{"ok":true,"entry":{"slug":"milk-thistle","kind":"supplement","name":"milk thistle","aliases":["silymarin","Silybum marianum"],"brands_sg":["California Gold Nutrition","NOW Foods","Thorne","Swanson Vitamins","Life Extension"],"class":"botanical","tags":["gut","general"],"use_for":"ast and alt fell in pooled trials · liver results conflict","use_after":null,"use_duration":"2 months or less is where the bigger enzyme drops sat","take_with":null,"pros":["55 randomised trials, 3,545 patients pooled","ast and alt both fell significantly","nccih: taken orally, appears to be well tolerated"],"cons":["nccih: liver trial results conflict or are limited","bloating, nausea and gas are the common side effects","no significant effect on alp; no dose–effect link found"],"dose_note":"the 2025 meta-analysis of 55 randomised trials found greater falls in ast and alt at silymarin doses under 400 mg and durations of 2 months or less than at higher doses or longer courses, while meta-regression found no significant association between dose and effect","dosage":{"ul":null,"unit":"mg","fda_dv":null,"rda_ai":null,"ul_status":"none_established","population":"general adult","hsa_max_daily":null},"ul_status":"none_established","sg_class":null,"cautions":["allergy to ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold or daisy — nccih flags cross-reaction","pregnancy or breastfeeding — nccih: little is known about safety","on any medicine — nccih: check with your health care provider first","bmi 30 or over — no significant enzyme effect in that subgroup"],"clashes":[],"sources":[{"id":"nccih_mt_liver","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/milk-thistle","label":"NCCIH — Milk Thistle (what the science says: liver disease)","quote":"Results from clinical trials of milk thistle for liver diseases, such as alcohol-related liver disease, hepatitis B and C, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease … have been conflicting or too limited to allow conclusions to be reached","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_mt_evidence","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/milk-thistle","label":"NCCIH — Milk Thistle (overall strength of evidence)","quote":"There isn't enough high-quality evidence to allow definite conclusions to be reached about the effects of milk thistle on health conditions in people","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_mt_safety","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/milk-thistle","label":"NCCIH — Milk Thistle (safety and side effects)","quote":"Milk thistle, when taken orally, appears to be well tolerated. The most common side effects are digestive symptoms such as bloating, nausea, and gas","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_mt_allergy","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/milk-thistle","label":"NCCIH — Milk Thistle (allergy caution)","quote":"Milk thistle may cause allergic reactions, particularly among people who are allergic to related plants (for example, ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold, and daisy)","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_mt_pregnancy","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/milk-thistle","label":"NCCIH — Milk Thistle (pregnancy and breastfeeding)","quote":"Little is known about whether it's safe to use milk thistle during pregnancy or while breastfeeding","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_mt_meds","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/milk-thistle","label":"NCCIH — Milk Thistle (medicines)","quote":"If you take any type of medicine, talk with your health care provider before using milk thistle or other herbal products; some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_mt_diabetes","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/milk-thistle","label":"NCCIH — Milk Thistle (blood sugar; NOT used in user-facing copy — see verify_notes)","quote":"Results from a small number of studies in people show that milk thistle extracts may help to control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"silymarin2025","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC11992775","label":"Are alterations needed in Silybum marianum (Silymarin) administration practices? Meta-analysis of randomized trials targeting liver injury (BMC Complement Med Ther 2025)","quote":"55 studies with a total of 3545 patients were included … silymarin administration showed a significant reduction in AST … and ALT … levels. While it had no statistically significant effect on ALP level","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"silymarin2025_dose","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC11992775","label":"Silymarin meta-analysis 2025 — dose and duration subgroups","quote":"Silymarin at a dose of less than 400 mg and treatment duration ≤ 2 months showed greater decreasing effects on AST and ALT levels compared to its high doses and longer treatment duration","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"silymarin2025_meta","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC11992775","label":"Silymarin meta-analysis 2025 — meta-regression and BMI subgroup","quote":"no significant association between dose, age, BMI, treatment duration and hepatoprotective effects of silymarin … no significant effects on AST and ALT levels in patients with BMI ≥ 30","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"hsa_prohibited_2025","url":"https://file.go.gov.sg/hsa-chp-prohibited-restricted-ing-guidelines.pdf","label":"HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev 001 (Oct 2025)","quote":"The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list [milk thistle / silymarin not listed in Annex A or B]","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"iherb_sg","url":"https://sg.iherb.com/c/milk-thistle-silymarin","label":"iHerb Singapore — Herbs > Milk Thistle (Silymarin) category (default order)","quote":"California Gold Nutrition, Silymarin Complex, 120 Veggie Capsules … NOW Foods, Milk Thistle Extract, 300 mg … Thorne, S.A.T.®, 60 Capsules … Swanson Vitamins, Full Spectrum® Milk Thistle, 500 mg … Life Extension, Advanced Milk Thistle","accessed":"2026-08-27"}],"brand_certs":[{"brand":"Thorne","example":null,"programme":"NSF Certified for Sport","matching_products":0,"brand_total_certified":66}],"updated_at":"2026-08-30T17:59:38.376296+08:00"},"disclaimer":"kozen-x is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. it lists what published sources have written down. absence of a record is not the same as safe."}