Milk Thistle, Silybum Marianum, is a spiny leaved plant containing reddish-purple flowers. The seeds or fruits naturally consist of four substances known collectively as silymarin, the most potent of the four being called silibin. Milk Thistle is widely used for liver cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, alcoholic fatty liver, liver poisoning, and viral hepatitis. It has been shown to alleviate symptoms of chronic liver disease such as fatigue, nausea, weakness, pain and loss of appetite, as well as providing long-term benefits such as regeneration of the liver cells. Silymarin plays a role in displacing toxins binding to the liver and causing the cells of the liver to regenerate at a faster rate. No alternative medicine has been found that shows similar functions in the body. Milk thistle is very popular among those taking certain medications known to cause liver damage.