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Vitamin Vitality

Botanical

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle is the seed of Silybum marianum, a Mediterranean thistle. Its marker constituents are a group of flavonolignans collectively called silymarin, of which silybin is the most abundant.

Honest information about Milk Thistle

Milk Thistle is included in our formulas as a botanical ingredient with traditional wellness heritage. No authorised health claim has been approved for it under EU or GB law, so we share only its identity, origin, dose and documented history — never implied benefits.

Claims held “on hold” pending evaluation are treated here as unauthorised. We will not imply an effect through images, testimonials or suggestive wording either.

Forms and what appears on a label

Extracts are standardised to a silymarin percentage, typically 70–80%. Whole ground seed contains far less. Where a formula names silybin content specifically, that is a tighter specification than silymarin alone.

Where it comes from

Silybum marianum seeds.

Dose and how we use it

Included in our Liver Support formulation.

Take consistently for six to twelve weeks.

Documented traditional use

European herbals have recorded milk thistle preparations since antiquity. We present that as documented history only.

What research has — and has not — established

Milk thistle has been trialled in several liver conditions, largely in clinical rather than healthy populations, with heterogeneous preparations and inconsistent results. Systematic reviews are cautious. No EU or GB health claim is authorised for milk thistle or silymarin.

Cautions and interactions

Avoid if you are allergic to plants in the Asteraceae family (daisy, ragweed, marigold). Seek advice if you take medicines metabolised by the liver, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

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