Supplements can be super helpful when you live with an autoimmune disease. I personally take a handful of them. I find that they are really impactful at lowering inflammation and help support the lifestyle areas that I’m weak in. This month is dedicated to some of my favorite supplements. Today we are discussing milk thistle, a new addition to my supplement routine based on a recent research study.
What is Milk Thistle?
Milk thistle is an herb that is native to the Mediterranean region. It belongs to the ragweed and daisy family of plants. This herb has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb for liver support, blood cleansing and detoxification, digestive problems and gallbladder support. The main active ingredient in milk thistle is silymarin. This is a flavonoid compound that acts as a strong antioxidant and free radical scavenger in the body. Silymarin may also have immunomodulatory effects on the immune system. This herb also raises glutathione levels in the liver, which is the most potent antioxidant in the body.
Milk thistle for Rheumatoid Arthritis
A recent randomized control trial using this herb to treat rheumatoid arthritis is what piqued my interest. This study took 122 patients with an active disease and taking at least one form of conventional disease-modifiying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Participants also had an elevated C-Reactive Protein and were not taking steroids, NSAIDs, or any other anti-inflammatory supplements. The participants were divided into 2 groups, a control and intervention. The intervention group received 300 mg of silymarin for 8 weeks.
Researchers measured tender and swollen joint counts, morning stiffness, pain, global assessment of disease activity (both patient and physician), sedimentation rate and CRP. They also looked at fatigue, depression and anxiety using qualified questionnaires. After 8 weeks, both the tender and swollen joint measures, morning stiffness, pain and disease activity assessment were all significantly lower in the intervention group. In the control group, the pain intensity and disease activity assessment for both the patient and physician all increased.
However, what is really interesting is that the sedimentation rate and CRP both lowered for the control group, but only the sedimentation rate declined slightly in the intervention group. CRP for the intervention group actually increased slightly. In terms of fatigue, depression and anxiety, all of those improved, on average, for the intervention group, while slightly increasing for the control group.
Overall it appears that the milk thistle supplementation helped participants with rheumatoid arthritis in only 8 weeks. This study was small, so larger studies would be warranted to confirm similar and consistent outcomes. The researchers also noted that the short duration may have limited the impact on the blood markers.
Milk Thistle and Lupus
Milk thistle may also be beneficial for lupus. A case study reports that a woman with lupus who later developed autoimmune hepatitis was forced to stop all medication except 15-20 mg of prednisone due to adverse effects on her liver and overall health. As an alternative to medication, the woman started drinking milk thistle tea and later switched to capsules of 80 mg of silymarin and 350 mg of milk thistle powder twice daily.
After 6 months of this therapy, her liver enzymes dropped to normal levels. She reduced her prednisone to 10 mg and her liver disease stabilized, as did her lupus. She experienced no flares once she started taking the milk thistle.
Milk thistle for Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is another condition that may be helped by milk thistle, although the evidence is not very strong. A study from 2021 used mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), which is an animal model for MS.Â
Using 10-20 mg/kg/day of silybin, a component of silymarin, the group treated has a slower disease development than the other group of mice. The treated mice also had lower inflammation and demyelination than the control group. It also appears that the silybin inhibited immune cell activation and thus slowed the disease progression. Lastly, they found that the silybin stopped T-cell polarization, which is important for treating autoimmune diseases in general.
Should you Take Milk Thistle?
Based on all of these studies, milk thistle may be a medicinal herb to experiment with to help lower inflammation and disease activity. Because it belongs to the ragweed and daisy family, it should be avoided if you do have any allergies or sensitivities to those plants. There may also be drug interactions so it’s important to check with your health care provider. Milk thistle may also lower blood sugar so be careful if you are taking it with other medications or herbs that do the same thing. If you need more help coming up with a supplement regimen, please contact me for assistance. You can also purchase high quality supplements through my Fullscript dispensary. For more help managing your autoimmune disease with food and lifestyle, check out my Instagram, Facebook and YouTube feeds.
