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Gastroenterol Nurs 2001 Mar-Apr;24(2):95-7 |
Books
Milk thistle and the treatment of hepatitis.
Giese LA.
Gastroenterology nurses and associates will find it helpful to be informed
about milk thistle (silybum marianum), a popular, safe and promising herb used
by patients with liver disease. Silymarin is a derivative from the milk thistle
plant with few side effects that has been safely used for centuries to treat
liver ailments. Since the 1970s, there has been a reemergence of the marketing
and use of silymarin. Research results of some small studies suggest silymarin
has hepatoprotective, antiinflammatory, and regenerative properties producing a
beneficial effect for some types of hepatitis. It is unclear, however, whether
silymarin might interfere with the effect of interferon or ribavirin. A well-designed,
placebo-controlled study of a larger population is needed. It is certainly
encouraging that a large collaborative study is currently underway for milk
thistle therapy in hepatitis C. This study is funded by NCCAM, the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the National
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Research
updates are available online at www.nccam.nih.gov and through the NCCAM
Clearinghouse at 1-888-644-6226.
PMID: 11847735 [PubMed - in process]
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