Milk thistle is a plant native to Europe whose extract, mainly a mix of compounds called silymarin, is sold as a supplement. It is promoted mostly for liver disorders and also for diabetes, but NCCIH says there is not enough good evidence to reach firm conclusions about any use.
Also known as: silymarin, Silybum marianum, Mary thistle, silybin.
Milk thistle has no intake value or upper limit, and NCCIH gives no standard amount. NCCIH notes that some products contain amounts of silymarin very different from what the label says.
It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling.
What NCCIH says: trials of milk thistle for liver diseases (alcohol-related liver disease, hepatitis B and C, fatty liver disease, and liver damage from chemotherapy or toxins) have been conflicting or too limited to draw conclusions. Two NCCIH-funded trials, one in hepatitis C and one in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (a progressive fatty liver disease), found no benefit from silymarin. A small number of studies, mostly in Middle Eastern countries, suggest milk thistle may help control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes. It is unclear whether it affects breast milk supply.
Safety, per NCCIH: taken by mouth it appears well tolerated; the most common side effects are bloating, nausea and gas. Products sold in the US and elsewhere have been found with silymarin amounts far from the label and with pesticides, microbes or mold toxins. It may cause allergic reactions, especially in people allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold or daisy. Little is known about safety in pregnancy or breastfeeding. If you take any medicine, ask your clinician first.
We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for milk thistle that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one. Herbal products are mixtures of many plant compounds, so no single figure would describe them.
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