Supplementswell supported · human data
Milk thistle moved liver markers, but not the kidney ones
Pooled across 41 randomised trials, silymarin lowered several liver enzymes and raised the antioxidant glutathione. The kidney-protective and oxidative-stress benefits it is often sold on did not show up.
What it shows: Pooled RCTs varied widely in dose, duration and population, with many participants having liver disease; changes were in blood markers, not clinical outcomes, and the authors call for longer, higher-quality trials.Meta-analysis · Phytother Res