Silymarin (see code 0030) is a complex of flavonoids (silybin, silydianin and silychristin) extracted from milk thistle. It has been the subject of hundreds of studies which show that it:

• Regenerates liver cells damaged by alcohol or drugs
• Decongests the liver and stimulates bile flow
• Increases survival rates among cirrhosis patients
• Protects the liver against a number of toxins, including certain medicines. According to James Duke: “Even if you have a healthy liver, silymarin will improve your liver function by helping to eliminate toxins from your body”.
• Is an antidote to amanita phalloide poisoning
• Is a powerful antioxidant (several times more potent than vitamins C and E) which increases glutathione levels in the liver by 35% in healthy subjects
• Stimulates protein synthesis in the liver, enabling damaged cells to be replaced more rapidly by healthy ones
• Inhibits leukotriene synthesis and thus has an anti-inflammatory effect

A recent research summary published in February 2004 concludes that silymarin may potentially impede the growth and progress of cancerous cells of the prostate, through several mechanisms including inhibition of angiogenesis Recent studies have revealed that silybin is by far and away the most powerful component of silymarin. Other studies show that silybin is much better absorbed by the body when combined with phospholipids, essential components of cell membranes, ingested from patented molecules called phytosomes. The result of this research is a complex called Siliphos™, which, according to several animal and human studies, is eight to ten times more potent and better absorbed that traditional silymarin extracts!
In a study of 232 patients with chronic viral hepatitis, liver function returned to normal faster in patients taking Siliphos™ than in those taking a simple silymarin extract.
In other patients with chronic viral hepatitis B or C, two months' treatment with Siliphos™ reduced serum malondihaldehyde levels (a marker of lipid peroxidation) by 35%, reduced the ALT and GGTP enzymes by 17%, lowered bilirubin levels and improved quantitative liver function evaluation by 15%.
A comparative study designed to evaluate the dose-response curve of Siliphos™ and silymarin showed greater and faster effects with Siliphos™, and better dose-dependent effects with daily doses of 240 or 360 mg.
Toxins are all around us. Our individual capacity for detoxifying is essentially dependent on good liver function. Decades of research have demonstrated silymarin's effectiveness in this area. Siliphos™ complex, which combines the most powerful component of silymarin with the key component of cell membranes, provides a natural, powerful and scientifically-supported solution to the all-pervasive problem of liver toxicity.