Milk Thistle and Hepatitis C: How to Deal with the Latter More Efficiently

Milk thistle and hepatitis C—is there any connection between the two? The answer is a resounding yes. Whether you already have the illness or you at a high risk, it's important for you to know how this herbal plant can help you out in managing your disease more effectively.

Get to Know More about Milk Thistle

Milk thistle belongs to the thistle family. The plant usually grows in the Mediterranean region, as well as in some parts in Asia and Europe. It derived its name from the milk thistle extract, which is creamy and, well, milky to look and feel. The extract is sometimes called silymarin extract because of its active biocomponent.

Milk thistle Health Benefits

This has been utilized for thousands of years when it comes to various illnesses, particularly those that concern the bladder and the liver. One of the basic uses has something to do with liver cirrhosis or liver damage caused by excessive use of alcohol. Milk thistle for liver may also include the treatment of hepatitis C.

Unlike hepatitis A, which is much easier to treat, hepatitis C is far more serious and definitely life threatening if not treated over time. Though it's possible that the patient can opt for a liver transplant should liver failure become imminent, almost always the virus that leads to this chronic illness comes back. Thus, technically, medical experts consider the viral sickness as chronic and incurable. However, that doesn't mean it's not treatable.

Silymarin in milk thistle can help in the detox process of the liver. This means that it can aid getting rid of the toxins and metals that are building up in the organ, such as cadmium, arsenic, and lead. Of course, it offers a good amount of protection against viruses since it has antioxidants that are specifically meant for the liver.

It can also assist in generating healthier liver cells for the organ, thus, prolonging the use of it and delaying the damage and failure to a much longer time.

If you're taking anti-psychotic medications, you may discover that the same antioxidants of the milk thistle can greatly reduce the damage caused by the said treatment drugs.

The extract can also be a good protector for the heart by preventing or reducing the possibility of having arteriosclerosis. It contains an ingredient called B-sistosterol, which can bring down then level of cholesterol in the blood. This can be healthy for the liver as well, as it can also get affected by the continuous increase of bad cholesterol.

Though it rarely happens, you can take silymarin if you suffer from mushroom poisoning. This is extremely dangerous since it can kill a person within the next 24 hours. However, you can reverse the effects by taking milk thistle. It inhibits the toxin's receptors.

Supplements

To effectively deal with milk thistle and hepatitis C, you have to find the most ideal supplements, and so far there are two that are considered to be excellent. One is called Maximum Milk Thistle, which is hypoallergenic and contains 240 mg of silybin phytosome. The other is Total Balance Women's Premium milk thistle capsules that have 100 mg of milk thistle extract.

• Tips on Getting Your Own Milk Thistle Supplements
• Benefits Of Milk Thistle. Taking Care Of Your Liver
• What Are the Different Milk Thistle Side Effects?