The nail technician lifted my thumb and pointed to my nail. I rubbed my pointer finger over the small, horizontal ridges in the nail. Embarrassed, I said "I know. I've had it for a while now".

During my check-up with my PCP, I showed my doctor the ridges in my nails. She looked puzzled, "I haven't seen those before, but let's refer you to Dermatology to get it checked out". I shrugged my shoulders, noting that I needed to go anyway to have some freckles looked at.

Less than a month later, I met with my Naturopath for the first time. I showed her the ridges in my thumb nails and without taking a breath, she said, "Oh! In Chinese medicine that's a sign your liver is not detoxing properly. Let's put you on milk thistle to support your liver". In less than 3 months of starting milk thistle, I saw remarkable improvements in my nails.

Some people may struggle getting rid of toxins and debris in their body. This is largely due to our livers ability to function correctly. I find anecdotally from others and myself that people who develop autoimmune diseases often feel better when their liver is supported in its functions. There is come research to support this and I hope more continues to arise.

Liver & RA Stats

  • Your liver filters large toxins from your blood and releases enzymes to break down these toxins into digestible compounds.
  • 65% of people of RA have abnormal liver biopsies. For some, this may be due to NSAID and methotrexate treatment, RA itself, or a combination of both.  

Affects of Milk Thistle & RA

Milk thistle is an herb that has been used since the Roman empire to treat liver diseases. It has a compound called Silymarin in it, which reduces free radical production and lipid peroxidation, has antifibrotic activity, and inhibits toxins binding to liver cells. That's a lot of science words to say that it reduces liver cell damage and supports liver functions.

Like most natural remedies, the science is relatively inconclusive. Some studies site anti-inflammatory mechanisms of constituents of Milk Thistle against symptoms of RA, while others didn't find concrete evidence.

Recommendations

If you suspect your liver needs help and support detoxing, I would recommend consulting a Naturopath or functional medicine doctor about starting milk thistle. Gaia is my go-to brand for milk thistle. I pick it up at Whole Foods or through Wellevate.com. I started with 1 capsule at night and have slowly worked my way up to 3 capsules a night.