MILK THISTLE

​Researchers also found in another study Trusted Source that milk thistle had antioxidant and anti-aging effects on human skin cells in a laboratory environment. A 2019 study Trusted Source also performed on cells in a lab found that the compounds in milk thistle may protect against the harmful effects of sun exposure, including slowing down skin aging.

Milk thistle is often promoted for its liver-protecting effects.

It’s regularly used as a complementary therapy by people who have liver damage due to conditions like alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatitis and even liver cancer (1Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).

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It’s also used to protect the liver against toxins like amatoxin, which is produced by the death cap mushroom and is deadly if ingested (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

Studies have shown improvements in liver function in people with liver diseases who have taken a milk thistle supplement, suggesting it could help reduce liver inflammation and liver damage (9Trusted Source).