Effect of Milk Thistle on Hyperlipidemia: A Systematic Review

Heart disease is the most common cause of mortality in industrialized countries. The most important contributing factor in this regard is high blood cholesterol levels. Milk Thistle was widely used in the past to lower cholesterol levels. This study aimed to determine the effect of Milk Thistle on Hyperlipidemia.

This systematic review study was conducted using databases, such as Google Scholar, Magiran, SID, Scopus, PubMed, and ISI along with English and Persian individual or combined keywords of "Milk Thistle", "Silymarin", "Dyslipidemia", "Hyperlipidemia",  and "Silybum Marianum" up to 2019. Jadad scale was used to evaluate the quality of articles, and the data were analyzed qualitatively.

Out of 56 papers, only eight clinical trials that met the inclusion criteria were selected in this study. The majority of the studies confirmed the significant effect of "Milk Thistle" (individually or in combination) under different brand names, such as Berberol, on cholesterol, triglycerides, and Low-density Lipoproteins. No serious side effects of this herb have been reported in these studies.    

According to the results, the consumption of "Milk Thistle" individually or in combination with other herbs, such as Berberis aristata can decrease Hyperlipidemia. These results pave the way for the wider utilization of this herb in medicine.