Milk thistle for the stomach: how to take, benefits

What is milk thistle?

Milk thistle is a rather picky plant. It grows almost everywhere. The shrub can be found in courtyards, vacant lots, fields, on roadsides, at the border of steppes and forest belts. The second name for milk thistle is tartar. The plant belongs to the thistle family and has spiny stems that can reach 2 meters in height.

People have learned to use the medicinal properties of milk thistle for a long time. The benefits of the plant for human health are mentioned in the ancient Greek treatises of the doctors Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides.

In ancient Greece, milk thistle was actively used to treat people suffering from bites of poisonous animals (snakes, spiders and other insects). In ancient Rome, this plant was used to treat liver diseases, gallbladder diseases and even melancholy.

When the widespread struggle against witches and healers began in the world, much knowledge about the beneficial qualities of milk thistle was lost. However, even this did not stop medieval healers from using plant seeds in their practice. Thus, in Europe in the Middle Ages they were the main medicine for the treatment of hepatitis.

Modern medicine does not ignore milk thistle. It is actively used to treat diseases of the liver and gall bladder. Not only the seeds, but also the roots and leaves of the plant have therapeutic properties. They are used to renew the cells lining the bile ducts, to improve the outflow of bile, to increase the filtering capacity of the liver, and in the complex treatment of hepatitis.

Indications for use

Most often, various decoctions and infusions without alcohol based on dry raw materials, better known as meal, are used for home treatment of pancreatitis. Oil has a more pronounced laxative effect.

There are also a number of pharmaceutical herbal preparations and preparations containing milk thistle. Some medicines contain extracts and extracts of this plant.

However, natural options that are not processed specifically provide much greater benefits.

Milk thistle is included in the list of herbal remedies for chronic pancreatitis. It helps to achieve stable remission.

Reception of funds with this plant is carried out in courses. This is to prevent further exacerbation of the disease.

In the treatment of acute pancreatitis, the use of such traditional medicines is also allowed, as they contribute to the patient’s speedy recovery after surgery. In this case, you need to agree on the admissibility of such treatment with your doctor.

In general, both meal and oil do not have strict contraindications. However, you need to consider the possible risks associated with the following conditions:

individual intolerance;
epilepsy;
cholelithiasis;
exacerbation of asthma;

attack of acute pancreatitis;
appendicitis;
depressive mental disorders;
an excess of certain vitamins and minerals in the body.

If you are pregnant or treating children under 12 years of age, you should consult your doctor. Self-administration of milk thistle is not recommended to avoid unpleasant consequences!

Before deciding to take milk thistle meal for medicinal or prophylactic purposes, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

The choleretic effect of the drug causes the movement of stones, and large stones can clog the ducts. Gallstones are a clear contraindication.
There are cases where taking drugs with milk thistle caused swelling of the larynx or an attack of shortness of breath. If you suffer from lung diseases, be careful. For asthmatics, such herbal remedies are contraindicated without approval from the attending physician.
Some people may experience abdominal pain after taking a dietary supplement. This is a sign of an allergic reaction to the components of the meal, which is often accompanied by a rash or diarrhea. Allergies are another serious contraindication.
It is dangerous for pregnant and lactating women to use milk thistle meal without medical supervision.
Children can receive milk thistle meal only as prescribed by a pediatrician.

With the exception of the cases just listed, the product does not cause serious complications even with long-term use.

Sometimes a person feels heaviness in the stomach, discomfort, pain in the liver area. Another side effect may occur - loose stools. If these unpleasant symptoms persist for more than 48 hours, you should stop taking the drug.

Benefits of milk thistle

With the help of milk thistle, you can not only treat, but also prevent various diseases, including:

Diseases of the hepatobiliary system: hepatitis, biliary dyskinesia, liver cirrhosis, cholelithiasis.
Diseases of the digestive system. Treatment of diseases of the stomach and intestines becomes possible due to the renewal of liver cells. As a result, taking milk thistle has a positive effect on the course of gastritis, colitis, pancreatitis, hemorrhoids, gastric and duodenal ulcers.
Allergic diseases. It is possible to reduce the severity of allergic manifestations by cleansing the liver of toxins.
Dermatological diseases. Very often, skin pathologies are caused by disturbances in the liver. If it does not cope with its functions, then this will certainly affect the condition of the skin. It is through them that the body tries to get rid of toxins, resulting in problems such as acne, acne and allergic rashes.
Treatment of food, alcohol and drug poisoning.
Treatment of heavy metal intoxication (industrial poisoning).
Treatment of drug poisoning.
Treatment of poisoning caused by poison of animals and plants. Milk thistle can be used for bites from spiders, snakes, arthropods, or when fungal poison enters the body.

Contraindications

Although not common, problems from using milk thistle are quite possible. They are mainly associated with individual intolerance and complete disregard for contraindications. If after starting treatment you notice a significant deterioration in your condition, it is advisable to stop taking it and consult a doctor.

What are the contraindications:

Individual intolerance
Pregnancy and lactation period
Epilepsy
Mental illness
Chronic cholecystitis and cholelithiasis
Acute liver failure

The use of a plant such as milk thistle for gastritis and peptic ulcers has a highly effective therapeutic effect. Due to its chemical composition, it has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes, which promotes accelerated regeneration of cells in the gastric mucosa. For medicinal purposes, not only the fruits are used, but also the oil, root, and juice from the herbaceous part.

What happens to the liver during body poisoning?

The liver is an organ that is responsible for cleansing the body of toxins and takes part in the digestion process and metabolism. All these three functions are life-determining for a person. The entire liver is penetrated by a vascular network, through which 1.5 liters of blood passes and is filtered in just 60 seconds. Such hard work of the liver is necessary to ensure the normal functioning of the entire body as a whole. If the liver refuses to work, the person dies within a few days.

When liver cells do not function at full capacity, toxins and other harmful substances enter the bloodstream and are carried throughout the body. As a result, cardiovascular pathologies develop (atherosclerosis), the gastrointestinal tract, bones and joints suffer (arthrosis and arthritis).

Taking milk thistle during poisoning

The modern world is not only about electricity and a comfortable life. People pay for everyday conveniences with chronic poisoning. Every day a person living in a large city gets poisoned from industrial emissions and car exhaust. Rural residents suffer no less, as they are exposed to harmful herbicides with the same regularity.

Moreover, the vast majority of the adult population periodically poisons themselves with ethanol. This also includes regular use of antibiotics. Already from childhood, the human body receives poisoning in the form of vaccinations.

In this regard, all inhabitants of the modern world need to take milk thistle. This is especially true for such categories of citizens as:

People working in hazardous industries.
People living in industrial areas.
People involved in agriculture.
People who abuse alcohol (taking milk thistle after each major feast or holiday will be useful).
People with excess body weight and metabolic disorders. Milk thistle is an excellent weight loss remedy of natural origin.

The liver is the organ that has the ability to recover. Even with the removal of 70% of the organ tissue, the liver is able to function and grow in just a few weeks to the size the body needs. The speed of recovery directly depends on whether the body has “building materials” for this purpose. It is milk thistle that can provide the necessary components for the liver that will allow it to regenerate faster.

Restrictions

Milk thistle has virtually no contraindications for use. It is undesirable to use medicines from this plant for people suffering from cholelithiasis and intolerance to elements. Children under 3 years of age should not take milk thistle. Long-term use of this medicine leads to stagnation in the veins, which can provoke an exacerbation of varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Abuse or overdose of drugs containing the plant causes bloating and discomfort in the right hypochondrium.

Many summer residents have more than once seen this grass growing along with weeds on their plots. It is quite difficult to pull it out, because powerful long roots tenaciously hold the plant in the ground. It is impossible to touch it without gardening canvas gloves, since the hard, spotted leaves are covered with many sharp, prickly thorns. As it grows, it begins to bloom with small pink flowers.

This plant is one of the subspecies of thistle and is found almost everywhere as a weed: along roadsides, in fields, vacant lots and landfills, in gardens and vegetable gardens. It is completely unpretentious to soils, climatic conditions of growth and amount of precipitation. All the more surprising is the fact that this rather aggressive weed, which gardeners spend a lot of effort fighting, is a valuable medicinal plant.

The use of milk thistle in the form of medicines

Due to the fact that milk thistle is widespread throughout the world, people have the opportunity to obtain high-quality and inexpensive raw materials from it.

Milk thistle is available in the following dosage forms:

Meal (powder).
Oil in capsules or bottles.
Milk thistle extract.

Uses of Milk Thistle Powder

To obtain powder, the seeds are dried and ground. Only mature seeds are suitable for making medicine. You can prepare such a powder yourself at home, or you can purchase ready-made meal at the pharmacy.

Milk thistle powder is used not only to treat diseases of the liver and digestive organs, but also to reduce body weight, to lower blood sugar levels, and to reduce the severity of varicose veins.

The benefits of milk thistle powder are recognized not only by folk medicine, but also by official medicine. The dosage for an adult is one teaspoon 3 times a day. The powder must be taken before meals. Children under 12 years of age are prescribed 1/2-1/3 teaspoon of powder.

How to take milk thistle correctly: tips and reviews

Before starting treatment, carefully read the instructions for the drug. Talk to your doctor and find out about the appropriateness of using the medicine.

Do not take milk thistle products for longer than 40 days
You should not drink milk thistle and certain medications (see contraindications)
Try to take the decoction or tincture at the same time every day
Usually medications for the liver are taken before meals.
If you have rectal fissures, do not use the meal. It scratches the mucous membrane a little

It is not necessary to use expensive hepatoprotectors to treat serious liver diseases. Karsil and Silimar contain milk thistle extract.