Fundamental Milk Thistle 300 mg
Silymarin Milk Thistle - Natural Milk Thistle Supplement
Fundamental Milk Thistle is a milk thistle supplement derived from the milk thistle plant, also known as Silymarin milk thistle. It is a relative of the common daisy and occurs in North Africa, the Middle East and in the Mediterranean. The milk thistle plant bears purple flowers on top of a crown of spines with the prickly stems typical of thistles. It has been grown for millennia for their medicinal effects and in the modern age you can buy a milk thistle supplement is available in capsule form.
Benefits of Milk Thistle
The benefits of milk thistle silymarin include antioxidant and antitoxic properties in the body and especially in the liver. There is a growing body of modern research to investigate the means of action of silymarin within the body. It is thought that this research will provide scientific evidence for many of the putative benefits of the supplement.
Liver Health and Milk Thistle
The liver is the body's largest internal organ and is the main site of action of milk thistle, although it also targets other areas such as the kidneys and bladder where it is thought to have an anti inflammatory effect. Milk thistle supplements carry out essential processes such as metabolizing toxins by breaking them down or changing their structure in order to render them ineffective, which is essential to preventing toxicity in the body. A toxic environment can occur when poisonous substances are ingested intentionally, such as with drugs or alcohol, or accidentally, such as with noxious gases or poisonous mushrooms.
The liver is also responsible for breaking down old red blood cells and synthesizing hormones and new red blood cells. It stores carbohydrate and helps in the regulation of glucose levels in the blood. It is involved in protein synthesis and digestion and in the production of blood clotting factors which are essential to stop bleeding by repairing damaged blood vessels. The liver also produces bile which enters the gut through the gall bladder. This is essential to normal digestive function, aiding the breakdown and absorption of fats. It is involved in urine production, as well being the location of many immune cells.
Such activity requires a rich blood supply from the heart, via the aorta and hepatic artery, and from the small intestine, via the hepatic portal vein; the hepatic portal vein carries the substances absorbed from the digestive tract.
Liver function is largely carried out by liver cells, also known as hepatocytes. These cells are well known for their regenerative properties, however when under stress or in excessive demand they may not be able to rejuvenate themselves quickly enough to carry out all the functions required of them. As a result the liver may suffer permanent damage which may also lead to damage in other organs or tissues. The best way to take care of the liver is to maintain a high level of antioxidants and a low level of toxins in the diet. This can be achieved with a normal healthy diet and by consuming in particular high sulphur foods such as garlic, onions and eggs, cauliflower, cabbage, lean meat and fish which aid the liver in detoxification.
Sulphur is essential in the production of glutathione (GSH) in the liver which, like milk thistle, is a crucial antioxidant involved in the combating of inflammation, in immune function and in many other important biochemical functions such as DNA repair. Taking silymarin milk thistle supplements support the role of antioxidants in the liver.
How Milk Thistle acts Within the Body
Milk thistle is known for benefiting the body by its powerful antioxidant and anti-toxic action. The benefits of milk thistle come from a mixture of flavonolignanes, collectively known as silymarin, that occur within the seeds of the plant. Like other flavonoids, silymarin is thought to act by modifying the response of the body to allergens, viruses and carcinogens. In this way it is understood to confer antioxidant, anticancer and antimicrobial properties. Silymarin milk thistle, as found in Fundamental Milk Thistle, enhances the activity of hepatocytes by protecting their cell membranes, which prevents them from damage by preventing the entrance of toxic substances.
Milk thistle supplements work as an antioxidant, preventing the oxidation of molecules. Oxidation is an essential process of the body, however an excess of these reactions leads to the production of free radicals, which in turn cause chain reactions of cell damage and ultimately cell death. Antioxidants are thought to be important in the prevention of neuro-degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. By limiting the damage to cells and hence the damage to their DNA, antioxidants may work to prevent cancer. Cancer is generally formed by the division of cells with altered or mutated DNA and this mutation may be caused by oxidation.
The Liver - A Vital Organ
Liver health is essential to good well-being. There is currently no way of substituting the function of the liver by artificial means, as it is such a complex and vital organ. The liver is at risk from a number of disorders because of the wide varieties of roles it performs and the large number of toxins that pass through it. Introducing toxins to the body by way of a high fat diet or consumption of alcohol, by accidental ingestion of toxins such as of poisonous mushrooms, or by infection of the liver by a virus, may put the liver at risk. Many of these diseases are accompanied by external symptoms such as jaundice and itchy skin, as well as internal symptoms such as poor blood sugar regulation and other metabolic difficulties. There are many associated health problems with other organs that occur as a result of poor liver function, such as enlarged gall bladder and spleen, collection of fluid in the abdominal cavity and type II diabetes.
The most common adverse conditions of the liver are hepatitis, cirrhosis and jaundice, each of which has serious implications for general bodily function.
- Hepatitis, a common liver disease, is an inflammatory condition which may be either acute (lasting a short time) or chronic (long term). It may be caused by way of viral infection or ingestion of toxins, or as part of an autoimmune infection.
- Cirrhosis is a condition characterized by scarring of the liver as a result of its regeneration and may occur as a result of hepatitis, excessive consumption of alcohol or fatty liver disease, which itself is a result of obesity, type II diabetes or high blood pressure.
- Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and eyes and is an indication of underlying disease such as, among many others, hepatitis, gall stones or pancreatic cancer.
Taking milk thistle silymarin supplements, as well as having a healthy lifestyle, ensures the enduring health of the liver and associated organs.
Milk Thistle Protects from Toxins
Milk thistle has demonstrated anticancer effects, particularly in cases affecting the colon, prostate, breast and lung. It is used in the treatment of other common conditions of the liver such as hepatitis, cirrhosis and jaundice. It is also used as a therapeutic agent in poisoning by mushrooms such as amanita (death cap), as well as other toxic agents such as alcohol. It works to aid the regeneration of damaged cells and helps to regulate blood sugar levels in cases of type II diabetes.
Silybin (also known as silibinin), the major constituent of silymarin, is used in the treatment of edema (excess fluid in the brain) and acute hepatitis. Silymarin is thought to give general protection against inflammatory and allergic conditions of the skin such as acne, eczema and psoriasis.
In conjunction with improvements in lifestyle such as eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, limiting alcohol consumption and partaking in regular vigorous exercise, taking the best milk thistle supplement available ensures that the liver is not put under stress. Taking a milk thistle supplement also maximizes the ability of the liver to deal with toxic substances and to prevent cancerous growth and inflammation.
Fundamental Milk Thistle is made in USA to assure quality, purity and safety.