Choosing the Best Milk Thistle Supplement

When it comes to supplements specifically, too many of us get caught up looking for the ‘latest and greatest’ thing on the market – those brand new supplements that are advertised to boost health, maximize performance, improve recovery, and even prolong life (I kid, I kid… kind of).

Yep, those same brand new supplements that have very little ‘real’ evidence to support their use.

Which is why I often recommend supplements that have been around for centuries.

While they may not currently have the same presence within the health industry as some more recent options, there are a multitude of natural compounds that have been shown to impact the body in an extremely positive manner time and time again.

Which brings us nicely to the topic of today’s article – Milk Thistle.

What is Milk Thistle?

In a general sense, milk thistle is a type of flowering plant that has been used in traditional European medicinal practices since the turn of the first century. The consumption of its roots, seeds, and flowers has been well documented in historical texts, where it is suggested to improve health, boost energy and increase longevity.

Interestingly, even despite the increasing popularity of newer supplement options, milk thistle has been frequently recommended as a natural health booster – something that the recent research has supported extensively.

You see, milk thistle has extremely potent antioxidant properties. This means its capacity to resist the negative effects of harmful free radicals within the body is huge.

Additionally, milk thistle presents with a unique ability to draw toxins from the body, and aid in their excretion. This means that it essentially acts as a potent detoxifier, which can have a host of positive health benefits.

What Are the Benefits of Milk Thistle Supplements?

The unique qualities of milk thistle means that it interacts with the body in a number of different ways. As a result, a high quality milk thistle supplement has some rather interesting applications, and can impact health in an extremely positive manner.

Milk Thistle Supplementation and Liver Health

We have already mentioned briefly that Milk Thistle acts as a potent detoxifier once in the body. With this in mind, it assists in the removal of key toxins that are typically processed within the liver. Through this action, it reduces the amount of strain placed on the liver on a daily basis, improve both its health and function.

Additionally, a key antioxidant (known as silymarin) found within milk thistle has also been shown improve the health of liver cells at an individual level, while simultaneously reducing inflammation within the liver.

Through these two key mechanisms, milk thistle has the potential to aid in the treatment of liver related disease, while also improving general health and function ^[1].

Milk Thistle Supplementation and We​​​​ight Loss

There has been a host of early research looking into the effect of milk thistles most unique compound – Silymarin – on weight loss, to which the results have been very interesting (to say the least).

​An increased consumption of Silymarin through milk thistle supplementation has been shown to promote fat loss, suggesting it may play an important role assisting in weight management in overweight and obese individuals ^[2].

Milk Thistle Supplementation and Cancer

Research has shown that Milk Thistle has the ability to fight off a specific type of cancer known as epithelial cancer.  This again comes down to the action of Silymarin, which has shown to inhibit the growth and proliferation of cancer cells ^[3].

As a result, it has been hypothesized that milk thistle may provide an excellent means to reduce the risk of developing cancer.

Milk Thistle Supplementation and Blood Cholesterol

Milk thistle has been shown to remove toxins from the blood, lower inflammation, and prevent oxidative stress throughout the cardiovascular system. As a result, the supplementation of milk thistle has been shown to reduce levels of cholesterol found in the blood significantly ^[4].

This suggest that milk thistle has the potential to prevent diseases associated with high blood cholesterol, such as heart disease and diabetes.

Best Milk Thistle Supplement reviews

In a similar fashion to most other supplements on the market, there are a vast number of options when it comes to milk thistle. With this in mind, we have gone ahead and found what we believe to be the top three milk thistle supplements on the market.

Jarrow Formula Milk Thistle Supplement

When it comes to herbal remedies and natural supplements, Jarrow Formula are one of our favorites companies, in which they consistently produce excellent quality products that won’t break the bank.

This milk thistle supplement provides us with a solid dose of 150mg per serve, while also ensuring a high degree of absorbability, and is extremely affordable. This is a fantastic option for those looking for a high quality supplement at an affordable price.

Puritans Pride Milk Thistle Soft gels

Puritans pride have been producing high quality herbal supplements for a very long time – something that should say a lot in this industry.

This milk thistle supplement is one of the most potent on the market, providing a whopping 1000mg per serve. Combine this with a high degree of bioavailability, and you have yourself one of the most effective options available.

Nature’s Bounty Milk Thistle 250mg Capsules

Nature’s bounty are an excellent company that consistently put out great quality products that use scientifically supported ingredients – and this milk thistle supplement is no different.

Providing a solid dosage of 250mg per serve, and combined with excellent absorbability, it is a highly effective option. As an added bonus, it is one of the cheaper options available on the market, making it perfect for those shopping on a budget.

Take-Away Message

Some of the best supplements we have available are derived from completely natural sources, and have been used to boost health and function for thousands of years – with milk thistle being one of the most popular of these supplements.

Shown to detoxify the body and act as an extremely potent antioxidant, milk thistle has the capacity to improve liver health, promote weight loss, lower blood cholesterol, and even prevent against the formation of cancer.

The three options listed within this article are what we believe to be the best milk thistle supplements on the market. If you have had any experience with them we would love to hear about it, so please drop us a comment and we will get back toy you ASAP.