Milk Thistle
Milk thistle is one of the most recognized herbs on our shelves — a spiky purple plant whose seeds have been used in traditional herbal medicine for centuries, most often in connection with the liver. This section keeps the choice simple: capsules from Natural Factors, Naka, Naka Platinum and St. Francis sit alongside liquid extracts from Salus and Hübner, so the real decision is format and strength rather than brand loyalty.
Read more
On labels, the word to look for is silymarin — the group of active compounds concentrated in milk thistle seed and the basis for the herb's traditional use in herbal medicine to help support liver function. Standardized capsules state their numbers plainly: Natural Factors, for instance, pairs 250 mg of milk thistle with 150 mg of silymarin per capsule. Naka Platinum offers an organic 250 mg option — the organic designation being the manufacturer's certification — and St. Francis and Naka round out the capsule row.
Liquids suit shoppers who prefer drops to pills. Salus's milk thistle extract comes in 250 ml and 500 ml bottles, and Hübner offers a 500 ml liquid as well — both mix into water or juice, and both make it easy to follow the label's directions to the drop. Whichever format you choose, stick to the NPN dosage on the bottle, and speak with your health-care practitioner before adding milk thistle to your routine, particularly if you take medication.