Milk Thistle (PDQ®)—Patient Version - National Cancer Institute

Milk Thistle (PDQ®)—Patient Version - National Cancer Institute

Milk Thistle (PDQ®)–Patient Version

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• Questions and Answers About Milk Thistle
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Overview

• Milk thistle is a plant whose fruit and seeds are used for liver and bile duct disorders (see Question 1).
• Milk thistle is usually taken in capsules or tablets (see Question 2).
• Studies of milk thistle have been done in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and head and neck cancer(see Question 4).
• Side effects from the use of milk thistle or silymarin are mild (see Question 5).
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved the use of milk thistle as a treatment for cancer or any other medical condition(see Question 6).
• Milk thistle is available in the United States as a dietary supplement(see Question 6).

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Questions and Answers About Milk Thistle