Milk Thistle Thwarts Skin Cancer 

Milk thistle has gained wide recognition in the treatment of liver disease. More than 300 studies conducted since the late 1960s have demonstrated that silymarin—a chemical complex from milk thistle seeds—is safe and effective in healing the liver and protecting it from toxins. New evidence now indicates that silymarin's protective effects may result from its powerful antioxidant, free-radical-scavenging abilities, which not only can benefit the liver, but also appear to inhibit the development of non-melanoma skin cancer. 

Animal studies have revealed that the formation of skin tumors seems to depend on the activity of a specific enzyme, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), found in the skin. Scientists have found that silymarin can hold ODC activity in check, as well as block the genetic changes that initiate some skin cancers. Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation is another initiator of skin cancer, and the incidence of new tumors due to UVB was cut in half in animals receiving silymarin. 

Considering the dramatic success with animal studies, researchers are calling for research with humans to explore milk thistle's ability to thwart non-melanoma skin cancer, perhaps using it as a sort of internal sunscreen. 

Based on information in: Better Nutrition, July 1997