Botanical Index No. 699

Milk Thistle

silybum marianum

Medicinal Actions

Colic, Adrenergic, Alterative, Antiallergic, Antibilious, Anticarcinogenic, Antidepressant, Antidote, Antiedemic, Antiinflammatory, Antileukotriene, Antioxidant, Antiprostaglandin, Antitoxic, Antitumor, Antiviral, cAMP-Phosphodiesterase Inhibitor, Cholagogue, Choleretic, Depurative, Diaphoretic, Digestive, Emmenagogue, Expectorant, Glutathionigenic, Hepatoprotective, Hepatoregenerative, Hypolipidemic, Hypocholesterolemic, Lactagogue, Laxative, Lipolytic, 5-Lipoxygenase Inhibitor, Litholytic, Peristaltic, Stimulant, Sympathicolytic, Tonic

Primary Conditions Treated

Allergy Anorexia Anthrax Asthma Bleeding Bronchosis Calculus Cancer breast nose ovarian Catarrh Childbirth Cholecystosis Cirrhosis Constipation Cough Cramp Cystosis Depression Dermatosis Diabetes Diabetic Neuropathy Dropsy Dysmenorrhea Dyspepsia Enterosis Fever Food Allergy Gallstone Gastrosis Hemoptysis Hemorrhoid Hepatosis Hepatitis A High Cholesterol Hydrophobia Hypotonia Infection Inflammation Intoxication Insulin Resistance Itch Jaundice Leukorrhea Malaria Menopause Metrorrhagia Migraine Mushroom Poisoning Nausea Nephrosis Obesity Oligolactea Peritonosis Phlebitis Plague Pleurisy Psoriasis Pulmonosis Sore Splenosis Stone Swelling Syndrome-X Tumor Ulcus cruris Uterosis Varicosis Virus mushroom Aperient Bitter Demulcent Hemostat Sunscreen

General Dosage

2–3 tsp fresh leaf; 1–3 g dry leaf; 1 g seed; 3.5–15 g seed/day; 4–9 g seed/day; 1 tsp mashed seed/cup water 3–4 ×/day, one-half hour before meals; 12–15 g whole or powdered seed, an equivalent to 200–400 mg silymarin, the collective name for silybinin, silydianin, and silychristin; 4–9 ml fluid extract/day; 1–2 capsules 3 ×/day with water; 175 mg 80% silymarin StX; 420 mg silymarin/day; 200–400 mg silymarin; 200–600 mg silymarin/day for Syndrome X.

Safety & Contraindications

Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects — Class 1. “Hazards and/or side effects not known for proper therapeutic dosages”. None known. Commission E reports no contraindications or drug interactions for the fruit. Occasional mild laxative effects are reported. One observational study reported ca. 1% side effects, mostly transient GI distress. One Australian report, attributed to something other than silybin in the milk thistle product, suggested abdominal cramping, diaphoresis, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and weakness. Antagonizes phentolamine and yohimbine. “The long term safety and the advisability of the use of these extracts in pregnant or women of potential childbearing remain to be established”. “May be used by ... pregnant and lactating women”.

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