Silymarin Appears Beneficial in Drug Combinations
Silymarin, derived from the milk thistle plant, is an herbal supplement that is believed to help protect the liver from infection and other diseases, but researchers do not know in detail how effective this herb is and at what dose.
A recent Chinese study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, examined 12 studies that involved placebo, control groups that examined the effectiveness of silymarin when combined with antiviral treatments.
"Silymarin was equivalent to antiviral drug or protection liver drugs in serum transaminases, viral load and hepatic fibrosis markers," they found. "But silymarin combined with antiviral drug or antiviral drug and protection liver drugs significantly reduced the level of serum transaminases, hepatic fibrosis markers and serum TGF-β1, TNF-α, IL-6 versus antiviral drug or protection liver drugs."
They concluded that the herbal supplement, when combined with antiviral drug or antiviral drug and protection liver drugs, "may have potential therapeutic value." But they added that the data is still too limited to result in a full recommendation of the herbal supplement until additional trials and studies are conducted.