Douglas Laboratories Silymarin/Milk Thistle Extract 150 Mg

Silymarin/Milk Thistle capsules from Douglas labs may be a useful nutritional supplement for individuals who wish to support healthy hepatic function through the natural protective and regenerative properties of this herb.

• Supports liver function
• Each capsule contains 150mg of milk thistle extract, standardized to contain a minimum of 80% of the flavonoid silymarin (120mg).

Milk thistle, a common herb native to the Mediterranean, has been widely used for its nutritional support of liver function for over 2000 years. Milk Thistle is a significant source of silymarin, a powerful bioflavonoid complex that has antioxidant, protective and regenerative support functions in the liver.

Fruits (often mistakenly referred to as seeds) of the dried milk thistle flower are rich in three flavonolignins: silybin, silydianin, and silychristin. Together, these are known as silymarin, the bioflavonoid complex responsible for milk thistles powerful protective and regenerative support activities in the liver.

Silymarin supports enhancing normal, healthy hepatic function through three primary actions. Silymarin supports protecting liver cells by blocking hepatotoxic substances from crossing cell membranes, serves as an antioxidant, and stimulates cell regeneration.

Silymarin also provides support to liver cells by acting at the cell membrane. By binding to the outer membrane, silymarin may support preventing harmful toxins from entering the cell, thereby protecting against liver intoxication.

Silymarin appears to be useful support in protecting the liver from deleterious effects of both acute and chronic toxin exposures, including that of ethanol, hepatotoxic medications, such as excessive acetaminophen, poisonous fungi, and environmental pollutants.

Silymarin may also support protecting the liver as an important component of the livers antioxidant defense. The liver generates potentially damaging, toxic free radicals and reactive oxygen species (e.g., peroxides) as a result of its normal metabolic and detoxifying functions. As an antioxidant, silymarin provides support for quenching free radicals, thus protecting against lipid peroxidation. Further, silymarin supports enhancing levels of glutathione and superoxide dismutase, two primary antioxidants in the liver.

As a consequence of its antioxidant activities in the liver, silymarin provides support for decreasing the free radical quenching load of glutathione, thus sparing it from depletion. Similarly, silymarin may support sparing superoxide dismutase in the liver cell, thereby potentially increasing both the amount and activity of superoxide dismutase in both hepatic and red blood cells.

In addition silymarin may be useful support for stimulating damaged liver cells to regenerate. In the cell nucleus, silymarin activates ribosomal RNA via RNA polymerase1, leading to increased production of ribosomes. By augmenting the production of ribosomes, the cell organelle responsible for protein synthesis, silymarin stimulates protein synthesis in the damaged cell. This may result in expedited cell regeneration, the replacement and repair of damaged cells.

Milk Thistle is a significant source of silymarin, a powerful bioflavonoid complex that has antioxidant, protective and regenerative support functions in the liver. Milk thistles role in supporting healthy liver function is well documented in the scientific literature.