Milk thistle (Silybum marianum), a flowering herb native to the Mediterranean, is widely recognized for its potential health benefits, particularly due to its active compound, silymarin. Below is a summary of its key benefits:

Key Benefits of Milk Thistle

1. Liver Health

• Milk thistle is best known for its liver-protective properties. Silymarin helps protect liver cells from toxins, supports liver regeneration, and reduces inflammation and oxidative stress.
• It has been used as a complementary therapy for liver conditions such as cirrhosis, hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

• Some studies suggest it may improve liver enzyme levels and protect against damage from toxins like alcohol and certain medications.

   

2. Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Effects

• Silymarin acts as a potent antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals and reducing oxidative stress. These properties contribute to its benefits for liver health and other conditions like inflammation-related diseases.

   

3. Diabetes Management

• Milk thistle may help reduce blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes. It has also been linked to improved cholesterol levels in diabetic patients.
• However, more research is needed to confirm these effects in broader populations.

4. Brain Health

• Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may protect neurons from damage, potentially slowing age-related cognitive decline. Preliminary research suggests it could reduce amyloid plaque buildup associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

5. Bone Health

• Studies suggest that milk thistle may stimulate bone mineralization, which could help prevent osteoporosis, especially in postmenopausal women. However, human studies are limited.

6. Cancer Support

• Preclinical studies indicate that milk thistle might inhibit the growth of cancer cells in various types of cancer (e.g., prostate, breast, cervical). It may also enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy while reducing its side effects.

7. Skin Health

• Milk thistle’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties may benefit skin conditions like acne by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.

8. Heart Health

• By lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels, milk thistle may support heart health, particularly in people with diabetes. However, its effects on non-diabetic individuals remain unclear.

9. Immune System Support

• Some evidence suggests that milk thistle may strengthen the immune response and reduce chronic inflammation linked to immune system disorders

Safety and Side Effects

Milk thistle is generally well-tolerated but may cause mild side effects such as nausea, upset stomach, or allergic reactions in sensitive individuals (e.g., those allergic to ragweed or daisies). 

Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals and those on medications should consult a healthcare provider before use.

While promising, many of these benefits require further research to confirm their efficacy in humans.

Source : http://www.wikiphyto.org/wiki/Chardon-Marie

Reference on http://www.wikiphyto.org

Translation in English by Google Translate  (go to the page of the source linked | on Chrome cellphones go on the 3 dots on the top right and select translate in your preferred language | on laptop right click your mouse and select option translate when hoovering on the page

plant name

Milk thistle , milk thistle (English), Mariendistel (German)

International Latin denomination

Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. (formerly Carduus marianus )

botanical family

Asteraceae

Description and habitat

• Biennial plant growing up to 1.50 m in height
• Leaves with white marbled blades along the veins, the teeth of which end in very sharp yellow tips
• Large purple-mauve flower heads 3 to 8 cm, with spiny bracts
• Wastelands of Southern Europe, Northern Africa, Western Asia

History and tradition

• According to popular belief, the white marks on the leaves come from the milk of the Virgin breastfeeding the child Jesus.

Parts used

• Fruit = rough black achene, 6 to 7 mm by 3, with a remnant of the floral crown in the form of a light yellow cylindrical scale

Dosage forms available

• Carduus marianus fruit tincture
• Fluid extract
• Dry extract
• Légalon® ( Silybum marianum fruit, corresponding to silymarin 70 mg)
• EPS

Usual dosages

• 12-15 grams of herbal drug (fruit or fruit powder)
• Legalon®: 2 tablets, 2 to 3 times a day
  • The effects are more marked for 140mg of silymarin 3 times a day, i.e. 420 mg/day (equivalent to 21 grams of drug if silymarin is present at 2%)

Composition

Main components of the plant

• Flavonolignans responsible for the activity (mixture of flavanonic derivatives called silymarin , 1.5 to 3% of the drug) whose major components are silybin (= silibin = silybinin , formed of two stereoisomers A and B), silydianin and silychristin and their many stereoisomeric derivatives ( isosilybin , dihydrosilybin )
• Flavonoids  : quercetol , taxifolin , dihydrokaempferol , apigenin , naringin , eriodyctiol , chrysoeriol
• Phenolic derivatives
• Tocopherol and sterols  : campesterol , sitosterol , stigmasterol
• Lipids 20 to 30%, proteins, sugars

Main components of buds or young shoots

Main components of essential oil

Properties

Plant properties

• Hepatoprotective by flavonolignans [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , activities related to various functions of receptors and transporters located in cell membranes, modulation of TNF-alpha and selectins, antioxidant properties and inhibition of lipoxygenase pathway, inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase iNOS, nuclear factor kappa B and reduction of collagen synthesis, DNA and RNA mediated effects [6]
• Silymarin acts by two mechanisms:
  • It is a membrane stabilizer (it inhibits the membrane transport systems of hepatocytes, making the absorption of toxins more difficult, inhibits the peroxidation of lipids [7] and increases the uptake of free radicals produced by hepatotoxic substances); it contributes to the maintenance of the glutathione pool responsible for hepatic detoxification (phase 2 enzymes), reduces the increase in transaminases and alkaline phosphatases, protects against oxidative stress [8]
  • It stimulates the activity of polymerase A, therefore increases the synthesis of ribosomal nucleic acids and the number of ribosomes in hepatocytes, which increases enzyme biosynthesis, protein synthesis and stimulates the capacity for hepatic regeneration
• Prevention and treatment of hepatotoxicity from carbon tetrachloride [9] , galactosamine [10] and phalloidin [11] , [12] , [13]
• Antidote for amanita phalloides poisoning [14] , a meta-analysis of 452 patients with amanita phalloides poisoning show a significant difference in mortality in favor of silibinin (mortality 9.8% vs. 18.3% with standard treatment, p <0.01) [15] , silibinin prevents the absorption of amatoxins from amanita phalloides by hepatocytes, thus protecting liver tissue, it stimulates DNA-dependent RNA polymerases, increasing RNA synthesis [16] , [17] , [18]
• Improved lifespan in cirrhosis [19]
• Antiviral against hepatitis C [20] , [21] , inhibits the RNA polymerase of the virus [22]
• Prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma by synergy Cynara scolymus , Silybum marianum , Cochlospermum angolense [23]
• Nephro-protective [24]
• The plant is also galactogenic [25] , [26] , [27] and anti-depressant
• Anti-cancer properties of silymarin [28] , anti-inflammatory properties and antimetastatic activity by modulation of specific proteins [29]
  • Silymarin exerts anti-cancer activity through multiple mechanisms: initiation of carcinogenesis, promotion and progression. Its antimetastatic effect is notable. Numerous clinical studies show a reduction in the toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents in combination with silymarin [30]
  • Silymarin inhibits the proliferation of tumor cells of various cancers:
    • Of the prostate [31] , [32] , [33] , [34] , with inhibition of angiogenesis and angiogenesis regulatory molecules (VEGF former name of NO, VEGFR1, VEGFR2, phospho-Akt, HIF- 1α) ( flavonolignans  : silybin A , silybin B , isosilybin A , isosilybin B ) [35]
    • From the ovary [36]
    • Breast [37]
    • Lung [38]
    • Skin [39]
    • From the bladder [40] , [41]
• Decreases renal toxicity of cis-platin [42]
• Silymarin ( flavonolignan ) exhibits immunosuppressive effects [43] , [44] , [45]
• The combination with phosphatidyl-choline would increase the absorption and effectiveness of silymarin [46]
• Hypoglycemic effect [47]
• The oil extracted from the seeds, a by-product of the manufacture of silymarin , also has antioxidant properties [48]

Bud properties

Properties of essential oil

Directions

Indications of the whole plant (phytotherapy)

• Hepatitis and latent liver disease, steatosis, cirrhosis
  • In viral hepatitis B or C, silymarin acts favorably on the elevation of transaminases and gamma-GTs, but not on the viral load [49]
• Prophylaxis and treatment of hepatic diseases caused by toxins (prevention of chemotherapy, protection of hepatic cells during cancer chemotherapy) [50]
• Protection against the toxic effects of phalloidin with better effects if the administration is prophylactic (so if the flavonolignans are absorbed before the phalloidin or any other toxicant)
• Cancer:
  • Chemoprotection
  • Silibinin therapy can target inhibition of proliferative pathways of various cancers through molecular mechanisms such as tyrosine kinase receptors, androgen receptors, STATs (signal transducer and activator of transcription), NF-kappaB, cell cycle regulatory pathways and apoptosis signaling pathways [51]
  • Silibinin would have promising antineoplastic properties and would potentiate the effect of anti-cancer drugs (carcinomas of the skin, breast, lung, colon, bladder, prostate and kidney) [52]
  • Some regressions are spectacular (for example of a hepatocarcinoma) [53]
• Nervous breakdown, stimulation of lactation
• Alcoholic infusions and extracts do not deliver enough silymarin to obtain a marked anti-hepatotoxic effect (insufficient effect of TM )
  • Indeed, the usual dose is 12-15 g of drug, and the most marked effects were due to 140 mg of silymarin 3 times a day, i.e. 420 mg/day (if it is present at 2% in this sample would require 21 g of drug). Nevertheless, we can assume that the total extract will have an amplified activity compared to the flavanolignans alone .
• Usefulness in hepatic iron overload and hemochromatosis [54]
• Non-toxic (even at 20 g/kg in mice)
  • In Belgium and Switzerland, silibinin (Legalon Sil®) is used in poisoning by amanita phalloides on experimental data (even if there is no real antidote for phalloides poisoning). Silibinin would act by limiting the intestinal absorption as well as the intra-hepatocyte transport of amatoxins and by stimulating RNA polymerase. A retrospective study of published cases would have found a statistical association between the use of silibinin and a reduction in mortality (as with N-acetylcysteine). Dosage: 5 mg/kg in 5% glucose IV over 2 hours, to be repeated every 6 hours for 6 days. Source: Belgian Poison Centerhttp://www.poisoncentre.be/article.php?id_article=33
  • Silibinin would also be active on the replication of the hepatitis C virus [55].
• Potentialities in autoimmune diseases [43]
• Peak plasma silymarin is reached 2 to 6 hours after oral intake and its elimination half-life is approximately 6 hours [56] , [57]

Indications of the bud (gemmotherapy)

Specific indications of essential oil (aromatherapy)

Known or suspected mode of action

Usual formulations

Regulations

• French Pharmacopoeia list A (leaf, fruit)

Possible side effects and precautions for use

• No acute or chronic toxicity of silymarin (even at 20 g/kg in mice)
• Possibility of allergies to plants of the Asteraceae family
• Pharmacokinetic interactions:
  • Monitor for possible drug interactions, silymarin decreases the activity of cytochrome P-450 (CYP) enzymes, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzyme and reduces P-glycoprotein (P-gp) transport [58] , [59]
  • Silymarin in particular reduces the activity of the CYP3A4 enzyme and the activity of uridine diphosphoglucuronosyl transferase (UGT1A6/9), it can therefore alter the hepatic metabolism of certain drugs, their pharmacokinetics and thus lead to increased toxicity [60 ] , but other works show that milk thistle extract has no significant influence on the activities of CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2D6 or CYP3A4/5 [61].
  • Avoid combination with chemotherapeutic treatments mainly metabolized by CYP3A4, it is advisable to make therapeutic windows

Bibliographic references

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• Manna SK, Mukhopadhyay A, Van NT, Aggarwal BB. Silymarin suppresses TNF-induced activation of NF-kappa B, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and apoptosis. J Immunol. 1999 Dec 15;163(12):6800-9. PMID 10586080
• Kaur Manjinder, Agarwal Rajesh. Silymarin and Epithelial Cancer Chemoprevention: How close we are to bedside? Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2007 November 1; 224(3): 350–359. Full Text
• Loguercio C, Festi D. Silybin and the liver: From basic research to clinical practice. World J Gastroenterol. 2011 May 14;17(18):2288-301. PMID 21633595 full text: [4]
• Post-White J, Ladas EJ, Kelly KM. Advances in the use of milk thistle (Silybum marianum). Integr Cancer Ther. 2007 Jun;6(2):104-9. PMID 17548789
• Ball KR, Kowdley KV. A review of Silybum marianum (milk thistle) as a treatment for alcoholic liver disease. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2005 Jul;39(6):520-8. PMID 15942440

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Milk thistle benefits: Liver, skin, cholesterol, weight loss, and more

People use milk thistle as a natural remedy to treat several health conditions, including liver conditions and diabetes. Does it work? We review the evidence.

2

Healthline Media

healthline.com/nutrition/milk…

7 Science-Based Benefits of Milk Thistle - Healthline

Milk thistle is an herbal remedy with many potential uses. Here are 7 benefits of milk thistle that are backed by science.

3

Baptist Health

baptisthealth.com/blog/family-he…

Milk Thistle Benefits and Side Effects - Baptist Health

Milk thistle (silymarin) is a plant native to Mediterranean countries. This article covers claims about milk thistle’s benefits, its side effects, and other information on this flowering herb.

4

Consensus: AI Search Engine for Research

consensus.app/home/blog/milk…

Milk Thistle: Benefits and Side Effects - Consensus

Milk thistle is a promising natural remedy with a range of health benefits, particularly for liver protection and antioxidant support. While generally safe and well-tolerated, it is essential to be aware of potential mild side effects and consult with a healthcare provider for personalized advice. Further research, especially well-designed clinical trials, is needed to fully understand the therapeutic potential of milk thistle in various health conditions.

5

Cleveland Clinic

health.clevelandclinic.org/milk-thistle-b…

Milk Thistle: 6 Potential Benefits - Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials

Milk thistle supplements and teas have been used for centuries for treating conditions like liver disease, but research on its effects is limited. But does that mean you shouldn’t try it?

6

Healthline Media

healthline.com/nutrition/milk…

Milk Thistle Tea: Benefits, Side Effects, and Dosage - Healthline

Milk thistle tea is said to protect the liver and lower blood sugar levels. This article looks at the evidence to see if it’s true.

7

WebMD

webmd.com/fatty-liver-di…

Milk Thistle: Benefits and Side Effects - WebMD

WebMD examines the use of milk thistle to lower cholesterol, treat liver problems, and benefit diabetes. Does it work?

8

Mount Sinai Health System

mountsinai.org/health-library…

Milk thistle Information | Mount Sinai - New York

Learn about Milk thistle or find a doctor at Mount Sinai Health System.

9

news-medical

news-medical.net/health/Milk-Th…

Milk Thistle Health Benefits - News-Medical

10

webmd

webmd.com/diet/milk-this…

Milk Thistle Tea: Is It Good for You? - WebMD

11

webmd.com

webmd.com/vitamins/ai/in…

Milk Thistle - Uses, Side Effects, and More - WebMD

Learn more about MILK THISTLE uses, effectiveness, possible side effects, interactions, dosage, user ratings and products that contain MILK THISTLE.

12

nccih.nih

nccih.nih.gov/health/milk-th…

Milk Thistle: Usefulness and Safety | NCCIH

13

mayoclinic

mayoclinic.org/drugs-suppleme…

Milk thistle - Mayo Clinic

More Results

MSD Manuals

msdmanuals.com/home/special-s…

Milk Thistle - Special Subjects - MSD Manual Consumer Version

Milk Thistle - Learn about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis & treatment from the MSD Manuals - Medical Consumer Version.

Healthline Media

healthline.com/nutrition/milk…

Milk Thistle Tea: Benefits, Side Effects, and Dosage - Healthline

Milk thistle tea is said to protect the liver and lower blood sugar levels. This article looks at the evidence to see if it’s true.

Consensus: AI Search Engine for Research

consensus.app/home/blog/milk…

Milk Thistle: Benefits and Side Effects - Consensus

Milk thistle is a promising natural remedy with a range of health benefits, particularly for liver protection and antioxidant support. While generally safe and well-tolerated, it is essential to be aware of potential mild side effects and consult with a healthcare provider for personalized advice. Further research, especially well-designed clinical trials, is needed to fully understand the therapeutic potential of milk thistle in various health conditions.

cancerresearchuk.org

cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/t…

Milk thistle | Complementary and Alternative therapies

Milk thistle is a plant that comes from the same group of flowers as the daisy. It is a herbal remedy not a treatment for cancer.

urmc.rochester.edu

urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/c…

Milk Thistle - Encyclopedia - UR Medicine - University of Rochester

Milk thistle is an annual or biennial plant. It has reddish-purple flowers. It grows to 3 feet tall. It’s often considered a weed and is native to Europe. It can also be found in the United States and South America. It grows in dry, rocky soils. Milk thistle seeds (Silybum marianum) have been used for hundreds of years to treat liver and gallbladder disease. Milk thistle contains a group of bioflavonoids called silymarin. They’re made from the seeds of the thistle. The most active of the group...

Examine.com

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Milk Thistle benefits, dosage, and side effects - Examine.com

Examine simplifies nutrition and supplementation — through meticulous analysis of the latest scientific research — to help answer your questions on how to be healthier.

ncbi.nlm.nih

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11896

Milk Thistle: Effects on Liver Disease and Cirrhosis and Clinical ...

health

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Milk Thistle Benefits: Uses, Side Effects, and More - Health

verywellhealth

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Milk Thistle Benefits - Verywell Health

news-medical

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Milk Thistle Health Benefits - News-Medical

Store in a cool, dry place, away from light. Keep tightly closed, away from the reach of Children and pets.

Do not exceed the daily dose.

This product is not intended to prevent or cure any form of illness or disease.
 

If you are pregnant or nursing ; If you have a medical condition or are in the course of medical treatment ; If you are programmed for theater/operation in the near future, please consult your healthcare practitioner before using this product.

This product cannot replace a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

This product has not been evaluated by the SAHPRA for its quality, safety or intended use.