​Silybum marianum (its Latin name) is a thistle found throughout North America whose seeds are used to support the liver’s functions. The liver plays a lot of important metabolic roles, one of which is to assist the body in converting toxins into substances that the body can eliminate.  This organ can usually handle large toxic loads, as we encounter plenty of toxins frequently and every day and without ever taking a sip of alcohol (think smog, cleaning supplies, artificial fragrances, and pesticides).

While your green beer may taste great and not at all like a chemical, the reality is that alcohol is toxic to the liver (not a revelation to you, I’m sure). This toxicity comes from the buildup of Acetaldehyde, which is an enzyme used along with Glutathione (an antioxidant) to break down alcohol into acetate (a harmless substance) which can then be eliminated from the body. When you drink too much, your Glutathione levels decrease and you don’t have enough for this important breakdown process to occur. Too much Acetaldehyde builds up, and along with increased urination and dehydration, is responsible for those hangover symptoms. If you drink a little, the liver can probably sufficiently process the alcohol out. If you drink a lot, this becomes more difficult for the liver to do. If you drink a lot AND do it frequently, you are likely doing some damage to your liver.

Overdoing the amount of toxins you ingest or are exposed to –  coupled with insufficient protection of the liver – can lead to liver diseases such as fatty liver, cirrhosis, or cancer. In order to protect the liver, herbalists often recommend plants with hepatoprotective actions (“hepatics”). One way that hepatics protect the liver is by altering its outer cell membranes sufficiently to disallow the entrance of toxins into these cells.  Hepatics also inhibit free radicals from oxidizing necessary fatty acids, and aid in synthesizing proteins. They can also stimulate liver cell regeneration.  A hepatic basically helps to keep liver damage at bay.  

Milk Thistle is a premier hepatic/hepatoprotective plant that has been extensively studied by both Western herbalism and Western medicine. Milk Thistle has other important herbal actions besides being hepatoprotective – it is also considered a bitter which can stimulate the creation of bile by the liver, and a cholagogue which means it helps the gallbladder release bile that is stored there when it is needed for digestion. Good digestive function is a cornerstone of good health.

Now for testing the hangover theory: I have had various clients use Milk Thistle for liver support, with some of them intentionally taking it before bed on nights when they have had quite a bit to drink. All of these drinkers have reported that the hangovers were either less severe or non-existent the next morning.  Now, these individuals also drank a lot of water before bed which probably helped with any effects from dehydration.  They probably didn’t drink the same alcohol on the various nights either, so we didn’t have any true control factors and therefore can’t really credit everything to the Milk Thistle. BUT... these individuals did not report the same findings (i.e. minimal or no hangover symptoms) when they didn’t take the Milk Thistle, so I’d say the plant could very likely have contributed to their “morning-after wellness” when they did take it.  Curious about it, I tried it a couple of times myself to see just how much the Milk Thistle could help... and I too can report that I felt pretty good the next morning despite having had more wine than I should have. This certainly wasn’t a formal, well-constructed clinical trial by any means, but when multiple people all experience something similar, you’ve got to think there might be something to it.

Even though I’m in touch with my Irish roots and can appreciate a good party, I’m certainly not condoning getting wasted this St Patrick’s day and causing unnecessary harm to your liver…nor am I saying that Milk Thistle is the be-all, end-all cure for hangovers.  But if you think you might lose sight of sobriety and imbibe too much, consider having your Milk Thistle at the ready.

Sláinte!  
 
Cautions/Safety and Healing Leaves Disclaimer
Before taking any herb/plant therapeutically, check to make sure that there are no contraindications with any medications you are taking, and that it can be ingested safely.  Milk Thistle may cause minor gastrointestinal disturbance or allergic reactions (especially for those sensitive to plants in the Asteraceae family - e.g. daisies and ragweed), and should not be taken if pregnant or breastfeeding. 

This article is for educational purposes only. I am not a doctor and this information should not be considered medical advice. It is not meant to diagnose or treat disease, and it does not replace the relationship that you have with your physicians or their treatment protocols and advice.

References
Review of natural products with hepatoprotective effects, World J Gastroenterol. 2014 Oct 28; 20(40): 14787–14804. Published online 2014 Oct 28. doi:  10.3748/wjg.v20.i40.14787   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4209543/
Hangover Hacks You Can Hang Your Hat On, Dr. Joseph Mercola, published online Dec 31, 2013; 
 http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/31/hangover.aspx 
How does the liver work? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072577/ 

When you hear the word “herbalist”, what comes to mind?  When most people hear this word, they think of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with its complicated and strong-tasting herbal formulas with super long names, or they think of Ayuerveda with its richly colored and flavored spices and herbs.  But as anyone who has used one of these long-standing, traditional forms of healing knows, it is about way more than the herbs – an herbalist in one of these practices assesses a person’s constitution (the physical and mental make up of this person) and assigns particular constitutional types based upon what the herbalist sees: examples are a Metal or Wood constitutional type in TCM, or Vata, Pitta, or Kapha in Ayurveda. These types, along with signs and symptoms of health, then help to determine which herbs are best suited for the individual that will bring healing, good health, and vitality to the person. It is a holistic approach to health. These traditional forms of herbalism have been around for thousands of years and are still are the preferred health care systems for many of the peoples of Asia.
 
So what about us in the Western world – do we have an ancient tradition of healing? You bet we do!  We may not have thousands of years of “documented” use of herbs for health, but the history is there.  Western Herbalism is a healing modality of Europe and the Americas that emphasizes the study and use of native herbs and plants for health and wellness.  Thousands of years ago, Indigenous peoples of these continents used herbs for various medicinal needs, such as to treat illness, to assist a mother in childbirth, to ease pain, and to improve libido and vitality.  And these plants weren’t only used for these types of purposes – they also had nutritional and spiritual uses as well. This plant knowledge was handed down orally from one generation to another, and ultimately became the foundational element in Western medicine and the development of pharmaceuticals. Some plants ended up being transplanted from one continent to another when exploration and settlement occurred, and have become somewhat “native” to their growing regions now. Did you know that the dandelion is not a true native plant of North America? It was likely brought over by European settlers. But we see them everywhere now!
 
What is great about Western Herbalism is that we can often use the herbs or weeds that are right outside our backdoor – we have many, many wonderful medicinal herbs and plants that grow in our gardens, along roadways and rivers, in meadows, and on hills and mountains. We don’t have to go very far to harvest health! Also, because our constitutional practices align with Western medicine, the language and healing methods we use with our clients are familiar to them and their physicians – there is no need to translate another tradition’s lingo and practice into the western equivalent.
 
In my herbal training, I was taught to assess a person’s constitution using Michael Moore’s principles of constitutional physiology. This method aligns more closely with Western medicine in that it assesses the functioning of actual body systems to determine health. It differs from most Western medical practices in that we identify excesses or deficiencies of the whole body (a holistic view) not just the health of targeted body system (like cardiologists who predominantly focus on the cardiovascular system). We then identify ways to reduce or eliminate those excesses or deficiencies and balance the body (and mind) through herbs, diet, and lifestyle techniques. This balance brings health and vitality to the person. Like TCM and Ayuveda, we too have constitutional types that help us identify the best wellness strategies for our clients. Some Western Herbalists use the tools of the other healing traditions in working with clients. I often use TCM’s tongue and pulse assessment practices as they offer windows into the general health of the client. And while Western Herbalism traditionally focused on the herbs and plants native to our continents, we often employ the use of herbs from other parts of the world that are excellent remedies and so readily available to us now (Turmeric from India and Ginseng from China are two examples).  With this integration of herbal knowledge from other traditions, perhaps Western Herbalists are on their way to being World Herbalists!!
 
So if you are looking for a way to improve your health, increase vitality, decrease stress, or support your body and mind while under medical/physician care, consider seeing a Western Herbalist. You will be happy that you did!