Women’s milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a flowering herb that contains the antioxidant Silymarin. It’s been used since ancient times to treat a variety of conditions, including liver and gallbladder problems. It’s also been used as a natural lactation aid to increase breast milk production in nursing mothers. Milk thistle is available as a supplement and in some herbal teas.
It’s thought to work by boosting your body’s production of the hormone prolactin, which causes your breasts to make milk. In one small study, breastfeeding women who took 420 mg of silymarin daily for 63 days made more milk than those who took a placebo. However, more research is needed.
Milk thistle may reduce the side effects of certain cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation. It might also help prevent cancer cells from growing and spreading in the body. It’s unclear how well milk thistle works to treat actual cancer, but studies have shown that it might help prevent recurrence in people who have already had cancer.
The compounds in milk thistle might slow the progression of some types of cancer, such as prostate and breast cancer. More research is needed to find out how much milk thistle you need to take and for how long to get the best benefits.
Some evidence suggests that milk thistle might be helpful in reducing the symptoms of mild depression and anxiety in some people. It might also help improve the quality of sleep in some people with insomnia.
Research is limited but some evidence suggests that milk thistle might protect against certain liver diseases, such as hepatitis C. Silymarin might also help with other liver conditions, such as fatty liver disease and cirrhosis.
In animal studies, milk thistle might help reduce oxidative stress in the liver. It might also protect against toxins, such as alcohol and drugs, from reaching the liver. The antioxidants in milk thistle might also help fight some types of cancers, such as liver cancer and colon cancer.
Taking milk thistle might affect the way your liver processes some medications, such as diazepam (Valium) and warfarin (Jantoven). It might also lower blood sugar levels in some people with diabetes. If you take medication to control your diabetes, monitor your blood sugar closely while taking milk thistle supplements.
Talk to your doctor before you start taking any herbs, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Taking too much thistle can cause your baby to have a negative reaction. It’s also not recommended to take this herb if you have a known allergy to daisies, sunflowers, or ragweed, which are in the same family as blessed thistle. Also, don’t use this herb if you are allergic to bee stings or bee pollen.