Therapeutic Uses
Liver Disease – Some preliminary studies have suggested that silymarin may improve liver function by keeping toxic substances from binding to liver cells. However, studies on the milk thistle’s effectiveness in treating liver disorders have yielded mixed results. According to a comprehensive review of studies in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, milk thistle neither improves liver function nor reduces the risk of death in people with alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C. Several smaller studies have suggested that milk thistle may benefit people with mild, subacute (symptom-free) liver disease. An early study from Finland found that a four-week course of silymarin supplements lowered key liver enzymes in people with subacute disease, suggesting the liver was functioning more normally. Despite the positive findings, subsequent studies have been unable to replicate the results or demonstrate that milk thistle prescribed on its own would render the same effects.
Chronic Hepatitis C – Milk thistle is sometimes used by people with chronic hepatitis C (a viral infection characterized by the progressive scarring of the liver). In fact, a survey funded by the National Institutes of Health reported that 23 percent of 1,145 people with hepatitis C used herbal supplements, with milk thistle being by far the most common. According to the survey, people with hepatitis C reported fewer symptoms and a “somewhat better quality of life” when taking milk thistle despite having no measurable change in viral activity or liver inflammation. A 2012 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) confirmed this. Despite being well-tolerated in the study participants, silymarin (prescribed thrice-daily in 420- or 700-milligram doses) had no tangible effect on liver enzymes. Given these contradictions, many scientists believe that milk thistle delivers something of a placebo effect in which a person feels an improvement in symptoms despite having no change in their clinical condition.
Type 2 Diabetes – Several studies have suggested that milk thistle may be beneficial for people with diabetes, most notably in those with type 2 diabetes. According to 2015 research published in Phytomedicine, a 45-day course of silymarin increased the antioxidant capacity and reduced generalized inflammation in adults with type 2 diabetes better than a placebo. According to the study’s authors, the findings suggest that silymarin may reduce the oxidative stress typically associated with diabetes complications.
Medicinal Uses: * Acne * Age-Related Mental Decline * Bone Protection * Breast Milk Production * Cancer * Diabetes * High Cholesterol * Indigestion (Dyspepsia) * Liver Disease
Side Effects: Milk thistle can cause gastrointestinal issues, itchiness and/or headache. If you have diabetes, use milk thistle with caution, since the supplement might lower blood sugar. There is also concern that milk thistle might have estrogenic effects. If you have breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis or uterine fibroids, consider avoiding milk thistle. Milk thistle can cause an allergic reaction, including a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). An allergic reaction is more common in people who are allergic to other plants in the asteraceae family, such as ragweed, daisies, marigolds and chrysanthemums.
Drug Interactions: Taking milk thistle might affect the enzyme Cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) substrates and drugs it processes, such as diazepam (Valium), warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) and others. Milk thistle might lower blood sugar in people who have type 2 diabetes. Taking milk thistle with diabetes drugs might cause additive effects. Closely monitor your blood sugar levels. Milk thistle might reduce the effectiveness of the antibiotic Metronidazole (Flagyl). Avoid using milk thistle and metronidazole together. Taking milk thistle with the hepatitis C medication Simeprevir (Olysio) might increase the concentrations of the drug in your blood plasma. Avoid using milk thistle and simeprevir together. Taking milk thistle with the immunosuppressant Sirolimus (Rapamune) might change the way your body processes the medication.
