Can milk thistle hurt your liver?

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.

What does milk thistle do for the body?

Although milk thistle is most often used for liver conditions, such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, the herb is believed some to prevent or treat high cholesterol, diabetes, heartburn, upset stomach (dyspepsia), hangover, gallbladder problems, menstrual pain, depression, and even certain types of cancer.

Can you take milk thistle daily?

Early research suggests that taking milk thistle leaf extract by mouth three times daily for 8 weeks has a limited effect on OCD symptoms. It does not appear to more beneficial than conventional medication.

What is milk thistle and what is it good for?

The active ingredient in milk thistle is called silymarin. Milk thistle is also known as Mary thistle or holy thistle. It is mainly used to treat liver problems, but some people claim it can lower cholesterol and help manage type 2 diabetes.

How long does it take for milk thistle to work?

How Long Does Milk Thistle Take to Work. There isn’t an exact science behind this, but generally it can take around 3 to 4 months before someone will see any benefits of milk thistle on their health, and this is after daily intake of some form of milk thistle.

How much milk thistle should I take daily for fatty liver?

The dosages of milk thistle extract used in these studies were 250–376 mg per day. However, although experts believe that milk thistle shows promise for use in NAFLD, they feel that more studies are needed to confirm its effectiveness for both short- and long-term use (53).

Is it OK to take milk thistle on an empty stomach?

Milk thistle can be taken on an empty stomach. Some believe this makes it work faster; however, very sensitive individuals should consider taking milk thistle with a meal instead. Milk thistle can be taken in herbal capsules or liquid extracts.

Is milk thistle good for kidneys?

Research has shown milk thistle has a protective effect on the liver and similar findings have been seen in studies involving kidney function. Silymarin promotes cell regeneration in the kidneys, just as in the liver. It also appears to protect kidney cells from damage and hinders the inflammatory response in tissue.

What are the side effects of milk thistle?

Side effects of milk thistle include:

Abdominal bloating/pain.
Allergic reactions.
Diarrhea.
Gas.
Indigestion.
Itching.
Loss of appetite.
Nausea.

Is milk thistle good for alcoholics?

Studies show that milk thistle could prevent the onset of alcoholic cirrhosis. Due to its potent antioxidant and immune-modulating properties, it can have some amazing effects on the liver. The herb can effectively block the toxins from interfering with the liver.

Can milk thistle make you gain weight?

Little evidence to suggest milk thistle aids weight loss Despite consuming similar quantities of food, the mice that received milk thistle lost about 5% of their weight, while the control group continued gaining weight throughout the study ( 4 ).

Does milk thistle have any side effects?

Milk thistle seems to have few side effects, even when taken for several years. Some people have nausea, diarrhea, itching, and bloating. Interactions. If you take any medicines regularly, talk to your doctor before you start using milk thistle.