Milk thistle (silymarin)
Silver· human dataAlso known as: Silymarin, Silybum marianum
A traditional liver-support herb whose liver-outcome evidence is mixed.
Milk thistle provides silymarin, an antioxidant complex traditionally used to protect the liver, and is popular as a 'liver support' or detox supplement.
The human evidence is mixed: rigorous trials in common liver diseases (such as hepatitis C and fatty liver) have been largely underwhelming, though silibinin has a genuine role in certain mushroom poisonings. It is well tolerated, but the everyday 'liver cleanse' marketing outstrips the outcome data.
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Written and reviewed by Mathew Beale, MSc Biotechnology, University of Reading.
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