How much Milk thistle should I take daily?

Introduction

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is recognized for its pharmacological properties, particularly due to a mixture of flavonoids called silymarin. This compound has been studied for its effects on nutrient digestibility in animals and potential benefits in dietary supplementation.

Key Insights from Research Papers

Digestibility of silymarin flavonolignans in horses increased with the daily dose of milk thistle seed cakes and then plateaued at a dose of 700 g/day, suggesting a limit to beneficial effects at higher doses.
In pigs, milk thistle seed supplementation at 3% and 6% of the diet improved average daily weight gains, meat quality, and oxidative stability, with the higher dose being more effective in enhancing these parameters.

Conclusion

The research indicates that there is a threshold to the beneficial effects of milk thistle supplementation in animal diets, with improvements in digestibility and quality parameters observed up to a certain point. For horses, this threshold was observed at a daily intake of 700 g of milk thistle seed cakes. In pigs, a 6% dietary inclusion of milk thistle seeds was found to be more beneficial than a 3% inclusion for improving growth performance and meat quality. While these studies provide insights into the effects of milk thistle in animals, the optimal dosage for humans may differ and should be determined with caution, considering factors such as body weight, health status, and individual response.

How much Milk thistle should I take daily?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights from Research Papers

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Dose Effect of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Seed Cakes on the Digestibility of Nutrients, Flavonolignans and the Individual Components of the Silymarin Complex in Horses

Milk thistle seed cakes at 700 g/day increase the digestibility of flavonolignans and nutrients in horses, but the digestibility of silymarin complex remains unchanged.

Impact of milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.) seeds in fattener diets on pig performance and carcass traits and fatty acid profile and cholesterol of meat, backfat and liver

Milk thistle seed supplementation in pig fattener diets improves meat quality, oxidative stability, and weight gains, with a higher dose (6%) being more effective in weight gains, feed utilisation, PUFA content, and water-holding and antioxidant capacities.

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.

EFFECT OF MILK THISTLE (SILYBUM MARIANUM) AND BLACK COHOSH (CIMICIFUGA RACEMOSA) SUPPLEMENTATION ON DIGOXIN PHARMACOKINETICS IN HUMANS

Milk thistle and black cohosh supplementation did not significantly affect digoxin pharmacokinetics, suggesting they are not potent modulators of P-gp in vivo.

Milk Thistle Is Associated with Reductions in Liver Function Tests (LFTs) in Children Undergoing Therapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

Milk thistle supplementation may help reduce liver function tests in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia during chemotherapy, but its effectiveness remains unclear.

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.

Effect of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) on the Pharmacokinetics of Irinotecan

Milk thistle intake does not significantly affect the pharmacokinetics of irinotecan, an anticancer drug metabolized by CYP3A4 and UGT1A1.

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.

The Effects of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) on Human Cytochrome P450 Activity

Milk thistle extract does not significantly influence major drug-metabolizing enzymes, suggesting no potential for clinically significant drug interactions.

Effect of Milk Thistle on the Pharmacokinetics of Darunavir-Ritonavir in HIV-Infected Patients

Coadministration of silymarin with darunavir-ritonavir is safe and no dose adjustment is necessary in HIV-infected patients.

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