SmileyG3

I have had high liver enzymes my whole life and tried many different things to help, but nothing really worked in the long run. My ALT was 149 and AST was 286, that was my avereage over several years. A friend told me about this vitiman called MILKTHISLE and I mentioned it to my doctor and he kinda laughed and said that vitiman stuff does not work.....Well after about six months on this vitiman my ALT is 43 and my AST is 89 and my doctor is pretty shocked.

Just thought someone would like to know this info.

mofunk

This extract is currently in phase II clinical trials to see how it works with slowing damage from hepatitis.

Its uses are not as universal as many of the naturalist websites list, but it does appear to have some valid uses.

There is even an article on how to extract silymarin from milk thistle with hot water. Make your own!

I can see why your physician "laughed" it off. Many of the claims that these herbal-types make are too broad and either over-state the effectiveness, or just all out lie. Some herbal medicines can, and do work. Heck, tons of drugs currently being used are plant-based. But there are some excellent ones being researched right now. Silymarin is one of them. Just remember to keep track of things, as it is like any other drug. And be wary of dosages.


Aids.org does a decent job of paraphrasing its potential benefits (although most of these have not been proven yet, research has suggested it has these effects):
Silymarin protects the liver by acting as an antioxidant and by promoting the growth of new liver cells. Silymarin also helps with the digestion of fats. It appears to help keep harmful substances out of liver cells.

Milk thistle can help prevent or reverse liver damage caused by alcohol, recreational drugs, pesticides, some poisons, or hepatitis.

Silymarin has been used (especially in Europe) to treat hepatitis, liver damage due to alcoholism, and poisoning by certain types of mushrooms.

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Here is the abstract of an article from the good ol' pubmed about some interesting research. To paraphrase the paraphrase, silymarin seems to be able to protect cells from a fairly damaging toxin. Very awesome stuff.

Silymarin Protects Against Liver Damage in BALB/c Mice Exposed to Fumonisin B1 Despite Increasing Accumulation of Free Sphingoid Bases.

He Q, Kim J, Sharma RP.

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-7389.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium verticillioides found on corn and corn-based foods. It causes equine leukoencephalomalacia, porcine pulmonary edema, and liver and kidney damage in most animal species. Fumonisin B1 perturbs sphingolipid metabolism by inhibiting ceramide synthase activity leading to production of cell signaling factors including tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha. The signal pathways of TNFalpha are important factors in the pathogenesis of FB1 hepatotoxicity. In the present study, female BALB/c mice were treated daily with 750 mg/kg silymarin by gavage and 2.25 mg/kg FB1 subcutaneously for 3 days. One day after the last FB1 injection, the mice were euthanized and blood and tissues were sampled for analyses. Silymarin significantly diminished FB1-induced elevation of plasma alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities and the number of apoptotic hepatocytes, while it augmented hepatocyte proliferation indicated by an increase in proliferating cells. Silymarin dramatically potentiated FB1-induced accumulation of free sphinganine and sphingosine in both liver and kidney. Silymarin itself slightly increased expression of hepatic TNFalpha; however, it prevented the FB1-induced increases in TNFalpha, TNF receptor 1, TNF receptor-associated apoptosis-inducing ligand, lymphotoxin beta, and interferon gamma. The induction of transforming growth factor beta1 expression in liver following FB1 treatment was not affected by silymarin. These findings suggest that silymarin protected against FB1 liver damage through inhibiting biological functions of free sphingoid bases and increasing cellular regeneration.

PMID: 15103051 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

gonadman

Excellent info mofunk!

Smiley- Did your doc ever figure out the reason for the elevated enzymes?

__________________
For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel, looking, looking, ...breathlessly.
-Carlos Castaneda

Beefimator

Milk Thistle is money.

SmileyG3

gonadam- For one its hereditary and for two I have had migranes for over 12 years now and some times would average about 8 advil and or tylenol a day.