Milk thistle

These are the amounts published trials administered — not a recommendation, and not a dose to copy. Trial participants were screened, supervised and given a characterised preparation. What is in a retail bottle is frequently not what was studied, and the amount that suits one person is not general advice.

• Studied for Liver enzymes in chronic liver disease

  420–2100 mg

  Moderate

  Standardised silymarin, divided doses · 70–80% silymarin · 12 weeks to 4 years

  The classic dose is 140 mg three times daily; a large US trial used up to 700 mg three times daily and still found no benefit in hepatitis C, which is the most informative negative result in this area.

• Studied for Metabolic liver disease

  210–600 mg

  Limited

  Silymarin or silybin-phosphatidylcholine complex, divided doses · 3–12 months

  Trials are small and frequently combined silymarin with vitamin E and lifestyle advice, which makes the contribution of the extract impossible to isolate.

This is general information about food, not medical advice. It cannot diagnose, treat or replace guidance from a clinician who knows your history.

None of the timings below were directly compared in a trial. They reflect how the research happened to dose, or what the pharmacology implies — which is not the same as a timing being better.

• ⏳On an empty stomach

  Not enough

  Some protocols dose it away from food on absorption grounds while others do the opposite. No outcome comparison exists, and the phospholipid complexes were developed precisely because plain silymarin absorbs poorly either way.

  Timing was not directly compared. This reflects convention or how the compound behaves in the body, not a trial showing this window works better.