Help Prevent Age-Related Decline in Brain Function

For over two thousand years, milk thistle has been used as a traditional medicine for neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics, it may be neuroprotective and may help avoid the deterioration in brain function that occurs as we age. Silymarin has been demonstrated in animal and test-tube tests to reduce oxidative damage to brain cells, which may aid in the prevention of mental decline. Milk thistle has also been shown in trials to lower the number of amyloid plaques in the brains of animals with Alzheimer's disease. Amyloid plaques are sticky amyloid protein clumps that can form between nerve cells as you age.

They are found in high concentrations in the brains of persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease, suggesting that milk thistle could be utilized to help treat this challenging condition. However, no human trials have been conducted to investigate the effects of milk thistle in people with Alzheimer's or other neurological disorders such as dementia or Parkinson's. Furthermore, it is unknown if milk thistle is well enough absorbed in humans to allow adequate levels to cross the blood-brain barrier. It's also unclear what doses might be required to have a favorable effect.