Milk thistle/Jarad

[Guest guest]

Hi Jarad;

I'm not going to come out for or against milk thistle supplements.

Some studies suggests that it is hepatoprotective in cholestatic

liver diseases, and I know that many in the group are taking it.

Here's the latest review on milk thistle:

____________________

Curr Med Chem. 2006;13(9):1055-74.

Silymarin as a new hepatoprotective agent in experimental

cholestasis: new possibilities for an ancient medication.

Crocenzi FA, Roma MG.

Instituto de Fisiologia Experimental (IFISE), Facultad de Ciencias

Bioquimicas y Farmaceuticas (CONICET - U.N.R.), S2002LRL, rio,

Argentina. mroma@....

Silymarin is a purified extract from milk thistle (Silybum marianun

(L.) Gaertn), composed of a mixture of four isomeric flavonolignans:

silibinin (its main, active component), isosilibinin, silydianin and

silychristin. This extract has been empirically used as a remedy for

almost 2000 years, and remains being used as a medicine for many

types of acute and chronic liver diseases. Despite its routinely

clinical use as hepatoprotectant, the mechanisms underlying its

beneficial effects remain largely unknown. This review addresses in

detail a number of recent studies showing a novel feature of

silymarin as a hepatoprotective drug, namely: its anticholestatic

properties in experimental models of hepatocellular cholestasis with

clinical correlate. For this purpose, this review will cover the

following aspects: 1. The chemistry of silymarin, including chemical

composition and properties. 2. The current clinical applications of

silymarin as a hepatoprotective agent, including the mechanisms by

which silymarin is thought to exert its hepatoprotective properties,

when known. 3. The physiological events involved in bile formation,

and the mechanisms of hepatocellular cholestasis, focusing on

cellular targets and mechanisms of action of drugs used to reproduce

experimentally cholestatic diseases of clinical interest, in

particular estrogens and monohydroxylated bile salts, where

anticholestatic properties of silymarin have been tested so far. 4.

The recent findings describing the impact of silymarin on normal

bile secretion and its novel, anticholestatic properties in

experimental models of cholestasis, with particular emphasis on the

cellular/molecular mechanisms involved, including modulation of bile

salt synthesis, biotransformation/depuration of cholestatic

compounds, changes in transporter expression/activity, and evocation

of signaling pathways.

PMID: 16611084

____________________

The only advice I might give is to try to find a preparation that's

alcohol-free.

Best regards.

Dave

(father of (20); PSC 07/03; 08/03)

>That is crazy about the study though I thought the extract would

help, but as I've been taking it, it seems my disease has

progressed.