Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Silymarin, commonly called “Milk Thistle,” significantly improved superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and total antioxidant capacity and decreased C-reactive protein in participating Type 2 diabetics compared to control.
In 2011, diabetes cost our healthcare system $245 billion and currently affects nearly 26 million Americans, with 79 million more with “pre-diabetes”. In addition to having 2 to 4 times greater risk for stroke, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in Americans 20-74 years of age (1). By 2030, an estimated 522 million people worldwide will suffer from diabetes (2).
Because cell damage in the form of oxidative stress has been shown to be a contributing factor to the onset of diabetes (3), treatment and prevention of diabetes has gone beyond controlling blood sugar and insulin levels and focused on antioxidant supplementation. Now a new study (4) suggests silymarin, the active ingredient in milk thistle, may be a benefit to diabetics.
In the study, 40 subjects (20 men, 20 women) aged 38 to 50 with type 2 diabetes were given either 420 milligrams of silymarin (140 mg three times daily = 20 subjects) or placebo (20 subjects) for 45 days.
After 45 days, the following results were observed in the two groups regarding cell damage:
| Silymarin | Placebo | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superoxide dismutase (Units/gram of Hemoglobin) | 12.3% increase (1373.03 to 1542.82) | 10.4% decrease (1559.30 to 1398.40) | < 0.05 |
| Glutathione peroxidase (U/g Hb) | 21.7% increase (19.40 to 23.61) | 35.9% decrease (27.44 to 17.59) | < 0.05 |
| Total Antioxidant Capacity (millimoles/Liter) | 7.7% increase (1.43 to 1.54) | 0.8% decrease (1.33 to 1.32) | < 0.05 |
When suggesting how silymarin was able to elicit these results, the researchers pointed to mouse studies showing silymarin to be a “powerful free radical scavenger” (5, 6).
In addition, significant benefits were also seen regarding inflammation, with the silymarin group having a 28.4% decrease in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (2.29 to 1.64 mg/L) compared to a 47.1% increase (1.78 to 2.62 mg/L) in the placebo group (< 0.05). As research has shown inflammation to be a hallmark of type 2 diabetes (7), silymarin may also benefit diabetes by helping establish healthy inflammation levels.
For the researchers, “Silymarin supplementation improves some antioxidant indices and decrease hs-CRP levels in Type 2 diabetes patients” but that “further studies be conducted.”
Source: Gargari, Bahram Pourghassem, et al. “Effects of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.(silymarin) extract supplementation on antioxidant status and hs-CRP in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.” Phytomedicine 22.2 (2015): 290-296.
© 2015 Published by Elsevier GmbH.
Posted April 25, 2016.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.
References:
- “Diabetes Statistics” posted on the American Diabetes Association Website
- IDF diabetes atlas – fifth edition, International Diabetes Federation 2011
- Pooya SH.The efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on plasma homocysteine and malondialdehyde levels of type 2 diabetic patients. Nutr. Meta. Cardiovas.Dis 2010; 20:326–331
- Effects of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. (silymarin) extract supplementation on antioxidant status and hs-CRP in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytomedicine 2015 Feb 15;22(2):290-6.
- Russell,Sh.,2004.Silymarin induces recovery of pancreatic function after all oxan damage in rats. Life Sci 2004; 75: 2167–2180.
- Soto CP. Prevention of alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus in the rat by silymarin. Comp Biochem Physiol 1998; 119:125–129
- Garcia C. Diabetes and inflammation: Fundamental aspects and clinical implications. Diabet.Meta 2010; 36:327–338
