Evidence supporting the use of: Milk thistle
For the health condition: Gall Bladder (sluggish or removed)

Links: Go back one page, Tool main page, Ingredients list, Health conditions list, Body systems list

Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) has a long history of use in traditional herbal medicine for supporting liver and gallbladder health. Its primary active compound, silymarin, is thought to have hepatoprotective (liver-protecting) properties, and some traditional systems have extended this to include benefits for the gallbladder, particularly when it is sluggish or has been removed. Historically, herbalists believed that supporting the liver would indirectly aid the gallbladder due to their close physiological relationship in bile production and secretion.

However, scientific evidence specifically linking milk thistle to improved gallbladder function or outcomes after gallbladder removal is limited. Most research has focused on its effects on the liver, such as potential benefits in hepatitis or cirrhosis, with only secondary speculation about possible benefits for bile flow. A handful of animal and laboratory studies suggest silymarin may have choleretic effects (stimulating bile flow), but robust clinical trials in humans with gallbladder disorders are lacking.

In summary, the use of milk thistle for gallbladder support is primarily grounded in tradition and extrapolation from its effects on the liver. Direct scientific evidence for its efficacy in treating a sluggish or removed gallbladder is weak, and the current body of evidence would best be described as suggestive but unproven.

More about Milk thistle
More about Gall Bladder (sluggish or removed)