 | | |
The Liver
(3 of 4)
Clinical indicators of improvement in the health of the liver include:
- assessment of general condition, appetite, epigastric discomfort,
enlargement and consistency of the liver,
- blood plasma tests.
- changes in membrane permeability are deduced from measurements of
glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT),
lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH), sorbitol dehydrogenase, and gamma glutamyl
transpeptidase (GGT)
- membranotropic properties and the excretory functions of the liver are
assessed through measurements of bilirubin, LAP, gamma-GT, alkaline
phosphatase, and bromethalein
- synthesizing ability is assessed through prothrombin, triglycerides, and
cholesterin
- measurements of mesenchymic activity include clotting factors, alpha, beta
and gamma globulin, immunoglobulins IgA, and IgG.
Clinical studies have demonstrated its value in therapy:
- One study involved 129 patients and a control group of 56 for a period
of about one month. Their conditions included toxic-metabolic liver damage,
fatty degeneration of the liver for various reasons, and chronic hepatitis.
Milk Thistle markedly changed both subjective and objective symptoms, brought a
return to normal enzymatic activities, and improved digestive disorders.
Enlarged livers diminished substantially in volume. A 50% regression in
pathological symptoms, versus 25% in controls, occurred. No cases of
intolerance, side effects, or allergic reactions were observed.
- in a double-blind study, serum bilirubin, GOT, and GPT in 28 patients treated
with silymarin were compared with those in 29 patients treated with a placebo.
The silymarin treated group were more improved than those in the control group
after the 5th day of treatment. The number of patients having attained normal
values after 3 weeks' treatment was higher in the silymarin-treated group than
in the control group.
- Toxic damage was tested in 33 patients treated with silymarin. The parameters
GOT, GPT, and g-glutamyltranspeptidase (g-GTP) were improved significantly by
silymarin, sometimes returning to normal in a much shorter time than in the
control group.
- 106 patients with liver disease, mostly induced by alcohol, were selected on
the basis of elevated serum transaminase levels and randomly allocated into the
silymarin-treated and control groups. Decreases of serum GPT and GOT in the
treated group were statistically significant over those of the controls.
- in chronic liver disease, silymarin prevented the decrease of seralbumin from
3 months of therapy to the end of the study. The histopathological findings of
focal necrosis and fibrosis were also much improved. Silymarin proved to be
beneficial in the parameters of parenchymal disorders, intralobular mesenchymal
reaction, and fibrosis.
- Long-term treatment with silymarin on chronic hepatopathies caused by
psycho-pharmaceuticals resulted in significant improvements in the liver
function parameters such as GOT, GPT, and BSP during treatment.
- two cases of food poisoning caused by flagellates responded very rapidly to
Milk Thistle, showing subjective, biochemical and histological improvements.
Therapeutic Indications
This wonderful plant is effective in many types of liver disease. The
clinical findings highlight such problems as:
- toxic/metabolic liver disease (including both alcohol & drug induced
forms),
- acute viral hepatitis,
- chronic-persistent hepatitis,
- chronic-aggressive hepatitis,
- cirrhosis of the liver,
- fatty degeneration of the liver
The best results are found in toxic-metabolic hepatitis and cirrhosis. It
shortens the course of viral hepatitis and minimizes post hepatitis
complications and also protects the liver against problems resulting from liver
surgery. This all goes to make it is an excellent remedy to use in the
prevention and treatment of many liver disorders. The earlier treatment is
commenced the better the prognosis, but effective treatment is possible at
virtually every stage. Milk Thistle arrests the course of these diseases as
well as stimulating hepatocyte regeneration.
|
|
|
|
Tell A Friend
Printer friendly version 
on 
Whilst working in conservation and lecturing in ecology and the eco-crisis for the University of Wales, David Hoffman became convinced that to heal the world, to embrace planetary wholeness and responsibility for it 
