Milk Thistle

Milk thistle contains compounds that may support skin, liver, and bone health and enhance weight loss. Milk thistle might also help prevent insulin resistance and slow the growth of cancer, among other benefits.

Benefits of milk thistle

• Supports liver health

A 2016 studyTrusted Source found that milk thistle improved diet-induced liver damage in mice. The medical community needs more evidence to prove that milk thistle benefits human livers in the same way.

However, researchers theorizeTrusted Source that it does. The active ingredient in milk thistle, silymarin, acts as an antioxidant by reducing free radical production. Scientists think this creates a detoxifying effect, which is why milk thistle may be beneficial for liver problems.

• Promotes skin health

Milk thistle may help to promote healthy skin. A 2015 studyTrusted Source found that it helped to improve inflammatory skin conditions when applied to the skin of mice.

Researchers also found in another studyTrused Source that milk thistle had antioxidant and anti-aging effects on human skin cells in a laboratory environment. A 2019 studyTrusted Source also performed on cells in a lab found that the compounds in milk thistle may protect against the harmful effects of sun exposure, including slowing down skin aging.

• Reduces cholesterol

High cholesterol can lead to problems with heart health and increase a person’s chance of stroke. Some research has found that milk thistle can impact blood cholesterol levels, although it is not conclusive.

A 2006 studyTrusted Source suggests that milk thistle may play a role in keeping cholesterol levels down. It found that cholesterol levels were lower in people taking milk thistle to treat diabetes than those taking a placebo.

• Supports weight loss

Initial animal researchTrusted Source conducted in 2016 found that silymarin caused weight loss in mice that scientists fed a diet intended to cause weight gain.

This suggests milk thistle may be beneficial for those looking to lose weight. Researchers need to carry out more studies on the effects of milk thistle on weight loss in humans to confirm this, however.

• Reduces insulin resistance

A 2016 studyTrusted Source in mice found milk thistle extract helped to reduce insulin resistance, which is a problem for people with type 2 diabetes. Another 2020 review of research on milk thistle concluded the compound silymarin appears to be a “promising substance” for the treatment of insulin resistance, including in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Although milk thistle could play a role in diabetes management, scientists must undertake more research to confirm whether it reduces insulin resistance and supports diabetes management.