Is it possible to have milk thistle during pregnancy?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The beneficial properties of milk thistle continue to be studied today. This is an amazing plant that can bring significant benefits to the human body. Universal in its properties, it still surprises today. The rare qualities of the plant are due to the presence of silymarin in its composition. The use of milk thistle for medicinal purposes affects many functions of the body, causing an improvement in its work. But today we will talk about the features of the use of milk thistle during pregnancy.

General Description

Milk thistle is an unpretentious plant that can be found almost everywhere in wastelands. Most notable are the flowers of this plant. They are collected in spherical baskets. The color is very different: white, lilac or purple.

Healing properties of this plant man began to study in antiquity. Much later were heldstudies that have elucidated the mechanisms of treatment with milk thistle. About a thousand vitamins and useful microelements were found in it. Due to this composition, the plant helps in the fight against a variety of ailments, including gallstone disease, diseases of the thyroid gland and spleen, s alt deposits and anemia.

Milk thistle is prescribed with caution during pregnancy, but in some cases it has a positive effect on the body of the expectant mother. Another thing is that the impact on the fetus of a huge number of components that make up this plant is difficult to calculate. It is for this reason that milk thistle is used during pregnancy only after consultation with the attending physician.

Milk thistle meal

This amazing plant does not grow in all regions. Therefore, they turn to specialized networks for it. In pharmacies, you can often find milk thistle meal. During pregnancy, it, as well as oil, must be used with extreme caution, since the period of bearing a baby is a contraindication to various kinds of experiments.

What is the brown powder we buy called meal? These are the ground seeds of the plant. They are enriched with fiber and trace elements. Their regular use helps the body to be in good shape and maintain excellent performance.

Healing properties

Speaking of whether it is possible to have milk thistle during pregnancy, one shouldconsider in more detail what the body receives from its use. First of all, it is a source of large amounts of fiber. Therefore, the meal cleanses the intestines and normalizes the metabolic functions of the body. But this is not all useful properties.

• Milk thistle cleanses the liver and protects it from destruction.
• Milk thistle is used during pregnancy, as the load on the liver and other organs increases significantly.
• The unique composition allows you to regulate fat metabolism.
• Improves the functioning of the heart muscle.
• Milk thistle improves kidney function and lipid metabolism, stabilizes blood pressure. All this is very important for expectant mothers, as the body is under significant stress.

Milk thistle in early pregnancy is in most cases prohibited unless your he althcare provider has their own opinion on the matter. It is too difficult to say exactly how the active ingredients will affect the formation of an organism in which amazing changes occur every day. Therefore, it is better to postpone the course of treatment for the second or third trimester, when all the organs and systems of the child have already completed their formation and will enter the phase of rapid growth. But if the mother suffers from severe intoxication, cannot eat and work normally, then in some cases the plant can provide invaluable help.

Optimization of the digestive system

Often, women in position experience the greatest problems with metabolic processes. The growing fetus mechanically squeezesstomach and intestines, complicating digestion and stimulating the development of problems with bile metabolism, as well as bowel movements. As a result, the expectant mother experiences problems with defecation, and also often complains of pain in the right hypochondrium. Another common complaint is the yellow color of the skin. This suggests that the load on the liver is becoming more serious, and it is difficult for her to cope. You need to change your eating style and seek medical advice.

Milk thistle during pregnancy can help alleviate these symptoms and alleviate the condition of the patient. In addition, regular use of milk thistle helps to strengthen the membranes of hepatocytes. These are liver cells that during pregnancy experience a double load due to the need to remove the baby's waste products.

The work of the gallbladder also changes significantly after a course of herbal medicine. This is another direction in which milk thistle is used during pregnancy. Reviews of gastroenterologists emphasize that this plant can improve and facilitate the outflow of bile. In addition, milk thistle helps to stop the progression of pathology if there is a history of chronic inflammatory processes in the gallbladder.

Early toxicosis

This condition is typical for expectant mothers in the early stages. Milk thistle during pregnancy in the first trimester is used to alleviate the condition of the mother, relieve severe nausea. With severe toxicosis, the doctor himself will recommend using milk thistle inkind of decoction. Usually, by the second trimester, toxicosis weakens, and most often goes away completely. Therefore, further treatment with milk thistle is prescribed if the patient suffers from digestive problems. Again, with a tendency to constipation, meal can increase the manifestation of unpleasant symptoms. Pain, bloating, prolonged lack of bowel movements - all this suggests that this plant is not suitable for you and you need to reduce the dosage or refuse treatment.

Dosage and duration of administration

But here there is no definite answer. Is it possible to have milk thistle during pregnancy, only the attending physician decides. Unfortunately, specialists have to be guided only by their own experience and intuition. Doctors calculate an individual dosage based on the characteristics of the body, the presence of chronic diseases in a woman. He also prescribes a treatment regimen and establishes acceptable terms of treatment. Milk thistle is most often prescribed to expectant mothers who suffer from severe toxicosis, lack of appetite and general weakness.

Side effects and contraindications

Milk thistle is considered harmless, but you should always consult with your doctor before starting a course of treatment. The plant contains a lot of calcium and phosphorus. Its excess can cause certain changes in the body, which will not always be favorable for the fetus. People with cardiovascular diseases should be especially careful. The microelements contained in the plant can provoke problems with the heart valve.

Milk thistle is contraindicated for:

• Individual intolerance.
• Mental illness.
• Short of breath.

Side effects of milk thistle are not too pronounced. They appear quite rarely and manifest themselves in the form of diarrhea. At the same time, mild pain in the liver area may appear. If these problems persist for more than two days, the herb should be discontinued immediately.

Instead of a conclusion

Milk thistle is not included in the list of drugs that expectant mothers need. As well as taking any dietary supplements, each doctor who conducts pregnancy has different views on taking milk thistle. You should not self-medicate, because you are responsible not only for your life, but also for the future baby. Therefore, do not neglect the recommendations.

If before pregnancy there were problems with the liver and gastrointestinal tract, you should consult a hepatologist. He will give individual recommendations on the method of application and the duration of treatment courses. Sometimes pregnancy provokes the development of chronic diseases, which requires correction.