I could write several pages on how milk thistle could impact your health, the organ systems it influences, and the health conditions it has been used for, but for now, why is it in Eiro Pur?  It could get very technical in a hurry when trying to explain why this herb is in Eiro Pur, so , for now, let’s go over the basics.  The active constituent of milk thistle seed is Silymarin.  Silymarin consists of 4 flavonolignans called silibinin, isosilybinin, silichristin, and silidianin.  Silibinin makes up about 70% of silymarin.(1)  When consumed orally, silymarin goes straight to the liver where it undergoes enterohepatic recirculation. (Told you this could get technical in a hurry) What this means is that Silymarin goes from the liver via bile to the intestines, gets absorbed again, then back to the liver where it concentrates in the liver cells.(2)  What happens next is why Silymarin is in Eiro Pur.  Silymarin seems to cause an alteration in the outer cell membrane of liver cells (hepatocytes) that prevents toxin penetration.  It also stimulates the liver to replace old hepatocytes with new healthy ones.(3)  Now that we have healthy liver cells with cell membranes that toxins can’t get through, the silymarin is now free to protect the gall bladder and intestines during the enterohepatic recirculation, AND, once it is absorbed and gets into the blood, it can help protect the kidney cells as well.  Now in the kidney, silibinin and silichristin also appear to have a regenerative effect on kidney cells, similar to the effect on hepatic cells.(4)

So in a nutshell, here is what is happening.  As old liver cells (that are full of toxins) die off, they are replaced with healthy cells that have cell walls that toxins can’t penetrate.  The same thing is happening in the kidney.  During the enterohepatic circulation, Silymarin is helping to protect the gall bladder and intestines.  And as a side benefit, silibinin is an antioxidant, a free radical scavenger, and an inhibitor of lipid peroxidation (oxidative stress) in its own right.(5)  Silymarin has many other health benefits, but the purpose of this post is to help you understand how it helps you with detoxification and thus helps you make yourself whole.

References:

1.  Boerth J, Strong KM. The clinical utility of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) in cirrhosis of the liver.  J Herbal Pharmacotherapy 2002;2:11-7.

2.  Manna SK, Mukhopadhyay A, Van NT, Aggarwal BB.  Silymarin suppresses TNF-induced activation of NF-kappa B, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and apoptosis.  J Immunol 1999;163:6800-9.

3.  Salmi HA, Sarna S.  Effect of silymarin on chemical, functional, and morphological alterations of the liver.  A double-blind, controlled study. Scand J Gastroenterol 1982;17:517-21.

4.  Sonnenbichler J, Scalera F, Sonnenbichler I, Weyhenmeyer R.  Stimulatory effects of slilbinin and silichristin from the milk thistle Silybum marianum on kidney cells.  J Pharmacol  Exp Ther 1999;290:1375-83.

5.  Flora K, Hahn M, Rosen H, Benner K.  Milk Thistlr (Silybum marianum) for the therapy of liver disease.  AM J Gastroenterol 1998;93:139-43.