What is milk thistle?

I take milk thistle before i go out drinking, i never have a hangover the next morning...it's awesome

Milk thistles are thistles of the genus Silybum Adans., flowering plants of the daisy family (Asteraceae). They are native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Thistle Flower
Thistle Flower

Members of this genus grow as annual or biennial plants. The erect stem is tall, branched and furrowed but not spiny. The large, alternate leaves are waxy-lobed, toothed and thorny, as in other genera of thistle. The lower leaves are cauline (attached to the stem without petiole). The upper leaves have a clasping base. They have large, disc-shaped pink-to-purple, rarely white, solitary flower heads at the end of the stem. The flowers consist of tubular florets. The phyllaries under the flowers occur in many rows, with the outer row with spine-tipped lobes and apical spines. The fruit is a black achene with a white pappus.

Only two species are currently classified in this genus:

* Silybum eburneum Coss. & Dur., known as the Silver Milk Thistle, Elephant Thistle, or Ivory Thistle
o Silybum eburneum Coss. & Dur. var. hispanicum
* Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertner, the Blessed Milk Thistle, which has a large number of other common names, such as Variegated Thistle.

The two species hybridise naturally, the hybrid being known as Silybum × gonzaloi Cantó , Sánchez Mata & Rivas Mart. (S. eburneum var. hispanicum x S. marianum)

A number of other plants have been classified in this genus in the past but have since been relocated elsewhere in the light of additional research.

S. marianum is by far the more widely known species. It is believed to give some remedy for liver diseases (e.g. viral hepatitis) and an extract, silymarin, is used in medicine. The adverse effect of the medicinal use of milk thistle is loose stools.

Health Benefits

Milk thistles are believed to have protective effects on the liver and to improve its function. They are typically used to treat liver cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis (liver inflammation), and gallbladder disorders. Treatment claims also include:

* Lowering cholesterol levels
* Reducing insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes who also have cirrhosis
* Reducing the growth of cancer cells in breast, cervical, and prostate cancers
* Milk Thistle is also used in many products claiming to reduce the effects of a hangover.
* Milk Thistle can also be found as an ingredient in some energy drinks like the AriZona Beverage Company Green Tea energy drink.
-------------------------
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_thistle

Milk Thistle is an herb that has been said to be incredibly good for your liver. One some programs I heard from Mark Hyman and Marc David they said that if Milk Thistle was a drug it would be at the top of the market. I appear to be having liver problems, so I'm about to give it a try..lol

It is a liver tonic.

"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."

"Milk thistle is believed to have protective effects on the liver and improve its function. It is typically used to treat liver cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis (liver inflammation), and gallbladder disorders. Treatment claims also include:

Lowering cholesterol levels
Reducing insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes who also have cirrhosis
Reducing the growth of cancer cells in breast, cervical, and prostate cancers"
Source and further information:
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/milkthistle/