7 Reasons to add Organic Milk Thistle to your Diet

Today, several health supplements in the market come from natural herbal sources and claim to offer several benefits. Milk thistle, in particular, has been growing in popularity as a herbal supplement over the years.

Milk thistle extract containing high amounts of a plant compound called silymarin is derived from the milk thistle plant. It offers several benefits like fighting inflammation, combating viral infection, and providing antioxidants.

As such, milk thistle extract is generally taken in the form of capsules as daily supplements. Since it is a herbal supplement, it is usually considered safe to use as well.  So, why should you add organic milk thistle to your diet, and what can it do for you?

1. Can help against bone loss

Although no human studies are currently available to prove this effect, there have been experimental studies to show that milk thistle can stimulate the mineralization of bones. Thus, it can be effective, particularly for older people who are susceptible to bone damage, fragile bones, and calcium loss due to age. It can help strengthen bone development and improve bone health as well.

2. Combats insulin resistance

For people who have type-2 diabetes, insulin resistance can be a significant issue. In this case, milk thistle can help reduce insulin resistance in such patients and control diabetes better. To that end, it may be able to bring about a reduction in blood sugar levels. However, additional study is needed to support this claim entirely.

3. Helps in skin condition improvement

Organic milk thistle has anti-inflammatory properties and is also active in antioxidants. One test studied that it has effectively reduced skin problems like acne and may even be effective as an anti-ageing ingredient.

4. May help with cancer treatment

Even though only a few studies have been conducted so far, they established that milk thistle could help combat and lower cancer treatments' risks and side effects. It might even be able to aid the process of chemotherapy and might have the potential to kill cells that produce cancer.

5. Can help take care of the liver

Taking milk thistle can help protect the liver against certain toxins and help liver treatment for patients with problems like hepatitis, liver cancer, and alcoholic liver issues. Liver inflammation can be significantly healed by regularly taking milk thistle, and certain types of liver damage may also heal with time.

There is no evidence suggesting that liver disease could be prevented. However, the ingestion of milk thistle, especially if your lifestyle puts you at risk of contracting a liver disease such as cirrhosis due to alcoholism or fatty liver disease.

6. Can fight neurological damage caused by age

As people age, the brain functions tend to reduce accuracy and effectiveness, leading to neurological damage in the form of debilitating diseases like Alzheimer's. Milk thistle may use its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nature to slow down the brain decline and possibly prevent certain kinds. In general, milk thistle has been known to boost brain health and protect the neurological system over time.

Organic milk thistle has been used for centuries to combat brain function decline and continues to be relevant in this aspect. For a reliable organic source of milk thistle that is also vegetarian, you can always look at Viridian Organic Milk Thistle, the 400mg variant, where you get thirty capsules for a fair price.  

7. Improves immunity

Some studies on the benefits of milk thistle proved that it effectively boosts the immune system and can improve the immune system's overall response to fighting off infection. Milk thistle is known to employ its antioxidant properties to promote overall health and immune response.

Many also claim that milk thistle can be effective in aiding weight loss. However, there aren't any scientific studies in humans that can truly support this claim. In mice, milk thistle was also found to protect against allergic asthma conditions, but there is little evidence in human studies for this.

Other than that, milk thistle has also been seen as effective in fighting gastrointestinal issues like an upset stomach and calming stomach ache.

Possible side-effects of milk thistle

Although milk thistle is a naturally occurring extract and is mainly safe to be consumed daily in controlled measures, there can be specific possible side effects one should be aware of. Although very few people who took milk thistle regularly experienced side effects, the few who did, reported suffering from vomiting, bloating, indigestion and diarrhoea.

For certain sensitive patients, like pregnant women and people with hormone-related problems, it is recommended to exercise caution when taking milk thistle, or better yet, to avoid if unsure, just to be on the safe side. Always be sure to consult a medical professional before ingesting anything new to your body and system.

While milk thistle has certain properties that can help and cure, it should also be noted that it alone may not be the solution you seek to a more significant issue or health concern. It is a supplement and should be taken as such.

Final Note

Overall, milk thistle has been observed to be a safe and reasonable health supplement that can be taken daily by people of different age groups. Certain benefits of milk thistle haven't been proven completely yet. However, several others are known to work well, such as improving bone health, managing blood sugar levels, improving skin condition by fighting problems like acne, boosting immunity, fighting liver and neurological damage, and possibly helping cancer treatment.

Thus, milk thistle can be safely integrated into the daily diet, generally, as a capsule taken once daily or as milk thistle tea, which can be taken up to six times a day. Organic milk thistle makes for a trustworthy supplement to be taken in addition to a healthy diet and lifestyle for optimal benefit.