Milk Thistle

Excerpt

Herbal products have become increasingly popular, especially among those with chronic diseases. Herbalists and clinicians alike used the milk thistle for hundreds of years to treat a wide range of liver pathology, including fatty liver disease, hepatitis, cirrhosis, and to protect the liver from environmental toxins. Today, millions of people consume milk thistle to support healthy liver function. Researchers have focused their efforts on studying silymarin, a mixture of flavonolignans extracted from milk thistle, and the most active ingredient of this extract, silybin. This activity will highlight the mechanism of action, adverse event profile, pharmacology, monitoring, and relevant interactions of milk thistle, pertinent for interprofessional team members in the treatment of patients with conditions where it might be of clinical value.