Top 7 Best Milk Thistle Supplements

What is Milk Thistle?

If you’re searching for the best milk thistle, you may already have an idea that it’s one of the best liver support supplements, but what else should you know?

Milk thistle is a plant, and one of the active ingredients is silymarin, which is extracted from the seed. Silymarin is an antioxidant. You can find supplements containing silymarin in the form of capsules, tablets, liquids, and powders.

Silymarin has antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties as well.

Traditional medicine uses silymarin to treat liver and gallbladder disorders, prevent cancer, and promote breast milk production.

What Are the Benefits?

People primarily use milk thistle because it can protect and heal the liver. If you have liver damage because of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis, or liver cancer, you might speak with your doctor about taking a supplement. 

It can also be used to protect the liver against certain toxins.

If you have liver disease, milk thistle may help improve your liver function by reducing damage and inflammation.

It is thought to reduce liver damage when that damage is called free radicals. Your body produces free radicals when you metabolize toxic substances.

One study found milk thistle might slightly extend the life expectancy of people with cirrhosis of the liver because of alcoholic liver disease.

Other potential benefits include:

• It may help prevent declines in brain function related to age. For example, milk thistle has been used for thousands of years as a traditional remedy for conditions like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. The benefits for brain and cognitive health could stem from its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Some animal studies have found silymarin because it’s an antioxidant, may have anticancer effects or could be useful when taken with cancer treatments. You shouldn’t take anything for cancer or during cancer treatment without first speaking to your doctor.
• Milk thistle may be a natural way to boost breast milk production. A randomized controlled study found that mothers who took silymarin (420 mg) for 63 days produced 64% more milk than those study participants taking a placebo.
• It may help with acne because it can reduce oxidative stress, which is thought to be linked to the development of acne.
• Milk thistle may be a way to lower blood sugar if you have type 2 diabetes. One specific compound in the plant has been found to work similarly to diabetes medications by improving insulin sensitivity and lowering blood sugar.

Side Effects

Are there any side effects to be aware of?

For most people, no, but you should always consult your doctor before taking a supplement.

While rare, possible side effects can include:

• Gastrointestinal upset, often similar to taking a mild laxative
• Milk thistle can mimic the effects of estrogen, so if you have a hormone-sensitive condition, you should speak to a doctor before taking a supplement.
• If you are pregnant, you should probably avoid it because we just don’t know enough about its safety in pregnant women.
• Avoid milk thistle if you’re allergic to the Asteraceae/Compositae family of plants.

This supplement also can interact with other medicines you might be taking, so always speak to your doctor. For example, the antibiotic Flagyl may have reduced effectiveness if combined with milk thistle.

FAQs

The following are brief answers to some of the most common questions about this herbal remedy. 

What are the benefits of milk thistle?

There is some evidence to suggest it may have health benefits, including:

• Liver health and detoxification, as well as liver repair
• Specific liver conditions it may help with include alcoholic liver disease, chronic and acute viral hepatitis, and toxin-induced liver disease
• Because of an antioxidant compound called silymarin, it may help protect against cancer
• Milk thistle can lower cholesterol levels and promote heart health
• The NIH feels there’s research to support the benefits for preventing or controlling diabetes
• May help prevent gallstones
• Due to its antioxidant properties, the best milk thistle may have anti-aging properties

When is the best time to take milk thistle?

It’s a good idea to take this supplement 30 minutes before your meal for the best effectiveness. You will need to wait at least a few weeks to notice the benefits, and if you’re working to reverse a chronic condition, take it consistently for even longer to see benefits.

How much milk thistle should you take?

Follow the dosage guidelines for the specific product you buy. If you’re dealing with alcohol-related side effects, consider taking anywhere from 120 to 175 mg three times a day between meals.

Consider around 100 to 175 mg twice or thrice daily for something like gallstones.

For hepatitis, you might take up to 300 mg three times a day.

Because milk thistle is categorized as a supplement, there’s no standardized dosage recommendation. A product’s strength can vary, so make sure you read the labels.

When choosing the best supplement, look for a potent extract with a minimum of 80% pure milk thistle extract.

What is the best milk thistle?

Our picks for the best brands are listed above. Based primarily on customer reviews, reputation, and price, we selected the following as the best supplements:

• Neutranetics LiverSmart Extract
• Farmhaven Capsules
• Puritan’s Pride Milk Thistle
• Toniq Ultra High Strength Milk Thistle
• Zazzee Organic Milk Thistle
• Gaia Herbs Milk Thistle Seed
• Nature’s Craft Liver Support

Final Thoughts 

Milk thistle is a great supplement for many people, with a lot of research to back up the potential benefits. The plant-based remedy is primarily beneficial for liver health and detox; some even use it for hangovers. It may also have anti-cancer properties because it’s an antioxidant and could help people with diabetes. Always speak to your doctor first if you’re considering using milk thistle.