The following is an article excerpt from LiverSupport.com.

UltraThistle vs. Maximum Milk Thistle

People living with chronic liver disease can take charge of their health by choosing the milk thistle that benefits them most. Though Maximum Milk Thistle and UltraThistle are the strongest liver support supplements available, they have slightly different indications.

by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

While some leave the task of managing chronic liver disease to their personal physician, an increasing number of those living with this diagnosis are taking control of their own health. Although Western medicine is limited in its ability to successfully manage chronic liver disease, countless clinical trials and case studies have demonstrated an advantage to those who support and protect their liver naturally. To stay healthy while living with a hepatic ailment, many choose to strengthen their liver by supplementing daily with milk thistle.

Regarded as the best milk thistle preparations available today, Maximum Milk Thistle and UltraThistle both contain silybin phytosome®. The difference between the two is their dosages. While Maximum Milk Thistle consists of a standard dosage of 240 mg, UltraThistle packs a much higher, 360 mg per capsule.

The following four facts can help guide someone toward optimal milk thistle supplementation:

1. Milk thistle is the number one herb used for improving liver health. – Over the past few decades, significant substantiation for milk thistle’s role in liver health has emerged. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, several scientific studies suggest that active substances in milk thistle (particularly silymarin) protect the liver from damage caused by viruses, toxins, alcohol and certain drugs such as acetaminophen. Milk thistle protects the liver by acting as a direct antioxidant and free radical scavenger, increasing the intracellular content of antioxidant compounds and stimulating the formation of new liver cells to replace those that are damaged.
2. Silybin is the most potent constituent of the milk thistle plant for protecting the liver. – Milk thistle's active ingredients, known collectively as silymarin, consist of three flavonoids: silybin, silydianin and silychristin. Medical researchers agree that silybin, which comprises 50% of silymarin, is responsible for the majority of milk thistle's liver-protective qualities.
3. Silybin is best absorbed when taken in the phytosome® form, which is contained in Maximum Milk Thistle™ and UltraThistle™. – To overcome the poor bioavailability of silybin, phytosome® technology has been used to maximize its absorption. By converting silybin to a lipid-compatible molecule, the silybin phytosome complex can be absorbed directly by the body's cells. Studies demonstrate that the silybin phytosome complex is absorbed up to 10x more readily than standardized milk thistle extract. This means Maximum Milk Thistle™ and UltraThistle™ deliver 10x more liver protection and support than does milk thistle in its bare form.
   
   In the U.S., most milk thistle is standardized to 80% silymairn. This means that the active ingredients (collectively known as silymarin) make up 80% of the total milligrams of the product. So if you purchased a product of milk thistle 240 mg standardized to 80% silymarin, you would actually have only 192 mg of silymarin (240 mg x .80% = 192 mg). Since silybin only makes up 50% of silymarin, this product contains only 96 mg of silybin (192 mg x .50% = 96 mg). Compare that to a daily dosage of Maximum Milk Thistle™, which contains 240 mg of silybin. Maximum Milk Thistle™ contains over 2x the amount of silybin, providing superior benefits: up to 10x the absorption and over 2x the amount of silybin means up to 20x the potency.
4. In general, higher dosages of silybin phytosome® yield better results. – As more clinical trials focus on silybin phytosome®, the research shows that higher dosages provide greater liver support. Even though the standard dose of silymarin is 240 mg per day, higher dosages of silybin demonstrate correspondingly higher levels of liver protection.

UltraThistle and Maximum Milk Thistle

Although originally formulated for health professionals, UltraThistle is now available directly to the public.

To help choose between UltraThistle and Maximum Milk Thistle, you and your physician may consider the following comparison:

For acute or uncontrolled liver problems, UltraThistle delivers the highest potency liver protection available. An acute or uncontrolled liver problem would be indicated by medical tests, such as a biopsy showing severe scarring or cirrhosis, liver enzyme levels far beyond the normal range, and/or a very high viral load. This will be subjective since there is plenty of grey area between what is normal, slightly elevated and high. Further, a person could have normal range lab results but have “liver” symptoms (digestive problems, jaundice, fatigue, for example), and these people may also be considered to have an uncontrolled liver problem.

For those who have achieved hepatic stability and wish to maintain it, Maximum Milk Thistle is a powerful way to augment liver health. Those who have achieved hepatic stability are those without signs of an active problem; they are asymptomatic and have relatively normalized lab test results. However, they could still harbor a threat to their liver which would benefit from liver protection. For example, many people have chronic Hepatitis C, yet they are asymptomatic, their liver enzymes are in normal range, a biopsy shows no fibrosis and their viral load just barely exists. Such a person would be considered to have achieved hepatic stability.

As a powerful herb, there are some cautions that should be heeded. Milk thistle’s side effects are rare, but can occur. The most commonly reported problems from taking a milk thistle supplement, especially at the higher dosages, are mild stomach upset and loose stools. A lack of conclusive evidence precludes pregnant or lactating women from milk thistle’s safety parameters. Additionally, any person with a chronic disease or on medications should always discuss their herbal supplementation plans with a physician.

People living with chronic liver disease put themselves at a clear advantage when adding silybin phytosome® to their repertoire. Whether working to maintain liver health with Maximum Milk Thistle or striving to protect your liver from assault with UltraThistle, choosing one of these supplements puts you in charge of your well-being.