Milk Thistle Extract Benefits | Hefei Dielegance Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
What is Milk Thistle?
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a flowering plant that comes from the same family as the daisy. Also known as Mary thistle or holy thistle, milk thistle grows in Mediterranean countries and people use it to make natural remedies.
The active ingredient in milk thistle is called silymarin. Doctors mainly use the plant to treat liver problems, but some people claim it can lower cholesterol and help manage type 2 diabetes.
This article explores potential milk thistle benefits and examines whether there is any scientific evidence to support its use.
Benefits of Milk Thistle
A person may use different parts of the milk thistle plant to treat various health conditions. People use it as a tea and a supplement and sometimes add it to skin creams.
The most common use of milk thistle is for liver problems.
Other potential benefits include protecting heart health by lowering cholesterol levels and helping people manage type 2 diabetes.
Supports Liver Health
A 2016 studyTrusted Source found that milk thistle improved diet-induced liver damage in mice. The medical community needs more evidence to prove that milk thistle benefits human livers in the same way.
However, researchers theorizeTrusted Source that it does. The active ingredient in milk thistle, silymarin, acts as an antioxidant by reducing free radical production. Scientists think this creates a detoxifying effect, which is why milk thistle may be beneficial for liver problems.
Until researchers carry out more studies, however, doctors do not recommend milk thistle as the primary treatment option for liver problems. But it may be a helpful complementary treatment to try if a healthcare professional approves it.
Promotes Skin Health
Milk thistle may help to promote healthy skin. A 2015 studyTrusted Source found that it helped to improve inflammatory skin conditions when applied to the skin of mice.
Researchers also found in another studyTrusted Source that milk thistle had antioxidant and anti-aging effects on human skin cells in a laboratory environment. A 2019 studyTrusted Source also performed on cells in a lab found that the compounds in milk thistle may protect against the harmful effects of sun exposure, including slowing down skin aging.
Researchers must carry out further studies on humans to identify what benefits a person can expect from applying milk thistle to their skin.
Reduces cholesterol
High cholesterol can lead to problems with heart health and increase a person’s chance of stroke. Some research has found that milk thistle can impact blood cholesterol levels, although it is not conclusive.
A 2006 studyTrusted Source suggests that milk thistle may play a role in keeping cholesterol levels down. It found that cholesterol levels were lower in people taking milk thistle to treat diabetes than those taking a placebo.
In a 2016 studyTrusted Source, researchers fed rats a high-cholesterol diet. They gave some rats silybin (the active compound in milk thistle) at both 300 and 600 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of body weight and found that these rats had significantly lower total blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Supports Weight Loss
Initial animal researchTrusted Source conducted in 2016 found that silymarin caused weight loss in mice that scientists fed a diet intended to cause weight gain.
This suggests milk thistle may be beneficial for those looking to lose weight. Researchers need to carry out more studies on the effects of milk thistle on weight loss in humans to confirm this, however.
Reduces insulin resistance
A 2016 studyTrusted Source in mice found milk thistle extract helped to reduce insulin resistance, which is a problem for people with type 2 diabetes. Another 2020 review of research on milk thistle concluded the compound silymarin appears to be a “promising substance” for the treatment of insulin resistance, including in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Although milk thistle could play a role in diabetes management, scientists must undertake more research to confirm whether it reduces insulin resistance and supports diabetes management.
Improves allergic asthma symptoms
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease where the immune system overreacts to environmental triggers, leading to inflammation in the airways. The active ingredient in milk thistle may help to reduce inflammation.
A 2012 studyTrusted Source found that silymarin helped to protect against inflammation in the airways of mice with allergic asthma. Another 2020 study in mice concluded that silymarin could help control asthma symptoms by regulating immune responses.
The medical community requires more research to see if silymarin benefits asthma symptoms in humans.
Where to Buy Best Milk Thistle Extract?
Are you looking to buy natural best milk thistle extract at wholesale price? If so, Hefei Dielegance Biotechnology Co., Ltd. would be your trustworthy supplier and manufacturer for high quality milk thistle extract silymarin powder or best silymarin powder. For more product details, you can check information on our product page Milk Thistle Extract or contact us via email address simon@dielegancebiotech.com.
High quality bulk silymarin powder is one of our most competitive products with stocks available all year round. By providing superior quality, we establish long-term relationships with our clients.
