Milk Thistle

Milk Thistle’s health benefits are not a new discovery and in fact their first medicinal use can be traced back to the ancient Greeks who used it as a liver tonic 2000 years ago. The flowing plant was originally native to the Mediterranean but is now found all over Europe and North America. Research is continuing into its possible use in reducing the growth rate of certain cancer cells, insulin resistance in type-2 diabetes and as a cholesterol lowering supplement.

How should you take Milk Thistle for Candida?

One of the questions that we’re most often asked is “How do I cope with Candida Die-Off?” Die-Off can be a combination of headaches, nausea, breakouts and many other symptoms, and unfortunately its the number one reason why people give up their Candida treatment. An herb named Milk Thistle can help, and you can take it all through your treatment.

Your body needs all the support it can get to reduce the effects of Die-Off, and that’s where Milk Thistle comes in. It is a natural supplement that both repairs your liver and protects it from future damage. The active ingredient in milk thistle is Silymarin.

Milk Thistle is a flowering plant, originally from the Mediterranean. It has been used as a liver tonic for at least 2000 years, Other possible (but as yet unproven) medical uses are for reducing the growth rate of cancer cells, lowering cholesterol and reducing insulin resistance in Type 2 Diabetes. There is even some evidence to suggest that Milk Thistle may help you recover from a nasty hangover.

How does Milk Thistle help treat Candida?

Candida Die-Off (otherwise known as a Herxheimer reaction) occurs when the Candida yeast cells are rapidly killed. This might be due to the probiotics you are taking, or perhaps you started a course of antifungals. Either way, as the yeast cells are killed they release a selection of nasty toxins into your bloodstream. These toxins accumulate in your system faster than your body can remove them, resulting in the usual Die-Off symptoms like headache, fever, muscle pain and brain fog.

When the Candida yeast is killed it can actually release up to 79 different toxins, of which the most important are Ethanol and Acetaldehyde. If your liver can’t act fast enough to remove them, these become responsible for a wide range of Die-Off symptoms. ou can see the importance of a healthy, functioning liver if you want to minimize the effects of Die-Off. That’s why Milk Thistle is such a useful supplement for Candida sufferers. Here’s how Milk Thistle supports your liver.

The active ingredient in Milk Thistle is Silymarin, which is actually a group of phytochemical compounds named flavonolignands. These compounds help your liver in a number of ways. Firstly, Silymarin stimulates protein synthesis in your liver, helping to repair damaged liver cells and restoring their function. Secondly, it actively protects your liver cells by making changes to the cell membranes. This prevents toxins from entering the cells. And thirdly, Silymarin encourages the growth of new liver cells.

It’s important to realize that Milk Thistle is no ‘quack’ cure. It is regularly used for cirrhosis, liver poisoning and viral hepatitis. Its liver-protecting properties are widely accepted in the medical community.