Natural Antioxidant—Great for Liver Health

Metabolic Benefits of Milk Thistle

High cholesterol, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and liver disease are all metabolic syndrome conditions.

Metabolic syndrome is the term used to describe a group of related conditions, including:(106)

Lab, animal, and clinical research suggests milk thistle extracts can help prevent and treat metabolic syndrome by:(76107108)

  • Antioxidant protection.
  • Accumulation of fat in the liver.
  • Insulin resistance.
  • Oxidative stress from excess free radicals.
  • Elevated triglyceride levels.
  • Enzyme for absorbing dietary fat.

Cholesterol Control with Milk Thistle

Milk thistle may also reduce the need for high doses of statins. In a 6-month clinical trial, a combination of milk thistle, another herb containing berberine, and half-dose statin drug was more effective than the statin combined with placebo. The milk thistle dosage was 105 mg, twice a day.(109)

Berberine is a natural statin, as is Monascus purpureus fermented rice. Milk thistle's silymarin compounds improve absorption of berberine. In a clinical study, a combination of these herbal compounds helped lower cholesterol in patients with high cholesterol levels.(110)

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Pancreatic lipase.(108)
Berberis aristata.(109)