Archive for the 'Milk Thistle' Category
Saturday, June 20th, 2015
Raloxifene is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) that is used to reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
Researchers at Washington State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro evaluated the inhibitory effects of individual milk thistle constituents on the intestinal glucuronidation (detoxification) of raloxifene.
First, the details.
- The inhibitory effects of individual milk thistle constituents on the intestinal metabolism of raloxifene were studied in the lab.
- UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1-1 (also known as UGT-1A) is an enzyme in human intestines, which along with UGT1A8, and UGT1A10 are critical to metabolizing and removing raloxifene from the body.
And, the results.
- Milk thistle components silybin A and silybin B were potent inhibitors of raloxifene metabolism.
The bottom line?
The authors concluded: “Silibinin and silymarin [the major active constituents] were predicted to increase raloxifene systemic exposure by about 5-fold, indicating a high risk of interaction. Safety of raloxifene is discussed here.
It’s understandable that these women seek CAM, including herbals, to supplement raloxifene treatment.
It needs to be studied in humans, but for now, the risk of taking milk thistle would seem to outweigh any potential benefits. Check with your healthcare professional.
6/20/15 JR
Milk Thistle | Comments Off on Milk thistle interaction with raloxifene (Evista)
Wednesday, July 18th, 2012
Silymarin (Silybium marianum), an extract of milk thistle, is often used to treat chronic liver disease.
Researchers with the Silymarin in the NASH and C Hepatitis (SyNCH) Study Group studied its effect when combined with interferon. (more…)
FDA/FTC/CDC, Liver Disease, Milk Thistle | Comments Off on Milk thistle fails in study of Hep C treatment
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011
Standard therapies are of limited value for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Researchers at Swinburne University of Technology, in Australia, reviewed the value of CAM, self-help techniques, and lifestyle interventions. (more…)
Acupuncture/ pressure, Inositol, Milk Thistle, Obsessive Compulsive, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Religion/ Spirituality, St. John's Wort, Yoga | Comments Off on CAM treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder
Monday, November 28th, 2011
The botanical extract silymarin (milk thistle,) has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties and is used by patients with chronic liver disease.
Researchers throughout the U.S. collaborated to evaluate the response to high doses of silymarin taken by mouth on disease activity in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The results were presented during the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases November Annual Meeting. (more…)
Liver Disease, Milk Thistle | Comments Off on No benefit from milk thistle to treat hepatitis C
Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) is a liver enzyme responsible for the metabolism of approximately 30% of all drugs.
Researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock studied the effect of CYP2D6 on the metabolism of several herbal supplements and the risk of drug interactions. (more…)
Berberine (Goldenseal), Black/Blue Cohosh, CAM Interactions, Echinacea, Kava, Milk Thistle, St. John's Wort | Comments Off on CYP2D6-mediated herb-drug interactions
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
Milk thistle is often used to treat chemotherapy-associated liver toxicity.
Researchers from the US studied it in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). (more…)
Cancer, Children, Liver Disease, Milk Thistle | Comments Off on Is there a role for milk thistle treatment of liver toxicity in leukemia?
Friday, May 7th, 2010
The American Botanical Council (ABC) has published a 40-page review of an emerging new product and market category called “energy shots.” The report focuses on shots sold mainly in the United States and the United Kingdom. (more…)
Ginkgo, Ginseng, Guarana, Milk Thistle, Tea | Comments Off on Reviewing “energy shot” products
Monday, March 15th, 2010
Dr. Sharon Jacob from the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Florida and colleagues reviewed the scientific support for herbals used by patients with psoriasis.
Here are the highlights.
(more…)
Aloe Vera, Blackcurrant, Capsicum, Cayenne, Chamomile, Dong Quai, Evening Primrose, G. BOTANICALS, Milk Thistle, Phobia, Saffron, Slippery Elm, Tea Tree Oil, Turmeric, Wintergreen, Yohimbine | Comments Off on Herbals to treat psoriasis: A review of the evidence
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Milk thistle is sometimes taken as a natural treatment for liver problems.
Unfortunately, most milk thistle supplements contain less than the labeled amount of silymarin. (more…)
ConsumerLab, Milk Thistle | Comments Off on ConsumerLab tests milk thistle supplements
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
Ms. Meenakshi Khatta is a nurse practitioner and associate professor at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. Nurse Khatta has reviewed the use of CAM to treat pain due to musculoskeletal conditions.
Here are her findings on herbal supplements used to treat fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. (more…)
Ayurveda, Blackcurrant, Boswellia, Bromelain, C. MIND-BODY THERAPIES, Capsicum, Cayenne, Chiropractic, Devil's Claw, Diet-Nutrition, Evening Primrose, Fibromyalgia, Ginger, Ginseng, Milk Thistle, Osteoarthritis, Phytodolor, Phytoestrogens, Pine Bark Extract, Rheumatoid Diseases, Turmeric, White Willow | Comments Off on Herbals for arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions
Sunday, January 18th, 2009
Here’s a follow-up to an earlier post on the use of CAM in the US in 2007 as surveyed by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). (more…)
Coenzyme Q10, Cranberry, Echinacea, Fiber, Flavonoids (Soy), Flaxseed, Garlic, Ginkgo, Ginseng, Glucosamine/ Chondroitin, Herbals, Melatonin, Milk Thistle, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Saw Palmetto, Tea | Comments Off on Most commonly used natural products
Friday, June 27th, 2008
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have reviewed natural health products (NHPs) and antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). Here are the results
(more…)
Cholesterol/Lipids, Diet-Vegan, Echinacea, Garlic, HIV/AIDS, Milk Thistle, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, St. John's Wort, Vitamins | Comments Off on Interactions between supplements and drugs used to treat AIDS
Friday, May 9th, 2008
Milk thistle is used as an alternative therapy for liver disease.
Researchers in Seattle, Washington examined the effect of silybin on iron status in patients with hepatitis C. (more…)
Iron, Liver Disease, Milk Thistle | Comments Off on Milk thistle, iron, and hepatitis C
Tuesday, December 25th, 2007
Researchers in the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-Term Treatment Against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) Trial looked at the use and response to silymarin (milk thistle extract) among the patients in the study. (more…)
Liver Disease, Milk Thistle | Comments Off on Response to milk thistle among people with hepatitis C
Friday, September 7th, 2007
The review article is posted on the American Family Physician website. In addition to diagnosis and pharmacological treatment, it covers diet and exercise.
CAM options are not included. (more…)
Ayurveda, C. MIND-BODY THERAPIES, Diet-Nutrition, Diet-Vegan, Exercise, Ginseng, Milk Thistle, Prickly Pear | Comments Off on Allopathic and CAM update on diabetes treatment in young people
Thursday, September 6th, 2007
A friend asked me to look into CAM treatments for fatty liver disease. I did, but found little to support milk thistle — the most often discussed CAM treatment.
(more…)
Liver Disease, Milk Thistle | Comments Off on Little support for milk thistle in liver disease
Monday, July 16th, 2007
It’s easy to fall into the trap of using names incorrectly, assuming that differences are unimportant.
Milk thistle extracts are being studied to treat cancer and lessen the side effects of chemotherapy. Here’s what we should know, terminology-wise. (more…)
Milk Thistle | Comments Off on Clarifying milk thistle nomenclature
Saturday, June 16th, 2007
At the end of 2006 I listed milk thistle as a supplement worth additional research. This was because of a study in people with diabetes where milk thistle was associated with a decline in A1c circuclating in blood.
Now, ConsumerLab.com has tested 12 milk thistle products. (more…)
ConsumerLab, Milk Thistle | Comments Off on Poor quality control with milk thistle supplements
Wednesday, June 13th, 2007
MayoClinic.com gives milk thistle (Silybum marianum seed extract [silymarin]) a “C” grade for its role in the treatment of diabetes. In other words, there is “unclear scientific evidence for this use.”
But this might change as a result of this study on the effect of milk thistle on A1c in people with type 2 diabetes.
(more…)
Diabetes Mellitus, Milk Thistle | Comments Off on Milk thistle improves A1c in people with diabetes
Monday, January 1st, 2007
Milk thistle and butterbur
Here’s why.
(more…)
Asthma/Allergy, Butterbur, Diabetes Mellitus, Milk Thistle | Comments Off on Herbals I’d like to see more research on in 2007