Detoxify with Milk Thistle after celebrating Diwali

The toxins we’re exposed to thanks to pollution also wind up in the liver and can harm it. But milk thistle heals and detoxifies this vital organ, writes Shikha Sharma

brunch Updated: Oct 29, 2016 18:13 IST

Shikha Sharma
Hindustan Times

Milk thistle, so called because it has leaves as white as milk, is found all over the world, and has been used to cleanse the liver for at least 2,000 years(Shutterstock)

Let’s face it: even the most austere of us tend to over-indulge during the festive season – and then live to regret it, thanks to digestive and other problems.

However, there is a way out, and as I do an occasional column on herbs that heal, this is the best time for me to tell you about milk thistle, a herb that removes toxins from the liver and hence sorts out all sorts of problems.

Milk thistle, so called because it has leaves as white as milk, is found all over the world, and has been used to cleanse the liver for at least 2,000 years. The liver is the seat of health: its job is to extract vitamins and minerals from the food we eat, and send them all over the body to help maintain and rejuvenate body functions and tissues.

The toxins we’re exposed to thanks to pollution also wind up in the liver and can harm it. But milk thistle heals and detoxifies this vital organ.

Milk thistle’s active compound is silymarin, which is available at chemist stores as tablets.

Though milk thistle is a safe herb to consume, be sensible and consult your doctor before you start taking the tablets.

Milk Thistle helps to lower cholesterol, cleanses the liver and boosts metabolism (Shutterstock)

These are the primary benefits of milk thistle:

1.It lowers cholesterol naturally.

2.Because it detoxifies the liver, it boosts metabolism.

3.It helps ease water retention in a natural and gentle way.

4.If you suffer from a liver disease or disorder, it’s the best herb you could take.

5.It helps protect your liver against damage caused by alcohol.

6.Since it purifies the blood, it gives you clearer skin.

7.Milk thistle helps the liver balance bile, which makes it good for patients with gall bladder stones.

8.It eases the effects of long-term use of antibiotics or steroids, both of which have a negative impact on the liver.

9.It works very well for women who have hormonal imbalances. This is due to a liver function that breaks down the end products of hormone production and cleans out the waste.

From HT Brunch, October 30

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First Published: Oct 29, 2016 18:12 IST