--- title: "Silymarin (Milk Thistle) — Evidence, Benefits & Where to Buy | Magellan" description: "Silymarin (Milk Thistle) — Silymarin is a mixture of flavonolignans—principally silybin (silibinin), along with silychristin, silydianin, and the…" url: "https://magellanlongevity.com/p/112.md" canonical: "https://magellanlongevity.com/p/112.html" html: "https://magellanlongevity.com/p/112.html" type: "product" section: "Nutraceuticals & Cellular Energizers" evidence_grade: "Moderate evidence" evidence_tier: "moderate" citations: 18 product_id: 112 price_usd: 25 updated: 2026-09-02 author: "Gabriel Radu, DO" author_credentials: "Physiatrist (PM&R). NY medical license 275110. NPI 1376861765." publisher: "Magellan Longevity" content_format: "markdown" license: "Educational content — not medical advice" --- # Silymarin (Milk Thistle) [Home](https://magellanlongevity.com/) › [Nutraceuticals & Cellular Energizers](https://magellanlongevity.com/c/1.md) › Silymarin (Milk Thistle) **HTML version:** https://magellanlongevity.com/p/112.html · **In the Magellan app:** https://magellanlongevity.com/#/product/112 ## Key facts | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Product | Silymarin (Milk Thistle) | | Category | [Nutraceuticals & Cellular Energizers](https://magellanlongevity.com/c/1.md) | | Evidence grade | Moderate evidence (B) | | Peer-reviewed citations | 18 | | Typical listed price | $25.00 (check the live price) | | Where to buy | [Search Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Silymarin%20%28Milk%20Thistle%29&tag=magellanlong-20) | | Catalog ID | 112 | ## What it is Silymarin is a mixture of flavonolignans—principally silybin (silibinin), along with silychristin, silydianin, and the flavonoid taxifolin—extracted from the fruits and seeds of milk thistle (Silybum marianum), a plant used medicinally for over two thousand years. Silybin constitutes roughly 70–80% of the extract and accounts for most of its biological activity. In laboratory and animal models, silymarin exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, membrane-stabilizing, and liver-regenerating properties, and it is used chiefly as a hepatoprotective agent. ## Its role in longevity In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD/MASLD), multiple meta-analyses of randomized trials find that silymarin modestly lowers the liver enzymes ALT and AST and improves metabolic markers including cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting insulin, though reviewers caution that the underlying trials are small and of variable quality. Results on harder outcomes are mixed: a rigorous biopsy-based NASH trial missed its primary histologic endpoint yet showed a fibrosis signal (22.4% vs 6.0% improvement over placebo), a landmark trial found no survival benefit in alcoholic cirrhosis, and no study demonstrates prevention of cirrhosis or liver-related death. A randomized prophylaxis trial reported less anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury with milk thistle, and meta-analyses report modest reductions in fasting glucose in type 2 diabetes. Plain silymarin is poorly absorbed, a real limitation that phosphatidylcholine (phytosome) formulations partly address. This evidence describes the silymarin/milk-thistle compound and its mechanisms in general, not this specific commercial product, which has not itself been tested in the cited studies. ## Evidence grade: Moderate evidence - **What the grade means:** Curated grade based on the human and mechanistic evidence for this compound. - **What this grade does not say:** Silymarin consistently lowers liver enzymes and improves metabolic markers in NAFLD and showed a fibrosis signal in the best NASH trial, but that trial missed its primary endpoint and no study proves prevention of cirrhosis or liver-related death. Plain silymarin is poorly absorbed; phytosome formulations partly address this. ## Where it comes from without a bottle Food, exercise and behaviour routes to the same pathway, each with its citation. | Natural source | How it works | Citation | | --- | --- | --- | | Milk thistle seed / extract | Silymarin IS milk thistle extract — the flavonolignan complex (mainly silybin) concentrated in the seeds of Silybum marianum. Whole crushed seeds steeped as a tea or ground onto food deliver the same compounds at far lower, less-standardized doses than a capsule. | Anti-Cancer Drugs 2015 [PMID 25603021](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25603021/) | | Artichoke & related Asteraceae greens | Milk thistle is an edible thistle in the artichoke family; its young leaves, stalks and flower buds have been eaten as a vegetable for centuries in the Mediterranean. Eating the plant gives the same hepatoprotective, antioxidant flavonolignans — just in food-level amounts. | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010 [PMID 20231449](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20231449/) | ### What those papers actually say 1. **Milk thistle seed / extract** Anti-Cancer Drugs 2015 · [PMID 25603021](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25603021/) · [DOI 10.1097/CAD.0000000000000211](https://doi.org/10.1097/CAD.0000000000000211) > Milk thistle extract, known as silymarin, is a complex mixture of seven major flavonolignans and one flavonoid. 2. **Artichoke & related Asteraceae greens** Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010 · [PMID 20231449](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20231449/) · [DOI 10.1073/pnas.0914009107](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0914009107) > Silymarin, also known as milk thistle extract... displays antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory actions that contribute to its hepatoprotective effects. ## In the news - **What Are The Benefits and Side Effects of Milk Thistle?** — WebMD 2025 [Read it](https://www.webmd.com/fatty-liver-disease/milk-thistle-benefits-and-side-effects) > Some small studies show it may help lower liver enzymes, but no high-quality trials show that it can reverse inflammation or scarring in the liver. - **Milk thistle** — Mayo Clinic 2025 [Read it](https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-milk-thistle/art-20362885) > Research on the effects of milk thistle on liver disease, such as cirrhosis and hepatitis C, has shown mixed results. ## The research Peer-reviewed studies on the active compound. Quotes are verbatim from the cited abstract. Research describes the active mechanism and is not a claim about this specific product. ### Cited studies 1. **Evidence: improves liver enzymes, lipids** Ann Hepatol 2023 · [PMID 38579127](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38579127/) · [DOI 10.1016/j.aohep.2023.101174](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aohep.2023.101174) > Silymarin can regulate energy metabolism, attenuate liver damage, and improve liver histology 2. **Silybum marianum (milk thistle) and silymarin as a potential therapeutic plant in metabolic syndrome: a review** Phytother Res 2018 · [PMID 30015401](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30015401/) · [DOI 10.1002/ptr.6153](https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6153) > Silymarin exhibits antioxidant, lipid-lowering, antidiabetic, and hepatoprotective effects 3. **Impact of Silymarin in individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.** Nutrition 2020 · [PMID 33418491](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33418491/) · [DOI 10.1016/j.nut.2020.111092](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2020.111092) > Silymarin seems to be effective in reducing transaminase levels in individuals with NAFLD. Despite the statistical benefits, we call attention to potential flaws related to the quality of the included studies. 4. **The therapeutic effect of silymarin in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty disease: A meta-analysis (PRISMA) of randomized control trials.** Medicine (Baltimore) 2017 · [PMID 29245314](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29245314/) · [DOI 10.1097/MD.0000000000009061](https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000009061) > SIL has positive efficacy to reduce transaminases levels in NAFLD patients. SIL can be an encouraging and considerable phytotherapy for NAFLD patients. 5. **Effect of silymarin on biochemical indicators in patients with liver disease: Systematic review with meta-analysis.** World J Gastroenterol 2017 · [PMID 28785154](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28785154/) · [DOI 10.3748/wjg.v23.i27.5004](https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v23.i27.5004) > Silymarin minimally reduced, but without clinical relevance, the serum levels of ALT and AST. It is necessary to carry out studies with more appropriate methodological designs. 6. **Effects of silymarin use on liver enzymes and metabolic factors in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.** Can Liver J 2024 · [PMID 38505782](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38505782/) · [DOI 10.3138/canlivj-2023-0021](https://doi.org/10.3138/canlivj-2023-0021) > We found that silymarin significantly reduced the levels of ALT (MD= -17.12 [-28.81, -4.43]), (P < 0.004), AST (MD= -12.56 [-19.02, -6.10]), (P < 0.0001) and TG (MD = -22.60 [-23.83, -21.38]) (< 0.00001). 7. **Are alterations needed in Silybum marianum (Silymarin) administration practices? A novel outlook and meta-analysis on randomized trials targeting liver injury.** BMC Complement Med Ther 2025 · [PMID 40221681](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40221681/) · [DOI 10.1186/s12906-025-04886-y](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-025-04886-y) > silymarin administration showed a significant reduction in AST (SMD [95% CI]: - 0.670 [- 0.931, - 0.408], p-value = 0.000), and ALT (SMD [95% CI]: - 0.912 [- 1.177, - 0.646], p-value = 0.000) levels. 8. **Silymarin in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.** J Diabetes Res 2016 · [PMID 27340676](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27340676/) · [DOI 10.1155/2016/5147468](https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/5147468) > routine silymarin administration determines a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose levels (-26.86 mg/dL; 95% CI -35.42-18.30) and HbA1c levels (-1.07; 95% CI -1.73-0.40) and has no effect on lipid profile. 9. **Effect of Medicinal Plants and Natural Products on Liver Enzymes in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Patients in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.** Int J Prev Med 2022 · [PMID 35958359](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35958359/) · [DOI 10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_313_20](https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_313_20) > silymarin had the highest effect on the reduction of AST (SMD = -2.68), cinnamon excreted the most profound effect on ALT (SMD = -2.69). 10. **The efficacy of novel metabolic targeted agents and natural plant drugs for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease treatment: A PRISMA-compliant network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.** Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 · [PMID 33761646](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33761646/) · [DOI 10.1097/MD.0000000000024884](https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000024884) > Novel metabolic targeted agents generally have better effects than natural plant drugs, especially obeticholic acid, and elafibranor. 11. **A Randomized Trial of Silymarin for the Treatment of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.** Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2017 · [PMID 28419855](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28419855/) · [DOI 10.1016/j.cgh.2017.04.016](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2017.04.016) > Silymarin may reduce liver fibrosis but this remains to be confirmed in a larger trial. It appears to be safe and well tolerated. 12. **Silybin combined with phosphatidylcholine and vitamin E in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized controlled trial.** Free Radic Biol Med 2012 · [PMID 22343419](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22343419/) · [DOI 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2012.02.008](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2012.02.008) > Treatment with RA but not P for 12 months was associated with improvement in liver enzymes, insulin resistance, and liver histology, without increases in body weight. 13. **Treatment options for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial.** Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019 · [PMID 30920975](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30920975/) · [DOI 10.1097/MEG.0000000000001369](https://doi.org/10.1097/MEG.0000000000001369) > This randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial suggested a significant benefit of silymarin, pioglitazone, and vitamin E in improving liver aminotransferases in patients with NAFLD after only 3 months, without exerting any specific side effects. 14. **Effects of silymarin in alcoholic patients with cirrhosis of the liver: results of a controlled, double-blind, randomized and multicenter trial.** J Hepatol 1998 · [PMID 9566830](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9566830/) · [DOI 10.1016/s0168-8278(98)80285-7](https://doi.org/10.1016/s0168-8278%2898%2980285-7) > The results of this study indicate that silymarin has no effect on survival and the clinical course in alcoholics with liver cirrhosis. 15. **Mechanistic Insights into the Pharmacological Significance of Silymarin.** Molecules 2022 · [PMID 36014565](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36014565/) · [DOI 10.3390/molecules27165327](https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27165327) > Silybins are the major constituents in silymarin with almost 70-80% abundance and are accountable for most of the observed therapeutic activity. 16. **Milk thistle (Silybum marianum): A concise overview on its chemistry, pharmacological, and nutraceutical uses in liver diseases.** Phytother Res 2018 · [PMID 30080294](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30080294/) · [DOI 10.1002/ptr.6171](https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6171) > Overall, literature data suggest that, despite encouraging preclinical data, further well-designed randomized clinical trials are needed to fully substantiate the real value of MT preparations in liver diseases. 17. **Nutraceutical Approach to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): The Available Clinical Evidence.** Nutrients 2018 · [PMID 30142943](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30142943/) · [DOI 10.3390/nu10091153](https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10091153) > Silymarin, vitamin E and vitamin D, polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-3 series, coenzyme Q10, berberine and curcumin, if well dosed and administered for medium-long periods, and associated to lifestyle changes, could exert positive effects on NAFLD and NAFLD-related parameters. 18. **Efficacy and safety of milk thistle preventive treatment of anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.** Medicine 2020 · [PMID 33350748](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33350748/) > Prophylactic milk thistle lowered the incidence of anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury in a randomized trial. ## Where to buy [Search Amazon for Silymarin (Milk Thistle)](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Silymarin%20%28Milk%20Thistle%29&tag=magellanlong-20) — affiliate search link. ## Structured data ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"ItemPage","@id":"https://magellanlongevity.com/p/112.html#page","url":"https://magellanlongevity.com/p/112.html","name":"Silymarin (Milk Thistle)","description":"Silymarin is a mixture of flavonolignans—principally silybin (silibinin), along with silychristin, silydianin, and the flavonoid taxifolin—extracted from…","inLanguage":"en","isPartOf":{"@type":"WebSite","name":"Magellan Longevity","url":"https://magellanlongevity.com/"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Gabriel Radu, DO","jobTitle":"Physiatrist (PM&R)","identifier":[{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"NPI","value":"1376861765"},{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"NY medical license","value":"275110"}]},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Magellan Longevity","url":"https://magellanlongevity.com/"},"encoding":{"@type":"MediaObject","encodingFormat":"text/markdown","contentUrl":"https://magellanlongevity.com/p/112.md"},"dateModified":"2026-09-02"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://magellanlongevity.com/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Nutraceuticals & Cellular Energizers","item":"https://magellanlongevity.com/c/1.html"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Silymarin (Milk Thistle)","item":"https://magellanlongevity.com/p/112.html"}]},{"@type":"Product","@id":"https://magellanlongevity.com/p/112.html#product","name":"Silymarin (Milk Thistle)","category":"Nutraceuticals & Cellular Energizers","url":"https://magellanlongevity.com/p/112.html","description":"Silymarin is a mixture of flavonolignans—principally silybin (silibinin), along with silychristin, silydianin, and the flavonoid taxifolin—extracted from the fruits and seeds of milk thistle (Silybum marianum), a plant used medicinally for over two thousand years. 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Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to your physician before starting any supplement or device, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication. Editorial firewall: evidence grades are assigned from the published research and are independent of any affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate, Magellan Longevity earns from qualifying purchases. Reviewed for accuracy by a board-certified physician (DO).