Is silymarin good for people with high blood pressure or fatty liver disease?

Positive effects of silymarin supplementation were also reported in humans, namely in patients with hypertension and microalbuminuria. The adjuvant use of silymarin (420 mg daily orally for 2 months) along with antihypertensive drugs (atenolol and furosemide) led to a drop in blood pressure, an improvement in lipid profile, and reduced microalbuminuria vs. placebo. These results could be attributed to the regulation of vascular tonus. Moreover, silybin administered to obese diabetic mice (20 mg·kg−1 i.p. daily for four weeks) improved endothelial dysfunction, a well-known crucial factor for maintaining healthy blood vessels.

A few studies have suggested that silymarin supplementation may induce beneficial effects for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients, including amelioration of biochemical markers associated with inflammation and NAFLD progression.

In addition, recent evidence suggests that silymarin may be just as crucial for kidney health as for the liver. Silymarin concentrates in kidney cells, aiding in repairing and regeneration by increasing protein and nucleic acid synthesis.

References

[1] J. Pourová. “The Effect of Silymarin Flavonolignans and Their Sulfated Conjugates on Platelet Aggregation and Blood Vessels Ex Vivo.” Nutrients (2019).

[2] Camila Ribeiro de Avelar. “Efficacy of silymarin in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - the Siliver trial: a study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial.” Trials 24 1 (2023): 177.