Milk thistle extract
Equivalent to 4,250 mg of raw herb.
What it does
The active compound in milk thistle, silymarin, has been used in European hepatology for over 50 years. It is an antioxidant flavonolignan complex that supports liver cells against oxidative stress and inflammation, and may help maintain healthy levels of liver enzymes such as ALT and AST.
The evidence
A 2023 systematic review published in Cureus screened 1,707 articles and identified 29 randomized controlled trials meeting strict inclusion criteria. Across 3,846 participants, the majority of studies (65.5%) reported reductions in liver enzyme levels following silymarin supplementation. A separate 2024 meta-analysis focused specifically on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) analyzed 26 RCTs with 2,375 patients and concluded that silymarin can "regulate energy metabolism, attenuate liver damage, and improve liver histology."
Read the 2023 systematic review (Cureus)