Can Milk Thistle Lower High Liver Enzymes (2025)

Milk thistle compounds prevent cell damage and the leakage of liver enzymes into the bloodstream, with sylimarin being the active compound. Laboratory studies show that milk thistle can help prevent elevation of liver enzymes, which can be a side effect of cholesterol-lowering medications like statins. Studies show that milk thistle improves liver function and increases survival in people with cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis. Milk thistle, along with green tea and cinnamon, significantly restores elevated liver enzyme levels, possibly due to the presence of natural liver. Milk thistle has not been implicated in causing liver injury and is used widely as a liver tonic in patients with acute and chronic liver diseases. Medical research on milk thistle and liver health has led to mixed results, but studies confirm that milk thistle can protect liver function, prevent liver damage, and normalize elevated enzyme levels. Milk thistle’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can help protect liver. A 2021 study showed improvements in liver function in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease who have taken milk thistle supplements.

Can liver recover from high ALT?

About one-third of people with elevated liver enzymes will have normal liver enzyme levels after two to four weeks. If your liver enzymes stay high, your provider may order more blood tests, or imaging tests such as ultrasound, CT scan or MRI. They may also refer you to a liver specialist (hepatologist).

What does it mean to have elevated liver enzymes?. If you have high levels of liver enzymes in your blood, you have elevated liver enzymes. High liver enzyme levels may be temporary, or they may be a sign of a medical condition like hepatitis or liver disease. Certain medications can also cause elevated liver enzymes.

What are liver enzymes?. Liver enzymes are proteins that speed up chemical reactions in your body. These chemical reactions include producing bile and substances that help your blood clot, breaking down food and toxins, and fighting infection. Common liver enzymes include:

• Alkaline phosphatase (ALP).
• Alanine transaminase (ALT).
• Aspartate transaminase (AST).
• Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT).

How much milk thistle should I take for elevated liver enzymes?

Background. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is an herb native to Europe, Asia Minor and Northern Africa that has been used widely to treat liver disease. Extracts of milk thistle seeds contain multiple flavanolignans, known collectively as silymarin, consisting largely of silybinin, silychristin and silydianin. In cell culture and animal models, silymarin has been shown to prevent or ameliorate acute liver injury due to many toxins including acetaminophen and Amanita phalloides. Human studies of silymarin in patients with chronic liver disease have been promising but inconclusive. Controlled trials of silymarin in chronic hepatitis C and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease found little or no evidence of benefit in ameliorating disease activity or in slowing disease progression. Milk thistle is marketed as capsules or tablets containing ethanol extracted silymarin in amounts of 250 to 750 mg and is purported to be beneficial for liver disease, including alcoholic and viral liver disease. The daily dosage varies but it is typically taken 2 to 3 times daily. Intravenous preparations of purified silybinin are approved in Europe for therapy of Amanita phalloides mushroom poisoning. No prospective controlled trials of intravenous silybinin have been published. Oral silymarin has few if any adverse side effects and is well tolerated even in high daily doses.

Hepatotoxicity. Despite its wide spread use in patients with and without liver disease, milk thistle has not been implicated in causing serum enzyme elevations or clinically apparent acute liver injury. While silymarin has effects on cytochrome P450 enzymes and hepatic transporters in vitro, there is little evidence that it causes clinically significant herb-drug interactions.

Likelihood score: E (unlikely cause of clinically apparent liver injury).

Can milk thistle reduce ALT levels?

In this meta-analysis, the results indicated a reduction of 0. 26 IU/mL (95%CI: -0. 46-0. 07, P = 0. 007) at the level of ALT and 0. 53 IU/mL (95%CI: -0. 74-0. 32, P = 0. 000) at the serum levels of AST after using the silymarin, both, statistically significant, but with no clinical relevance.

AIM. To evaluate the effect of silymarin on the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (γGT) in patients with liver diseases.

METHODS. A systematic review with meta-analysis of ramdomized and controlled clinical trials was performed, evaluating the effects of sylimarin in patients with hepatic diseases, published by January 31, 2016. Clinical trials were sought on the basis of The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials in the Cochrane Library, PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Lilacs and Clinical Trials. The trials with adult and elderly patients of both sexes, with Liver Diseases who took oral silymarin supplementation, as extract or isolated, as well as Silymarin combined with other nutrients, were included. The trials should provide information about the intervention, such as dosages and detailing of the product used, besides the mean and standard deviation of serum levels of ALT, AST and γGT of the baseline and at the end of the intervention.

CONCLUSION. 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.

Can milk thistle reverse liver damage?

Milk thistle is often suggested as a treatment for alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis, but scientific studies show mixed results. Most studies show milk thistle improves liver function and increases survival in people with cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis.

Agarwal R, Agarwal C, Ichikawa H, Singh RP, Aggarwal BB. Anticancer potential of silymarin: from bench to bed side. Anticancer Res. 2006;26(6B):4457-4498. Review.

Asghar Z, Masood Z. Evaluation of antioxidant properties of silymarin and its potential to inhibit peroxyl radicals in vitro. Pak J Pharm Sci. 2008;21:249-254.

Barve A, Khan R, Marsano L, Ravindra KV, McClain C. Treatment of alcoholic liver disease. Ann Hepatol. 2008;7:5-15. Review.

Is 1000 mg of milk thistle a day too much?

Can you take milk thistle every day?. Researchers say milk thistle is well tolerated by most people. And they suggest taking up to 700 mg of milk thistle three times per day for 24 weeks has been shown to be safe.

Side effects are usually mild and may include symptoms like headaches, nausea and other stomach discomforts. Also, people with allergies to plants like ragweed, daisies, marigolds and chrysanthemums may have an allergic reaction to milk weed.

Studies haven’t yet shown many negative or dangerous effects. But it’s always best to talk with a healthcare provider before starting any kind of supplement or herbal remedy, especially if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or have been diagnosed with a chronic condition.

Alternatives to milk thistle supplements. Czerwony points out that the biggest benefits from milk thistle appear to be based on its status as an antioxidant. But antioxidants are abundant in natural foods. So, it’s likely that you can get similar effects by eating nutrient-rich foods, rather than relying on milk thistle teas and pills.

What is the fastest way to lower liver enzymes?

However, the following steps can help reduce ALT levels successfully:Reducing daily alcohol intake: … Consuming more caffeine: … Switching to natural and organic foods: … Consuming more fruits and vegetables: … Increasing intake of dietary fiber: … Exercising regularly: … Weight reduction: … Quitting smoking:

Here are 9 tips to successfully lower ALT levels over time. Find out about the ALT blood test and how to lower liver enzymes.

There are no “quick” ways to decrease alanine transaminase (ALT) levels in the body.

However, the following steps can help reduce ALT levels successfully:

What happens if you take milk thistle every day?

Can you take milk thistle every day?. Researchers say milk thistle is well tolerated by most people. And they suggest taking up to 700 mg of milk thistle three times per day for 24 weeks has been shown to be safe.

Side effects are usually mild and may include symptoms like headaches, nausea and other stomach discomforts. Also, people with allergies to plants like ragweed, daisies, marigolds and chrysanthemums may have an allergic reaction to milk weed.

Studies haven’t yet shown many negative or dangerous effects. But it’s always best to talk with a healthcare provider before starting any kind of supplement or herbal remedy, especially if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or have been diagnosed with a chronic condition.

Alternatives to milk thistle supplements. Czerwony points out that the biggest benefits from milk thistle appear to be based on its status as an antioxidant. But antioxidants are abundant in natural foods. So, it’s likely that you can get similar effects by eating nutrient-rich foods, rather than relying on milk thistle teas and pills.

How long does it take for milk thistle to help the liver?

Swelling (inflammation) of the liver (hepatitis). Research on the effects of milk thistle in people with hepatitis is not consistent. Some research shows that taking milk thistle extract by mouth for 4 weeks reduces hepatitis symptoms, such as dark urine and jaundice, but does not improve liver function tests.

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a plant native to Europe that was brought to North America by early colonists. It seems to help lower blood sugar.

Milk thistle is now found throughout the eastern United States, California, South America, Africa, Australia, and Asia. Its seed might protect liver cells from toxic chemicals and drugs. It may also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

People commonly take milk thistle by mouth for diabetes. It is also commonly used for liver disorders, including liver damage caused by alcohol, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosis of the liver, chronic hepatitis, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support many of these other uses.

How many milligrams of milk thistle to detox liver?

• Although there is no standardized milk thistle dosage at this time, most people do best consuming between 20–300 milligrams daily.
• If you’re taking milk thistle for the liver, the recommended daily intake of milk thistle is 150 milligrams, taken one to three times daily. This is a somewhat high dose that can act as a natural liver detox.
• For ongoing use and liver support, take 50 to 150 milligrams daily.

Look for a high-quality product that’s between 50–150 milligrams of pure milk thistle extract per capsule so you can adjust the amount you are taking depending on your needs.

If you’re wondering what supplement is best, make sure to look for a company that sells a highly potent extract labeled at least 80 percent pure milk thistle extract.

What is the best drink to flush your liver?

11 Drinks to Help Your Liver DetoxLemon Water. Ginger and Lemon Drink. Grapefruit Juice. Tumeric Tea. Green Tea. Chamomile Tea. Oat Tea. Jujube Fruit Juice.

More and more people have been consuming drinks for liver detox.

Your liver plays a very vital role in keeping you healthy and alive. It’s essentially responsible for cleaning and filtering your blood from the digestive tract before flowing to the rest of the body. It also metabolizes drugs and detoxifies chemicals. More than that, your lover secretes bile that helps digest fat and carry waste away.

Those are just some of its many functions. That’s why it’s crucial to keep it in tip-top shape. Cleansing and detoxifying can help protect it from disease and keep it healthy.

When should I avoid milk thistle?

If you have diabetes, use milk thistle with caution, since the supplement might lower blood sugar. There is also concern that milk thistle might affect estrogen levels. If you have breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis or uterine fibroids, consider avoiding milk thistle.

Milk thistle can cause an allergic reaction, including a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). An allergic reaction is more common in people who are allergic to other plants in the Asteraceae family, such as ragweed, daisies, marigolds and chrysanthemums.

• Cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) substrates. Taking milk thistle might affect this enzyme and drugs it processes, such as diazepam (Valium), warfarin (Jantoven) and others. This means milk thistle might affect the levels of these drugs in your body.
• Diabetes medications. Milk thistle might lower blood sugar in people who have type 2 diabetes. Closely monitor your blood sugar levels, and talk to your doctor before taking milk thistle supplements if you take diabetes medications.
• Raloxifene (Evista). Milk thistle may affect how your liver processes this osteoporosis medication, causing higher levels of the drug in your bloodstream. Talk to your doctor before taking milk thistle if you’re taking raloxifene.
• Simeprevir. Taking milk thistle with this hepatitis C medication might increase levels of the drug in your blood plasma. Avoid using milk thistle and simeprevir together.
• Sirolimus (Rapamune). Taking milk thistle with this immunosuppressant might change the way your body processes the medication.