Fibroids, or non-cancerous growths in the uterus, can be a hassle to live with. Women affected by this often have to deal with pain, discomfort, and the occasional heavy bleeding.
Although the root cause of fibroids is unknown, a very important piece of information is that excess estrogen in the body has something to do with it. It may not be the root cause, but this excess estrogen helps fibroids grow.
That’s why it’s now more common to use natural food and supplements to cultivate lower levels of estrogen in the body. Hence the restrictions with processed dairy and meat that are chock full of synthetic hormones.
But beyond restrictions and medicines, any uterine fibroid sufferer would be seeking a more organic form of treatment to ease the pain and discomfort.
Liver support: Enter the milk thistle
Of the many, many natural food and supplement options out there, what’s so special about milk thistle?
A plant named for its prickly leaves laced with thin, white veins, the milk thistle contains silymarin, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This is usually extracted from its seeds. The seed extract is then concentrated into an oral tablet, capsule, powder, or even liquid.
Milk thistle herb treatment is most commonly used for liver conditions. Due to its detoxifying effects, it protects the liver so it can work more efficiently.
The liver’s job, after all, is to filter excess hormones and therefore prevent hormonal imbalance. Supporting the liver would then be akin to helping eliminate the excess estrogen that triggers the growth of uterine fibroids.
How the milk thistle works on the body
A healthy liver is a liver that efficiently renews its cells. The seed extract of milk thistle encourages this through the detoxification of liver cells already damaged by toxins. Once these are cleansed, the liver can then repair itself.
This is why milk thistle is also used as a treatment for viral hepatitis, poisonous mushrooms, and alcohol-related liver diseases. It counteracts these toxins and rids the liver of the damage that’s already been done to it.
Most herbalists prescribe milk thistle to those with liver and digestive problems due to the need of the organs involved to detoxify in order to recover. This could very well work with uterine fibroids and other tumors.
Use with caution: Side effects and other reactions
However, milk thistle is not advised for those with diabetes, as it is known to lower blood sugar. It may also trigger an allergic reaction from those who are allergic to plants like daisies and marigolds, since the milk thistle is in the same plant family as them.
The most vital thing that patients with uterine fibroids must remember is that it is the seed extract that contains the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory silymarin.
It’s also vital that the extract from the plant must be seed extract, which contains the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory silymarin. Extract from the aboveground parts of the milk thistle, such as the leaves, flowers, or stem, may have more estrogenic effects.
The excess estrogen these parts of the plant could increase will surely worsen hormone-related conditions like uterine fibroids. So, one must be sure to find milk thistle seed extract, and not just anything that says milk thistle on it. Or better yet, seek the supervision of a physician.
Proper dosage of milk thistle herb treatment
Milk thistle’s standard dosage would be 420 mg taken orally every day. However, if you’d rather take it slow first, the silymarin extract from milk thistle can help detoxify the liver at 200 mg per day. Again, the best move would be to seek the advise of a physician if you’re unsure.
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