Milk thistle oil use in capsules: instructions and reviews

Indications for use

Milk thistle oil is used for prevention and as part of complex therapy for a whole range of diseases, due to its anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, wound-healing, immunostimulating and analgesic properties. High effectiveness is observed in the treatment of:

Of cardio-vascular system. It is recommended for patients with coronary heart disease, hypertension, or after a heart attack or stroke.
Digestive system. Diseases such as liver cirrhosis, cholangitis, cholecystitis, fatty liver, hepatitis, liver damage from toxic poisons (alcohol, heavy metal salts, drugs, plant toxic substances) are cured. The list can be supplemented with gastritis, gastrodoudenitis, ulcers, colitis, enterocolitis. Thistle oil is also indicated for hemorrhoids and anal fissures.
Skin diseases. External use of the oil is effective for burns, cuts, frostbite, bedsores, diaper rash and cracks. In this case, scars are not formed. Success is guaranteed for patients with psoriasis, weeping eczema, lichen, fungus, vitiligo, acne, and neurodermatitis.
Endocrine system. The use of thistle oil is recommended for patients with diabetes mellitus.
Reproductive system. Normalizes the menstrual cycle, restores reproductive function, treats gynecological diseases and relieves negative manifestations during menopause in women. Helps cope with prostate adenoma, prostatitis and urethritis in men.

Application for liver and kidneys:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnNtJj2a09s

Dental and ear, nose and throat applications

Milk thistle oil is widely used in dentistry to treat many oral diseases. It is used for the maintenance treatment of diseases such as stomatitis, periodontal disease and periodontitis. In addition, it helps postoperative wounds heal much faster. For the most effective treatment, you must first treat the oral cavity with a solution that disinfects, and then apply tampons soaked in milk thistle oil.

A mixture of tea tree and milk thistle helps with inflammation of the tonsils; for this, they need to be lubricated regularly until a pronounced effect is achieved. Milk thistle oil is also effective for diseases of the ears and nasopharynx. If you warm it up a little in a water bath, you can use it in your nose. You can also add tea tree oil to it - add 1 drop of tea tree to 10 drops of milk thistle.

Instructions for use

The instructions accompanying the pharmaceutical product recommend using the oil or powder as follows:

The oil from the bottles is taken three times a day, 1 teaspoon half an hour before meals.

The powder is pre-chewed and washed down with warm water. Taken 1 hour before meals in combination with 1 teaspoon of honey. Be sure to drink the mixture with warm mineral water after 20 minutes. This treatment is carried out over a course of one to two months and is indicated for cleansing the liver and gastrointestinal tract.

Milk thistle flavonoids in the treatment of liver diseases

It is difficult to classify milk thistle preparations into any specific group of medicines.

When talking about milk thistle, they often say that it has “hepatoprotective” properties.

However, the legitimacy of identifying a separate pharmacological class of “hepatoprotectors” is questionable. The very concept of “hepatoprotectors” is, by definition, not strict and is interpreted quite arbitrarily by different specialists. In the most common understanding, this is a class of drugs that, regardless of the mechanism of action, increase the functional ability of liver cells to synthesize, detoxify and excrete various biological products, and support the resistance of hepatocytes to various pathogenic influences.

The general nature of the name “hepatoprotectors” apparently reflects the insufficient depth of our knowledge about the pathogenesis of liver diseases, the mechanisms of damage, regeneration, fibrosis and malignant transformation of hepatocytes.

In many reference books and manuals, the class of “hepatoprotectors” includes activators of protein synthesis (bemitil), vitamins, nucleic acid precursors, drugs that stimulate detoxification reactions in the liver (asparagine, glutamine, citrulline), metabolites of mitochondrial respiration (malic acid, sodium succinate, cytochrome , carnitine, aminalon), drugs that reduce the proapoptotic effect of bile acids (ursodeoxycholic acid), sulfhydryl group donors (S-adenosyl-L-methionine), drugs of essential phospholipids, lipoic acid.

At the same time, it is appropriate to recall that a number of drugs of this type (mainly of plant origin) have historically firmly taken their place in the therapy of internal diseases.

Among the “hepatoprotectors”, a very significant share is occupied by preparations containing natural or semi-synthetic flavonoids of milk thistle (Silybum marianum)

. The main active ingredient in them is silymarin.

Silymarin is a mixture of three main isomeric compounds - silicristin, silydianin and silibinin. The latter prevails in quantitative content and has the highest biological activity.

Are milk thistle preparations really capable of having a therapeutic effect on liver diseases?

The positive effects of silymarin in liver diseases are traditionally associated with a pronounced antioxidant potential, as well as the so-called “membrane stabilizing” effect.

The role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of liver diseases has been intensively studied in recent years. The production of reactive oxygen species (peroxides, superoxide anion radicals) is a common phenomenon in the process of cellular respiration, but their content increases excessively under conditions of alcohol intoxication, liver damage and inflammation, deficiency of antioxidants, hypoxia, and exposure to certain drugs. Increased production of free radicals is accompanied by damage to cellular organelles and macromolecules (DNA, proteins and lipids, antioxidant systems). Under oxidative stress, peroxidation products play an important role in fibrogenesis by activating hepatic stellate cells and increasing extracellular matrix production.

Intracellular “protective molecules” that prevent the development of peroxidation reactions include enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, metal-binding proteins, “free radical scavenger” molecules (glutathione, ubiquinones, uric acid, ascorbic acid and tocopherol, lipoic acid, selenium, riboflavin , zinc, carotenoids). The metabolism of various antioxidants is closely interrelated.

In conditions of liver inflammation, the source of production of reactive oxygen species is the cells of the inflammatory infiltrate.

In addition, one of the universal mechanisms of cell damage in liver diseases is impaired mitochondrial function.

When a cell is exposed to certain substances, such as tumor necrosis factor-a (TNFa), ethanol, as well as under conditions of excessive accumulation of iron and copper, the process of oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria is disrupted, which is accompanied by the development of energy deficiency and cell death.

Disorganization of mitochondrial membranes under conditions of peroxidation may be accompanied by a “leakage” of cytochrome C into the cytoplasm and activation of the process of programmed cell death.

Despite the fact that modern scientific data regarding the importance of free radical processes in the pathogenesis of liver diseases are often contradictory, in certain clinical situations the negative pathogenetic role of mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular respiration and the development of lipid peroxidation is beyond doubt. These are primarily alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, and some cases of toxic liver damage.

The antioxidant effect of silymarin is due to its interaction with free radicals in the liver and converting them into less aggressive compounds. This interrupts the process of lipid peroxidation and prevents further destruction of cellular structures. The ability to interact with reactive oxygen species is due to the presence of a phenolic structure in the silibinin molecule.

The antioxidant effect of silymarin and inhibition of peroxidation reactions have been clearly demonstrated in vitro. Milk thistle flavonoids exhibit 10 times higher antioxidant activity than tocopherol.

Due to the presence of antioxidant properties, milk thistle preparations exhibit anti-inflammatory activity

. The therapeutic effect of silibinin was demonstrated in models of toxic liver damage in rats caused by the administration of carbon tetrachloride. In an acute experiment, with a single administration of carbon tetrachloride, the administration of milk thistle flavonoids was accompanied by a clear decrease in the severity of cytolysis and cholestasis. In a chronic experiment with carbon tetrachloride, the administration of silibinin also contributed to a significant reduction in the severity of cytolysis and cholestasis.

It is no coincidence that workers in hazardous chemical industries are recommended to take prophylactic silymarin once a day.

Milk thistle flavonoids have the most striking therapeutic effect on alcoholic liver disease.

Hungarian researcher Muzes G. et al. in a double-blind study showed that silymarin has a positive clinical effect in alcoholic liver disease

, apparently due to the antioxidant effect of this substance. Prescription of silymarin in a daily dose of 420 mg per day for 6 months. was accompanied by biochemical changes in the body, which indirectly indicate an increase in the antioxidant potential of cells and blood serum. Thus, there was a significant increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase in enterocytes and lymphocytes (with initially reduced values), an increase in the activity of glutathione peroxidase and the content of substances with sulfhydryl groups in the serum. At the same time, there was a significant decrease in the concentration of substances exhibiting oxidizing properties (malondialdehyde, etc.) in the blood serum.

For viral hepatitis C, according to Berkson BM, the administration of a “triple antioxidant regimen” (thioctic acid, silymarin, selenium) is a fairly cheap and safe method of pathogenetic treatment of viral hepatitis C and inhibition of the progression of liver damage to the stage of cirrhosis. The antioxidant effect of therapy helps suppress the inflammatory-necrotic reaction in the liver, inhibit the development of fibrosis and reduce the risk of malignant transformation of hepatocytes.

Also interesting are data on the immunomodulatory properties of milk thistle flavonoids in alcoholic liver disease. Their long-term administration (about 6 months) helps to reduce the activity of the cytotoxic link (the content of cytotoxic CD8+ lymphocytes), reduce the production of g-globulins and increase the rate of blast transformation of lymphocytes.

A number of authors consider it advisable to prescribe silymarin to patients suffering from hepatitis C, if they need to take drugs that can reduce the antioxidant potential of hepatocytes (for example, acetaminophen).

For intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, the use of silymarin can reduce the severity of skin itching.

Silymarin “stabilizes” hepatocyte membranes, reducing the cells’ susceptibility to certain pathogenic influences.

Blockade of phosphodiesterase under the influence of milk thistle flavonoids helps slow down the breakdown of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), and, as a result, reduce the calcium content inside cells, inhibiting the calcium-dependent process of activation of phospholipases.

Silibinin has the ability to block the corresponding binding sites on the cell membrane and transport systems that facilitate the transfer of toxic substances across the membrane. This is the main mechanism of the therapeutic effect of silibinin in case of poisoning with toadstool (counteracting the poison a-amantine). To treat patients with such poisonings, a readily soluble form of silibinin for intravenous administration (dihydrosuccinate sodium salt) has been developed.

An important aspect of the metabolic action of milk thistle flavonoids is also the ability to stimulate protein synthesis and support the process of hepatocyte regeneration. Silibinin stimulates RNA polymerase I in the cell nucleus, activates transcription and the rate of RNA synthesis.

At the same time, the rate of DNA transcription in malignant cells, as well as the rate of their division, does not increase, which excludes the possibility of stimulating tumor growth when prescribing milk thistle preparations.

There is evidence of a slowdown in the rate of progression of liver fibrosis during long-term use of silibinin.

Unfortunately, the anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects of milk thistle preparations are currently not confirmed by the results of multicenter randomized controlled trials, and the available data are obtained from the results of individual observations. The effectiveness of silymarin should be assessed according to the principles of evidence-based medicine.

It is advisable to prescribe milk thistle derivatives to patients suffering from liver diseases (mostly chronic): hepatic steatosis, acute or chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis of various etiologies. Caution should be exercised when prescribing them to patients with clearly defined intrahepatic cholestasis: there is information about the possibility of increasing bile stagnation under the influence of drugs.

It has been noted that both acute and chronic liver diseases are often accompanied by the development of concomitant biliary dyskinesia. Biliary dyskinesia is the leading cause of pain in the epigastric region and right hypochondrium with steatosis, hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver, often with characteristic irradiation to the right half of the chest, right shoulder blade and a clear connection with the intake of fatty, fried foods.

The development of biliary tract motility disorders often dictates the need to prescribe to the patient drugs that have a mild antispasmodic effect on the smooth muscle cells of the biliary system.

Silymarin directly has choleretic properties due to the presence of both choleretic and cholekinetic effects. Choleresis develops due to increased secretion of bile acids and electrolytes by hepatocytes. The cholekinetic effect is associated with a decrease in the tone of the biliary sphincters.

However, many of the drugs, the main active ingredient of which are milk thistle flavonoids, contain components of other medicinal plants that have a combined effect on the composition and outflow of bile: moderate choleretic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effects.

The main active ingredient from the family of medicinal flavonoids of milk thistle - silibinin - is included in various drugs: Sibektan, Legalon, Siromin, etc. The differences between these drugs consist in the quantitative ratios of flavonoids, as well as in combinations of milk thistle with other drugs, usually having a choleretic or antiseptic effect.

The drug Sibektan

contains dry extract of tansy, milk thistle fruits, St. John's wort and birch.

St. John's wort herb contains tannins from the catechin group (tannins, flavonoids, essential oils), which have an astringent and anti-inflammatory effect on the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.

Tansy flowers also contain various flavonoids, essential oils and organic acids, which have a choleretic effect (increase the contractile activity of the gallbladder).

Birch leaf extract also has an antiseptic, mild choleretic and distinct diuretic effect.

Sibektan is successfully used in the treatment of chronic cholecystitis and hypotonic dyskinesia of the gallbladder. It is prescribed for hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver to prevent the progression of the process.

Considering the presence in the drug of substances with quite pronounced cholekinetic activity that can enhance the motor function of the gallbladder, Sibektan should be prescribed with caution in case of cholelithiasis.

Milk thistle flavonoid preparations are prescribed mainly orally, half an hour before meals. They are quickly and completely absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Plasma protein binding is weak. Excreted mainly in bile, to a lesser extent in urine; the half-life is about 6 hours. They are actively included in the enterohepatic circulation, which seems to be an advantageous pharmacokinetic parameter.

The duration of treatment courses is from 25 days to 1.5 months. Repeated courses are possible.

Numerous studies have established that milk thistle preparations belong to the category of low-toxic substances and in therapeutic doses do not have a damaging effect on the main organs and systems of the animal and human body.

When prescribing, the possibility of developing allergic reactions to plant components should be taken into account.
Literature:
1. FARMIndex: PRACTITIONER, issue 3 – St. Petersburg: FARMIndex LLC, 2002 – 136 p.

2. Berkson BM. A conservative triple antioxidant approach to the treatment of hepatitis C. Combination of alpha lipoic acid (thioctic acid), silymarin, and selenium: three case histories. Med Klin 1999 Oct 15;94 Suppl 3:84–9.

3. Deak G, Muzes G, Lang I, et al. Immunomodulator effect of silymarin therapy in chronic alcoholic liver diseases. Orv Hetil 131:1291–1292;1990.

4. Feher J, Deak G, Muzes G, et al. Liver–protective action of silymarin therapy in chronic alcoholic liver diseases. Orv Hetil 130:2723–2727; 1989.

5. Ferenci P, Dragosics B, Dittrich H, Frank H, et al. Randomized controlled trial of silymarin treatment in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. J Hepatol 9:105–113; 1989.

6. Lang I, Nekam K, Deak G, et al. Immunomodulatory and hepatoprotective effects of in vivo treatment with free radical scavengers. Ital J Gastroenterol 22:283–7; 1990.

7. Magliulo E, Gagliardi B, Fiori GP. Results of a double blind study on the effect of silymarin in the treatment of acute viral hepatitis, carried out at two medical centers. Med Klin 73:1060–1065; 1978.

8. Muzes G, Deak G, Lang I, et al. Effect of silimarin (Legalon) therapy on the antioxidant defense mechanism and lipid peroxidation in alcoholic liver disease (double blind protocol). Orv Hetil 131:863–866; 1990.

9. Reyes H, Simon FR. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy: an estrogen–related disease. Semin Liver Dis 13:289–301; 1993.

10. Salmi HA, Sarna S. Effect of silymarin on chemical, functional, and morphological alterations of the liver. A double–blind controlled study. Scand J Gastroenterol 17:517–521; 1982.

How to take oil capsules

Capsules are a convenient form of release that facilitates the application process and allows you not to tie them to the time of meals. Oil capsules are not chewable. Consume with a small amount of warm liquid. The dose and course of treatment is determined by the nature of the disease and the age characteristics of the person. On average, it is recommended to take 4 capsules three times a day, preferably with meals, for one or two months. The duration of the course is determined by the attending physician.

Analogs

Similar food additives from different manufacturers are considered analogues of the drug. You can find both imported capsules and domestic ones such as “Realcaps”, “Your Life Line”, etc.

You can also find tablets with other names, but similar composition. For example, Silimar is a dry milk thistle extract in tablets. A more expensive remedy is Silibinin, also available in tablet form. Capsules with an extract from thistle fruits are called Legalon in pharmacies.

Use during pregnancy and breastfeeding

The beneficial properties of thistle oil and its effect on all body systems, without exception, are often the reason for its use by women during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
However, the effect of the product on the developing fetus may be diametrically opposite and cause harm instead of benefit. A baby in the womb or a newborn receiving the drug with milk may be among those for whom taking milk thistle oil is strictly contraindicated. That is why taking the oil during pregnancy and lactation is undesirable, as most instructions for using the drug indicate. However, there are no rules without exceptions. There has been no evidence of adverse effects from the use of the oil during pregnancy and lactation in animals. Therefore, admission is still permissible if the benefits of treatment significantly exceed the possible risks for the child.

Application in cosmetology

This plant has been used for cosmetic purposes for many centuries. The fact is that the substances it contains stimulate tissue renewal and also have an excellent effect on the condition of the skin. That is why milk thistle oil is used in cosmetics and in its pure form to maintain elasticity and good skin color.

It serves as good protection for the skin during cold weather or summer heat. With regular use, the skin becomes noticeably firmer, clearer and more elastic. The use of the oil is universal - it is well suited for all skin types, but the effect is most noticeable on dry and tight skin or in case of inflammation and rashes.

To help dry or oily skin, simply massage your face and décolleté with milk thistle oil. It is advisable to leave it for several hours or even overnight if possible. This way the effect will be most noticeable.

With regular use, this natural cosmetic product in combination with massage helps to rejuvenate the skin, saturate it with vitamins, make it more elastic and radiant.

If you don’t want to use the oil in its pure form, you can simply add a few drops to your usual cosmetic products to achieve an additional effect. You can mix it with almond or olive oil, then the effect will be multiplied. This mixture can be used instead of moisturizer - an effective, natural and inexpensive remedy.

Mask recipes

Milk thistle and avocado oil, or milk thistle and tea tree oil

These mixtures give a lifting effect, removing fine wrinkles. For 3 parts milk thistle you need 1 part additive, the mixture is heated and applied as a cream or mask. To make a mask, soak gauze well with the mixture, place it on your face or décolleté and leave for 30-60 minutes, then rinse with water without using cleansers.

Milk thistle and grape seed oil

This will be good protection against cold and chapping, as well as sunburn. Can be used just on the face or on the whole body if you're going to the beach.

For different ages

Milk thistle oil helps soothe the skin and reduce inflammation, which helps with teenage skin problems.

Mature skin can be protected from aging, including that associated with an imbalance of hormonal levels, which often occurs during menopause.

The oil also acts as a preventative against spider veins on the skin, thanks to the minerals and vitamins it contains, which help strengthen the walls of blood vessels, even the smallest ones.

The nutritional properties of the oil will be a real salvation for those people who suffer from dry skin and cracks on their feet and hands. With its help, you can heal small wounds, tighten and soften cracks, as well as heal calluses and irritations on the skin. It is especially effective when used daily. The same property can be used if you apply oil to your lips every day - they will not dry out and crack in the cold.

In addition, you can use the oil to combat cellulite by regularly adding it to massage mixtures. It increases blood circulation, thereby stimulating the breakdown of fats and helping to fight the “orange peel”. For massage, you can add lemon, rosemary, lavender or geranium oils.

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But in its pure form, the oil also helps to stimulate hair growth - it can be used in the same way as burdock, rubbed into the scalp and left for several hours. The main thing is to do this regularly, every other day or every time you need to wash your hair. Keep the mask on for several hours and then rinse well. The course of such treatment should be carried out for 1 or 2 months. Also use it on your nails: rub the oil directly into the nail plate - this will help strengthen them and stimulate growth. In addition, if you have a problem with your hair or nails, it will be useful to take milk thistle oil internally, because. such problems are often associated with hormonal imbalance.

Milk thistle oil and children

The properties of thistle oil to have a mild effect on the liver, normalize metabolism, strengthen the immune system, enhance intestinal motility, without causing addiction, suggest its unhindered use for treating children. The opinion of doctors in this case is unanimous: the drug can be used only after consultation with a specialist . In addition, several rules must be followed to avoid negative results:

Do not give oil to children under three years of age;
Use meal if the child is under 12 years old;
Use oil in capsules after no earlier than twelve years.

Oncology treatment

Milk thistle oil can be very effective in fighting cancer, especially if the formation of a tumor is associated with an imbalance in hormonal levels. In particular, doctors recommend using it for those undergoing chemotherapy, as it can reduce the side effects of this aggressive treatment.

In some cases, with regular use of milk thistle oil, tumors in the body are isolated, sometimes even reduced in size. Of course, this does not mean that it can cure cancer, but if used regularly, cancer treatment will not be so dangerous. This means that milk thistle oil in this case works as an adjuvant, and is quite effective.

Interaction with other drugs

Like all active agents, milk thistle oil can have a noticeable effect on the action of a number of medications.

Strengthening the action

Antibiotics, especially erythromycin or rifampin;
Antihistamines astemizole and seldan;
Cardiac drugs tambacor and rhythmol;
Ergot preparations;
Antipsychotic drugs clozaril and orap.

Decreased action

The hormone estrogen;
Lorazepam;
Mepron.

If the patient is taking any medications, he must inform the attending physician about this so that the oil in capsules can be prescribed in optimal doses with the time of treatment adjusted.

Contraindications

Overall, milk thistle oil is not harmful and can be used by almost everyone. In very rare cases, individual intolerance occurs, so you should consult a doctor if you have previously experienced allergic reactions. You should also not use it if you are experiencing an exacerbation of chronic diseases, especially cholecystitis or kidney stones.

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Reviews from patients and opinions of doctors

Lina Ch.
“I decided to lose weight with oil capsules. My appetite has decreased, and in a month I lost more than six kilograms!”

Raisa E.

“I started taking capsules during my evening meal, no later than six o’clock. The result became immediately noticeable. The intestines were easily cleansed and the weight gradually melted away. I drink for three weeks, and then rest for the next two. Then I repeat the course. In four months I managed to lose fifteen and a half kilograms!”

Natalya Sh.

“I drank for two weeks and my liver still hurt constantly. I decided not to quit and it’s good that I didn’t quit. The result is amazing!

Oksana M.

“I just ate the capsule and an hour later swelling of the larynx developed. The husband barely managed to call an ambulance. Diagnosis: Quincke's edema. So I have an individual intolerance to milk thistle. You can't drink."

Application for hair treatment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmsmgvNKdPk