Benefits of Milk Thistle
Herbal medicine and Milk Thistle Supplement
Benefits of milk thistle as a herbal medicine supplement to dogs having liver diseases can be life saving. See here why milk thistle for dogs herbal medicine can have such a marvelous effect and learn about milk thistle benefits.
The liver is important. Very important. Liver support is important. The liver can repair itself if it gets some help.
Milk thistle is a plant. A thistle from Europe and used for centuries as a liver tonic. The seeds is used to manufacture the extract herbal remedies. The main active component is Silymarin. Silymarin is a complex of several flavonoids acting as natural antioxidant. The most active component is Silybin
What Does Sibylin Do ?
Prevent liver damage from toxins or chemicals
Antioxidant properties
Preventing liver glutation depletion
Helps hepatocyt (Liver cells) regeneration
Reduces liver inflammation
Less Leukotriene production
Stimulates Bile Flow
Glutation is extremely important as an antioxidant in the hepatocytes. In liver diseases there is a greater need for Glutatione. Milk Thistle acting like an antioxidant can spare Glutation. Milk thistle helps to prevent depletion of Glutatione. That's very beneficial for restoring liver function and supporting liver regeneration.
Sibylins antioxidant action helps the whole immune system as well. Free radicals is a major damaging molecule to cell membranes. To decrease the effect of these will benefit many of the immune system functions.
Support of the bile flow can help the liver remove the toxins or chemicals easier.
When To Use It ?
In all liver diseases both chronic and acute would have a possible positive benefits of milk thistle. If you give medicines that could give a raise in liver enzymes - try milk thistle. This could be epilepsy medicines or steroids. These are well known to affect the liver and raise blood level of liver enzymes. Perhaps benefits of milk thistle will be great. Maybe it could have even effects on other diseases?
In humans it has shown some positive effects on Type 2 diabetes and blood sugar level control. Lowering cholesterol levels another example and reducing some cancer cells growth a third example. Many of these are not verified in clinical trials. Maybe, we will see that happen in the future.
How To Administer It ?
Tablets, capsules or liquid extracts are available.
Which one the best? Difficult to say, but your dog should be able to take milk thistle supplement without much struggle. Perhaps it is easier to crush tablets and give it together with food. Perhaps a slight sweet liquid extract is much better? Try different ones and choose the one easiest to giver.
If you look at Milk Thistle extract on its own it can be quite difficult for the body to take up. The bioavailability is low. Therefore it can be advisable to choose one supplement where some data regarding the uptake has been done. One example is Marin capsules from Nutramax.
Nutramax has coupled Silymarin with a soybean deviate (phosphatidylcholine). This increase the uptake and the silymarin is more efficient used by the whole body.
There are many different products on the market. Many Veterinarians have nutritional supplements in their clinic. Ask your own Veterinarian about which milk thistle product he/she recommends. The benefits of milk thistle is worth to give it a try if your dog suffering any hepatic conditions
Related Pages
Hepatic Encephalopathy
Symptoms of liver diseases
Abnormal liver enzymes
Billirubin
Adenosylmethionine
Milk thistle side effects
Liver food for dogs
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