Milk Thistle: what it does, by goal, and the dose that worked
What the 102 human studies of milk thistle we graded show for each goal, the dose that worked, and the products that hold it. This page is educational, not medical advice.
What it does, by goalMembersThe top 5 of 6 goals
1 of these 102 human studies gave milk thistle by drip, not by mouth.
| Goal | What the studies show | Studies | Dose that worked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Improved in studies 70 studies, 33 showed an improvement, 13 found none, 11 pooled analyses, 2 by drip, injection or inhaler | 70 | 103.2 mg | |
| Improved in studies 26 studies, 14 showed an improvement, 1 found none, 6 pooled analyses | 26 | 135 mg | |
| Improved in studies 5 studies, 3 showed an improvement, 1 pooled analysis | 5 | 300 mg | |
| Improved in studies 6 studies, 2 showed an improvement | 6 | 400 mg | |
| Too few studies 2 studies, no clear result yet | 2 | – | |
| Too few studies 1 study, no clear result | 1 | – |
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Products – highest ranked firstMembersThe top 3 of 8
Dose and safetyThe dose that worked and the upper limit
The studies taken by mouth that showed an improvement gave 103.2 to 1,050 mg a day.
Biohacker panelMembersWhat our 10 biohackers say about milk thistle
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Questions people askMembersAnswered from the figures on this page
What is milk thistle good for?
Answer for members.
How much milk thistle a day?
Answer for members.
Can I take milk thistle with my meds?
Answer for members.
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Educational, not medical advice. Figures come from the human studies on PubMed we have graded; a study counts for a form when it names the form it used. Updated as new studies arrive. How we grade →