Silymarin (Milk Thistle Fruit Extract): Functions

Traditionally, silymarin has been used as a tea or dry extract to treat diseases of the liver, gallbladder, and spleen. It is now one of the best-studied phytochemicals.Based on clinical data, silymarin is used supportively for the following conditions:

  • Alcohol-related liver disease
  • Cirrhosis of the liver
  • Acute and chronic hepatitis
  • Liver disease induced by drugs, medicines, toxins (e.g., green button mushroom).

Various placebo-controlled intervention studies with study participants suffering from alcohol-induced hepatitis as well as liver cirrhosis investigated the effect of silymarin at a daily dose of 280 mg to 420 mg for a period of 3 months to 4 years. After this time, a significant (marked) decrease in mortality, reduction in liver enzyme levels and improvement in liver function were observed.In further clinically controlled intervention studies, silymarin was shown to support the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFL; NAFLE; NAFLD). Over a period of 8 weeks, 33 diseased subjects consumed 210 mg of silymarin daily. After this period, the elevated liver enzyme values aspartate aminotransferase (AST; GOT) were reduced by 51% and alanine aminotransferase (ALT; GPT) by 57%. Taking 140 mg of silymarin per day resulted in a significant (marked) 32% decrease in these transaminases. In another intervention study, it was observed that after a 6-month intake of 280 mg of silymarin, the AST levels of 62 % of the subjects and the ALT levels of 52 % of the subjects normalized. The combination of silybin (the main active ingredient of silymarin), phosphatidyl choline and vitamin E also had a positive effect on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Intake resulted in improvement of liver enzyme levels, insulin resistance and liver histology in 122 study participants after 12 months. The liver-protective effect of silymarin is due to.

  • The stabilization of the outer liver cell membrane. Thus, noxae (harmful substances) can not enter the cell interior.
  • The function as a radical scavenger; due to the antioxidant activity, lipid peroxidation is prevented.
  • The activation of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase I; this stimulates protein as well as nucleic acid synthesis and damaged hepatocytes (liver cells) can regenerate better.
  • The anti-inflammatory (anti-inflammatory) property, thereby supporting the detoxification of noxious substances (detoxification of harmful substances).