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More rigorous scientific research is required to further understand milk thistle’s role in dealing with alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Potential Side Effects and Risks. Milk thistle is generally believed to be safe for most people, but some can suffer side effects such as mild gastrointestinal unease or allergic reactions. In rare cases, milk ...
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...
- Overview
- Is milk thistle an effective hangover strategy?
- Should you try it?
- Alternative hangover remedies
- The bottom line
If you’ve had one too many drinks and wake up with unpleasant symptoms, it’s tempting to look for a quick cure.
Hangovers happen as your blood alcohol level returns to zero, causing symptoms like fatigue, dry mouth, headaches, upset stomach, sensitivity to light, and trouble concentrating. They may also disrupt your sleep and trigger mild dehydration (1, 2).
Milk thistle, an herb that supports liver health, is often promoted as a folk remedy for hangovers. Still, you may wonder whether it’s effective.
This article examines whether milk thistle treats or prevents hangovers.
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a prickly flowering plant that grows in warm climates.
Its active compounds are collectively known as silymarin. Thus, the terms “milk thistle” and “silymarin” are sometimes used interchangeably.
This herb has been utilized medicinally for thousands of years. It has liver-protecting properties, which may be why it’s sometimes recommended for hangovers (3).
However, no scientific evidence indicates that milk thistle treats or prevents hangover symptoms.
It’s doubtful that milk thistle will make you feel significantly better if you have a hangover.
Although the anti-inflammatory compounds in silymarin may minimize symptoms brought on by inflammation, such as body aches, they won’t help dry mouth or headaches caused by dehydration, nor fatigue caused by disrupted sleep.
No scientific consensus exists on how best to prevent or treat hangovers. It’s difficult — and possibly unethical — to conduct large, high quality hangover studies in people, so the majority of the available research uses lab rats (8, 9).
Yet, some foods, herbs, and over-the-counter supplements may help clear alcohol from your body more quickly and reduce hangover symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, shakiness, and headaches. These include (9):
•Pueraria lobata, an Asian herb also known as kudzu
•prickly pear cactus juice
•ginger
Experts generally agree that these natural remedies may make you feel mildly better, but none will cure all of your hangover symptoms (8).
While milk thistle may protect your liver from various effects of alcohol, no research suggests that it prevents or treats hangover symptoms.
Thus, while it’s safe for most people, you shouldn’t consider it a cure-all.
- Helen West, RD
- Milk Thistle Protects Your Liver. Share on Pinterest. 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 May Help Prevent Age-Related Decline in Brain Function. 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).
- Milk Thistle Could Protect Your Bones. 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.
- It May Improve Cancer Treatment. 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).
Oct 17, 2007 · Background. 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. Objectives.
- 10.1002/14651858.CD003620.pub3
- 2007/10
Dec 21, 2023 · Side Effects of Milk Thistle . The most common side effects of milk thistle are usually gastrointestinal and mild in nature and may include diarrhea, bloating, gas, and nausea.
Milk thistle is taken by mouth most often for liver disorders, including liver damage caused by chemicals, alcohol, and chemotherapy, as well as liver damage caused by Amanita mushroom...
