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Article: Milk thistle.(Drug overview)
- Article from:
- Pamphlet by: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (Alt Med Module)
- Article date:
- September 1, 2005
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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This fact sheet provides basic information about the herb milk thistle--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Milk thistle is a plant that is native to the Mediterranean region. It has been used for thousands of years as a remedy for a variety of ailments, especially liver problems.
Common Names--milk thistle, Mary thistle, holy thistle. Milk thistle is sometimes called silymarin, which is actually a mixture of the herb's active components, including silybinin (also called silibinin or silybin).
Latin Name--Silybum marianum
What It Is Used For
Milk thistle is believed to have protective effects on the liver and ...