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Two areas are addressed in the report: Effects of milk thistle on liver disease of alcohol, viral, toxin, cholestatic, and primary malignancy etiologies. Clinical adverse effects associated with milk thistle ingestion or contact.
- Milk thistle for alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus ...
Alcohol and hepatotoxic viruses cause the majority of liver...
- Milk thistle for alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus ...
Oct 17, 2007 · Alcohol and hepatotoxic viruses cause the majority of liver diseases. Randomised clinical trials have assessed whether extracts of milk thistle, Silybum marianum (L) Gaertneri, have any effect in patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases.
- 10.1002/14651858.CD003620.pub3
- 2007/10
- Overview
- 1. Milk Thistle Protects Your Liver
- 2. It May Help Prevent Age-Related Decline in Brain Function
- 3. Milk Thistle Could Protect Your Bones
- 4. It May Improve Cancer Treatment
- 5. It Can Boost Breast Milk Production
- 6. It Could Help Treat Acne
- 7. Milk Thistle Can Lower Blood Sugar Levels for People With Diabetes
- Is Milk Thistle Safe?
- The Bottom Line
Milk thistle may be useful in treating liver disease, cancer, and diabetes. But the evidence is limited, and some research methodologies are flawed, so it’s difficult to confirm these effects.
Milk thistle is an herbal remedy derived from the milk thistle plant, also known as Silybum marianum.
This prickly plant has distinctive purple flowers and white veins, which traditional stories say were caused by a drop of the Virgin Mary’s milk falling onto its leaves.
The active ingredients in milk thistle are a group of plant compounds collectively known as silymarin (1).
Its herbal remedy is known as milk thistle extract. Milk thistle extract has a high amount of silymarin (between 65–80%) that has been concentrated from the milk thistle plant.
The silymarin extracted from milk thistle is known to have antioxidant, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties (2, 3, 4).
Milk thistle is often promoted for its liver-protecting effects.
It’s regularly used as a complementary therapy by people who have liver damage due to conditions like alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatitis and even liver cancer (1, 5, 6).
It’s also used to protect the liver against toxins like amatoxin, which is produced by the death cap mushroom and is deadly if ingested (7, 8).
Studies have shown improvements in liver function in people with liver diseases who have taken a milk thistle supplement, suggesting it could help reduce liver inflammation and liver damage (9).
Although more research is needed on how it works, milk thistle is thought to reduce damage to the liver caused by free radicals, which are produced when your liver metabolizes toxic substances.
One study also found that it may slightly extend the life expectancy of people with cirrhosis of the liver due to alcoholic liver disease (10).
Milk thistle has been used as a traditional remedy for neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease for over two thousand years (13).
Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties mean that it is possibly neuroprotective and could help prevent the decline in brain function you experience as you age (14, 15).
In test-tube and animal studies, silymarin has been shown to prevent oxidative damage to brain cells, which could help prevent mental decline (16, 17).
These studies have also seen that milk thistle may be able to reduce the number of amyloid plaques in the brains of animals with Alzheimer’s disease (18, 19, 20).
Amyloid plaques are sticky clusters of amyloid proteins that can build up between nerve cells as you age.
They are seen in very high numbers in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, meaning that milk thistle could potentially be used to help treat this difficult condition (21).
Osteoporosis is a disease caused by progressive bone loss.
It usually develops slowly over a number of years and causes weak and fragile bones that break easily, even after minor falls.
Milk thistle has been shown in experimental test-tube and animal studies to stimulate bone mineralization and potentially be protective against bone loss (22, 23).
As a result, researchers suggest that milk thistle may be a useful therapy for preventing or delaying bone loss in postmenopausal women (24, 25).
However, there are currently no human studies, so its effectiveness remains unclear.
Summary In animals, milk thistle has been shown to
It’s been suggested that the antioxidant effects of silymarin may have some anticancer effects, which could be helpful for people receiving cancer treatment (9).
Some animal studies have shown that milk thistle could be useful for reducing the side effects of cancer treatments (26, 27, 28).
It may also make chemotherapy work more effectively against certain cancers and, in some circumstances, even destroy cancer cells (9, 29, 30, 31).
However, the studies in humans are very limited and have yet to show a meaningful clinical effect in people (32, 33, 34, 35, 36).
This may be because people aren’t able to absorb enough to get a medicinal effect.
More studies are needed before it can be determined how silymarin might be used to support people undergoing cancer treatment.
One reported effect of milk thistle is that it can boost breast milk production in lactating mothers. It’s thought to work by making more of the milk-producing hormone prolactin.
The data is very limited, but one randomized controlled study found that mothers taking 420 mg of silymarin for 63 days produced 64% more milk than those taking a placebo (37).
However, this is the only clinical study available. More research is needed to confirm these results and the safety of milk thistle for breastfeeding mothers (38, 39, 40).
Summary Milk thistle may increase breast milk production
in women who are lactating, though very little research has been done to
confirm its effects.
Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin condition. While not dangerous, it can cause scars. People may also find it painful and worry about its effects on their appearance.
It’s been suggested that oxidative stress in the body may play a role in the development of acne (41).
Due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, milk thistle may be a useful supplement for people with acne.
Interestingly, one study found that people with acne who took 210 milligrams of silymarin per day for 8 weeks experienced a 53% decrease in acne lesions (42).
However, as this is the only study, more high-quality research is needed.
Summary One study has shown that people taking milk
Milk thistle may be a useful complementary therapy to help manage type 2 diabetes.
It’s been discovered that one of the compounds in milk thistle may work similarly to some diabetic medications by helping improve insulin sensitivity and decrease blood sugar (43).
In fact, a recent review and analysis found that people routinely taking silymarin experienced a significant reduction in their fasting blood sugar levels and HbA1c, a measure of blood sugar control (44).
Additionally, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of milk thistle may also be useful for reducing the risk of developing diabetic complications like kidney disease (43).
However, this review also noted that the quality of the studies was not very high, so more studies are needed before it’s possible to make any firm recommendations (44).
Summary Milk thistle may help lower blood sugar levels in
Milk thistle is generally considered safe when taken by mouth (1, 45).
In fact, in studies where high doses were used for long periods, only about 1% of people experienced side effects (1).
When reported, side effects for milk thistle are generally gut disturbances like diarrhea, nausea or bloating.
Some people are advised to be cautious when taking milk thistle. These include:
•Pregnant women: There is no data on its safety in pregnant women, so they
are usually advised to avoid this supplement.
Milk thistle is a safe supplement that shows potential as a complementary therapy for various conditions, including liver disease, cancer and diabetes.
However, many of the studies are small and have methodological flaws, which makes it difficult to give firm guidance on this supplement or confirm its effects (46).
Sep 11, 2023 · There’s some evidence that milk thistle can treat cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis, which can be caused by alcohol abuse, autoimmune disease, or viruses. But experts say that the evidence...
Aug 10, 2023 · Milk thistle is a plant named for the white veins on its large prickly leaves. One of the active ingredients in milk thistle called silymarin is extracted from the plant's seeds. Silymarin is believed to have antioxidant properties. Milk thistle is sold as an oral capsule, tablet and liquid extract.
Oct 17, 2007 · Our results question the beneficial effects of milk thistle for patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases and highlight the lack of high-quality evidence to support this intervention.
People also ask
What are the active ingredients in milk thistle?
Is milk thistle a good supplement?
Can milk thistle extracts treat alcoholic and hepatotoxic liver diseases?
How many alcoholic liver disease patients have been randomised to milk thistle?
What is milk thistle extract?
Acne. Taking milk thistle might lessen acne severity. But the benefits, if any, are small. Liver disease in people who drink alcohol. There is conflicting evidence about the effectiveness of...
