and there may be no symptoms during the progression of liver disease. Therefore, it is good to manage liver health proactively..
A component of milk thistle called 'silymarin' is known to have liver-protective effects..
Milk thistle is relatively safe, but there are people who should avoid it..

References :

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety website
Herbal Medicine Editorial Committee, 'Herbal Medicine', Dongmyeongsa, 2021
Abenavoli, L., Izzo, A. A., Milić, N., Cicala, C., Santini, A., & Capasso, R. (2018). Milk thistle (Silybum marianum): A concise overview on its chemistry, pharmacological, and nutraceutical uses in liver diseases. Phytotherapy Research
Zhao, S., Wu, Z., Zhou, C., Zhang, Y., Zhang, H., Yang, M., Liu, Z., & Zhang, X. (2023). Evidence construction of Silibinin capsules against alcoholic liver disease based on a meta-analysis and systematic review. Frontiers in Pharmacology
Zhong, S., Fan, Y., Yan, Q., Fan, X., Wu, B., Han, Y., & Zhang, Y. (2023). Administration of silymarin in NAFLD/NASH: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytomedicine
Soleimani, V., Saeidnia, S., & Abdollahi, M. (2019). Safety and toxicity of silymarin, the major constituent of milk thistle extract: An updated review. Phytotherapy Research