Milk Thistle

Also known as: Silybum marianum, Carduus marianus

Safety Rating: 

For explanations of what these safety ratings mean, click here.

Dose Safety:

The active ingredient in Milk Thistle is silymarin. For otherwise healthy patients the maximum dose of silymarin given without major side effects is:

Pregnant or Breastfeeding: Not enough safety info, avoid taking. 

Adults and Elderly: 420 mg daily

Children:

• 12 and older: 140mg three times a day for 9 months in combination with a medication that lowers iron levels in the blood. 
• Daily dose by patient weight for 28 days, ages 1-21:
  
  

Coming soon: 

Side Effects

Overview

Interactions with Health Conditions

Drug Interactions

Interactions with Herbs/Supplements

Interactions with Food

References:

1. *Natural Medicines. (2019). Milk Thistle [Monograph]. Natural Standard Professional Monograph. Retrieved from: https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/databases/food,-herbs-supplements/professional.aspx?productid=138
   
2. *Moayedi, B., Gharagozloo, M., Esmaeil, N., Maracy, M. R., Hoorfar, H., & Jalaeikar, M. (2013). A randomized double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study of therapeutic effects of silymarin in β‐thalassemia major patients receiving desferrioxamine. European journal of haematology, 90(3), 202-209. Retrieved from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ejh.12061
   
3. *Ladas, E. J., Kroll, D. J., Oberlies, N. H., Cheng, B., Ndao, D. H., Rheingold, S. R., & Kelly, K. M. (2010). A randomized, controlled, double‐blind, pilot study of milk thistle for the treatment of hepatotoxicity in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Cancer: Interdisciplinary International Journal of the American Cancer Society, 116(2), 506-513. Retrieved from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cncr.24723

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