Botanical
Milk Thistle
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a plant of the daisy family from the Mediterranean region. Its seeds contain silymarin, and it is mostly studied for the liver.
Also listed as Marian thistle, Mary thistle, St Mary’s thistle, Our Lady’s thistle
What it is studied for
The strongest rated effects first. Bars show the size of the effect, the letter grades the evidence, and each rating lists the studies behind it.
Every rating with its studiesGrouped by health goal, with the publications behind each rating
Why people take it
Immune Support19.8%
Detox17.8%
Organ Function13.7%
Essential Health12%
Gut Health8.6%
Energy7.7%
SuppCo community snapshot, 2026-09-28. Reasons for use are not evidence that it works.
Silymarin