# milk thistel



## squrts (Aug 14, 2000)

my nurse in the FM clinic told me to take milk thistle,along with a fiber drink,for diahrria.it works somewhat,but nothings 100 percent.denny


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## Guest (Oct 15, 2000)

Denny and everyone,This is an interesting plant and the information I'm about to give is from The Readers' Digest book, "Magic and Medicine of Plants", 1986. The book has beautiful pictures of the various herbs and plants. It says:==================================="Milk ThistleSilybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.Marian Thistle - Composite Familly - CompositaeLike athletes in training, European wet nurses once kept to a special diet, which included milk thistle. The plant increased lactation, they believed, because the white veins that mottled its leaves represented drops of the Virgin Mary's milk, fallen there when she nursed the baby Jesus. This homely belief imposed no hardship apart from the chore of removing the spines; without the, the plan makes a wholesome and delicious food that has long been popular in France.Apart from its imaginary power to promote lactation, one of the severa medical virtues tradditionally ascribed to milk thistle turns out to have a factual basis. The first-century A.D. Roman naturalist Pliny stated that the plant was "excellent for carrying off bile." In other words, it restores impaired liver function. This has been demonstrated by modern research. The plant contains the chemical substance silymarin, which has a dramatic regenerative effec on the liver. By stimulating the growth of new liver cells, the substance promotes self repair in a damaged liver. It supplies an antidote to the death cap mushroom (_Amanita phalloides_), which kills its victims by destroying liver cells.Habitat: Fields, roadsides, waste placesRange: Native to the Mediterranean region, milk thistle is naturalized i North American mainly on the Pacific Coast, from British Columbia to California, and in the East from Ontario to Alabama.Identification: A annual or biennial herb growing up to 6 feet tall, milk thistle has coarse, lobed, prickly-edged leaves streaked with conspicuous white veins. Crimson to reddish-violet flowers (May-June) are borne in solitary heads, 2 inches across surrounded by prominent, spiny bracts.Uses: The fruit is the source of silymarin, a liver regenerative drug used in the treatment of hepatitis and cirrhosis and in death cap mushroom poisoning and other forms of liver poisoning. Herbalists say the whole plant is good for both appetite and digestion. Milk is used as a salad green and cooked vegetable."I thought that was kind of interesting. Hope you all enjoyed it.calida


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## squrts (Aug 14, 2000)

linda,your a neverending fount of information.thanks.denny


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## NickT (Oct 3, 2000)

Squrts, I found your nurse's advice very interesting. I have known about milk thistle for sometime and have recently begone to suspect some sort of liver malfunction as the source of my malaise.Both my mother and wife have had hepatitis. My mother died from liver cancer, and it's seems that I have also picked up some of my mother's auto-immune conditions.I found this very intersting web site about the liver and would like to share it with you. http://www.liverdoctor.com/liverquestionnaire.shtml Calida, you might also be interested in reading about their take on trans-fatty oils.Nick


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## squrts (Aug 14, 2000)

i also take after my mother,got ALL her bad traits,and my dads too.


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2000)

Hello everyone,Nick, thanks for the website re: liver malfunction. Years ago I was diagnosed with high cholesterol and elevated triglyceride levels. Yes, I very much suspect that I have problems in that area and I am starting to try to address them with diet. Lots of good information on this site.Denny, I really understand where you are coming from as far as inherited traits from parents and forebears. It just makes our job that much harder and sometimes we get tired of fighting. Of course, to fight or not to fight is a personal choice. My main reason for continuing to fight is that I just want to feel better NOW. I am not enlisting the aid of any doctors right now to help in the fight either. Other than in a crisis situation or needed surgical intervention, I have little or no confidence in them.calida


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## moldie (Sep 25, 1999)

Funny you should mention this. It was at the top of the page, and I clicked on it right away. I had just been to Walmart and picked up some, but pondered over whether it was truly worth the $8.0? for 30tabs. I have been taking it for a year or two on and off. I just didn't know if it was doing anything or not. Thanks for the interesting info. calida and NickT. I am still on Diflucan which can cause liver damage and have been for the past two years, taking 1-2 100mg tabs/wk. The doctor said at this low dose it shouldn't be anything to worry about. Of course, I still worry anyway, considering what the long-term of Amoxicillin did to me. Guess, I'll just carry on. Haven't heard of any possible side-effects from taking milk thistle, have any of you? [This message has been edited by moldie (edited 10-17-2000).]


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## NickT (Oct 3, 2000)

Spurts, thank God the baldness gene follows the father, instead of the mother. I did inherit a great head of hair at least.Moldie, "Diflucan" sorry I've never heard of it.Amazing watching tv commericals for drugs these days. One of the ones that really stands out in my mind, is the guy who is driven to his doctor by his wife, and the wife asks how's the cholestrol, and the guy sez it's high, and diet and exercise haven't brought it under control, so his dr has reccomended a new drug to lower it.Then we get speedy talking voice over guy, who sez, "Your dr will check your liver, coz this med could damage your liver."Then in fine print, we see the legend, using this product to lower your cholestrol, has not been shown to reduce heart attacks, or heart disease.And the benefits of taking this drug are ???Honey, my numbers look great! But now I've gotta get a liver transplant.


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## squrts (Aug 14, 2000)

i must admit i got my mothers teeth and my fathers hair,thoses are both ok.the rest are poop.


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## Guest (Oct 17, 2000)

Nick, I had to laugh at your t.v. commercial (until the reality of it set in.)In my comment above about losing confidence in doctors, that was BEFORE I found the following. After reading this, I think my lack of confidence is not misplaced. http://www.mercola.com/2000/jul/30/doctors_death.htm calida


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