Is Milk thistle safe?

Introduction

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a widely used herbal supplement, primarily known for its potential hepatoprotective effects. It is commonly used by patients with liver diseases, including those caused by alcohol and viral hepatitis. This synthesis aims to evaluate the safety of milk thistle based on findings from multiple research papers.

Key Insights

General Safety and Tolerability
- Milk thistle is generally safe and well-tolerated, with adverse effects being rare and mild, such as gastrointestinal discomfort and allergic reactions .
- High doses of silymarin, the active component of milk thistle, are also well-tolerated in humans, with no major toxicity reported even at high doses.
Effect on Liver Disease
- Milk thistle does not significantly affect mortality, liver histology, or biochemical markers of liver function in patients with chronic liver disease, including those with alcoholic and viral hepatitis .
- Some studies suggest a potential reduction in liver-related mortality, but this effect is not consistent in high-quality trials .
Safety in Specific Populations
- Milk thistle is considered safe during pregnancy, although more studies are needed to confirm this.
- It has low drug interaction potential, but caution is advised when used with drugs that have a narrow therapeutic window.
Quality and Contamination Concerns
- Commercial milk thistle supplements often show significant variability in silymarin content and may contain contaminants such as mycotoxins, pesticides, and microbial impurities, raising safety concerns.

Conclusion

Milk thistle is generally safe and well-tolerated, with minimal adverse effects reported. However, its efficacy in treating liver diseases remains inconclusive, and the quality of commercial supplements can vary significantly, potentially posing safety risks. More high-quality, standardized clinical trials are needed to further establish the safety and efficacy of milk thistle.

Is Milk thistle safe?

Summary

Consensus Meter

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Milk thistle for the treatment of liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Milk thistle appears to be safe and well-tolerated, but no significant reduction in mortality or improvement in liver biopsy findings was found in patients with chronic liver disease.

Milk thistle for alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases.

Milk thistle shows no significant beneficial effects for patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases, and more high-quality randomized clinical trials are needed to support its use.

Safety and toxicity of silymarin, the major constituent of milk thistle extract: An updated review

Silymarin, the major constituent of milk thistle extract, is safe and well-tolerated at therapeutic doses for hepatoprotection, anticancer, anti-Alzheimer, Parkinson's, and diabetes, with low drug interactions and potential for co-administration with narrow therapeutic window drugs.

Milk Thistle for Alcoholic and/or Hepatitis B or C Liver Diseases—A Systematic Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Review with Meta-Analyses of Randomized Clinical Trials

Milk thistle does not significantly influence the course of patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C liver diseases, but may potentially affect liver injury.

Review of Clinical Trials Evaluating Safety and Efficacy of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum [L.] Gaertn.)

Milk thistle shows promising results in protecting against certain cancers and has potential benefits for liver diseases, hepatitis C, HIV, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia.

Milk thistle: is there a role for its use as an adjunct therapy in patients with cancer?

Milk thistle may be useful in preventing or treating liver dysfunction in patients undergoing anticancer therapy, offering a potential safer alternative to conventional treatments.

Advances in the Use of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)

Milk thistle shows potential in treating liver and biliary disorders, with its active component silymarin showing potential in protecting liver and kidney cells from toxic effects of drugs and cancer cells.

Milk thistle (Silybum Marianum) as an antidote or a protective agent against natural or chemical toxicities: a review

Milk thistle and its components, silymarin, show protective effects against various biological and chemical toxicities due to their radical scavenging, anti-oxidative, chelating, anti-apoptotic, and regulating inflammatory responses.

Milk thistle.

Milk thistle shows potential as a liver disease treatment, cancer prevention, and Amanita phalloides poisoning support, with rare side effects and minimal serious toxicity.

Poor chemical and microbiological quality of the commercial milk thistle-based dietary supplements may account for their reported unsatisfactory and non-reproducible clinical outcomes

Strict controls on composition, chemical contaminants, and microbiological purity are crucial for commercial milk thistle-based dietary supplements, as poor definition and contamination may lead to liver injury.

Try another search