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Silymarin might end up protecting your brain too

So many of you are taking Milk thistle (Silymarin) anyway that I thought you'd enjoy knowing it might have another positive attribute. I know these are just preliminary studies but livers and brains are both so essential...maybe it will pan out.
Ev

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Silymarin Reduces Formation of Alzheimer’s Plaque

Friday, December 03, 2010 - Byron Richards, CCN
    

Silymarin (milk thistle) is widely used in support of liver heath.  New cell and animal studies led researchers to conclude that “silymarin is a promising agent for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Your liver and your brain are your two fattiest organs by dry body.  Thus, it is not surprising that a nutrient renowned for promoting liver health may also be another highly effective brain health nutrient.

In the newest research brain cells exposed to toxicity and treated with silymarin produced much less amyloid beta protein.  Excessive production of amyloid beta protein is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.  The researchers also showed that in mice specifically bred to develop Alzheimer’s via excessive amyloid beta production silymarin given to these mice on a daily basis significantly prevented them from developing the problem.

Last month I reported on the general protective and anti-inflammatory role of silymarin in the nervous system.  Collectively, the new science is showing that silymarin is a potent brain protecting nutrient that may be able to help preserve human memory during aging.

5 Responses
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Avatar universal
Thanks for posting this, I really appreciate it.  My mother had dementia and we know that hepC can have an adverse effect on the brain so I have 2 red flags already.  Need all the help I can get.

dointime
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1431734 tn?1421011671
i will check in to it after tx, thank you. i sure want to save the few cells still functioning after tx!
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Avatar universal
Thanks for posting this - it's interesting, and hopefully we'll have more conclusive reports in the future.
Helpful - 0
1477908 tn?1349567710
Thanks Evangelin. Interesting article. I've taken MT for several years, including tx, but the jury's still out whether it's reaping any benefits or not - probably never know. I've stopped since EOT - for no other reason but because I was so tired of taking meds. I may have to look into this some more.
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Avatar universal
I've read mixed reviews about this stuff. Some studies have shown it to improve liver health, but the dosages they use are many, many times the amount you can get from taking a capsule. It was like some super-purified thing that they dosed the subjects with each week, and I believe they gave it as a shot, not via mouth.

I was taking a couple hits each day, but I had to stop for the drug trial I'm in. They said if I used silymarin in the trial, they'd BEAT ME SILY.

RBW

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