Silymarin, the active principle of the milk thistle herb, protects experimental animals against various liver-toxic substances. In this research post, silymarin was shown to be effective in fatty liver disease. To determine if silymarin extends life in liver cirrhosis patients and can be used as a liver cirrhosis treatment, a double-blind, prospective, randomized study was performed in 170 patients with cirrhosis.
87 patients received 140mg of silymarinthree times daily. 83 patients received a placebo. All patients received the same treatment until the last patient entered had finished 2-years of treatment. The mean observation period was 41 months. The 4-year survival rate was 58 +/- 9% (S.E.) in silymarin-treated patients and 39 +/- 9% in the placebo group (P = 0.036). Analysis of subgroups indicated that treatment was effective in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (P = 0.01). No side effects of silymarin treatment were observed.
Editor’s Note: This remarkable study highlights just how effective nutritional solutions can be. The silymarin treatment in this study increased life expectancy in liver cirrhosis patients by 49%. This includes patients who had alcohol induced cirrhosis. Silymarin extends life in liver cirrhosis patients, and the research indicates a wide variety of liver patients can benefit from its use.
