Milk thistle (Silybum marianum):

Therapeutic actions:

Antioxidant, cholagogue, choleretic, demulcent, hepatic trophorestorative, hepatoprotective, galactogogue. (Hoffmann, 2002. p. 144) (Fugh-Berman, 2003, p. 222) (Bone, 2003, p. 326)

Phytochemical constituents that enhance these:

• Silymarin - is a group of the most active constituents within St Mary's Thistle, and comprises silybin, silychristin, silydianin and other flavanolignans. (Bone, 2003, p. 327)

Supporting evidence:

Multiple clinical studies on patients with hepatic disease using milk thistle had mixed results. Some tests found an increase in some or all of the following: aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP), and bilirubin, plus an increase in survival. Other studies, however, found no benefit with use of milk thistle when compared to a placebo. (Fugh-Berman, 2003, p. 222)

Pharmacological studies, both in vitro and in vivo, found positive results on glutathione levels, hepatoprotective activity, anticarcinogenic activity, anti-inflammatory activity and inhibition of arachidonic acid. (Bone, 2003, p. 327)