Discover new content like: Full Spectrum™ Silymarin

Full Spectrum™ Silymarin - Planetary Formulas

Full Spectrum™ Silymarin - Botanical Support for the Liver

Darrell Miller

06/06/05

Date: June 06, 2005 05:01 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Full Spectrum™ Silymarin - Botanical Support for the Liver

Guess what. Nutrients cannot be used by the body in their food form–they must first be converted by the liver to their active coenzyme form. Yes, it’s your liver that determines what your body will use for fuel. For energy. Think of your liver as a kind of carburetor that prepares and cleanses the body’s fuel. It’s charged with delivering good, clean, healthy fuel to your body’s myriad engines. The liver’s other primary function is cleansing the body of toxins, a vital necessity in today’s over-processed, polluted world. Good, clean nutritious fuel...or unhealthy, toxic fuel. As your liver performs...you perform. It’s that simple. Your liver must handle everything that your body comes into contact with, via digestion, detoxification, blood sugar regulation and fat metabolism. It has to deal with everything you eat, drink and breathe. Twenty-four hours a day. Seven days a week. It’s a mammoth job. And naturally, your liver could use a little help. Enter FULL SPECTRUM SILYMARIN 80.

Supports and Promotes Natural Liver Function Silymarin is a group of biologically active constituents of milk thistle, an herb with a 2,000-year history of folk usage. Native to the Mediterranean, it is found widely throughout Europe and the United States. This tall plant with a purple flowering head and spiny, green leaves is mottled with streaks of white. The white streaks are said to have been caused by a drop of Mother Mary’s milk. Its Latin name (Silybum marianum) reflects this symbolic association. Milk thistle has been used by many notable herbalists in the past, from Roman naturalist Pliny (who said it was excellent for “carrying off the bile,” giving an early clue to its effect on the liver) to Hildegarde of Bingen, the famous 12th-century abbess. In more recent times, it was used by the Eclectic botanical physicians here in the United States. Traditionally used as a food, it is currently used widely in Europe. The most active group of constituents in milk thistle is the flavonoid complex known as silymarin. Silymarin consists of the flavolignans: silybin, silydianin and silychristin. The silymarin flavonoid concentration is highest in the oily, small, hard seeds of the plant and typically found in concentrations of 4-6%. Planetary Formulas FULL SPECTRUM SILYMARIN 80 is standardized to 80% silymarin content, the same amount utilized in most modern studies. Silymarin’s main action is on the liver, the complex organ involved in more than 500 crucial body functions. Studies have shown that silymarin is absorbed when given orally. In vitro studies with silymarin demonstrated antioxidant activity and the ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation of cellular membranes. In addition, silybin helps control histamine release from white blood cells. Silymarin also helps regulate the balance of prostaglandins in the liver. Prostaglandins are hormonelike molecules that regulate a variety of bodily functions. In today’s world, the liver is constantly challenged by inhaled chemicals and car exhaust, ingested pesticides, artificially manufactured foods, toxin exposure, alcohol, sedentary lifestyle, prescription and OTC drugs, birth control pills, smoking, junk food and low-fiber, high-calorie foods. The list goes on, and the need for liver support is substantial. Manufactured without the use of toxic solvents, Planetary Formulas FULL SPECTRUM SILYMARIN 80 delivers 210 mg of milk thistle seed extract, including 168 mg of silymarin. The benefits of silymarin have been timetested by traditional cultures and studied by modern clinical research. To maintain vital liver function, FULL SPECTRUM SILYMARIN 80 is a natural and supportive step for the body to take.

References:

1. Bisset, N.G. 1994. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals: A Handbook For Practice on a Scientific Basis. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 121-122. 2. Fiebrich, F. and Koch, H. 1979. Silymarin. An Inhibitor of Prostaglandin Synthetase. Experientia. 35: 1550-1552. 3. Miadonna, A., et al. 1987. Effects of Silybin on Histamine Release From Human Basophil Leucocytes. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 24: 747-752. 4. Morazzoni, P. and Bombardelli, E. 1995. Silybum marianum (Carduus marianus). Fitoterapia, LXVI(1): 3-42. 5. Tyler, V. 1993. The Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies, 3rd Ed. Pharmaceutical Products Press , New York, NY, pp. 209-210.

--
VitaNet ®
VitaNet ® Staff