In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology (1982;17:517–521), researchers examined the effects of silymarin in patients with slight sub-acute or acute liver disease, most of which was alcohol-induced. Fifty patients received a placebo and 47 received silymarin for four weeks.
The silymarin group experienced a significant reduction in ALT and AST, two enzymes used to measure liver cell injury. Serum bilirubin levels also trended lower, although not to statistical significance. Liver cell structure improved as well, with fewer signs of cellular damage in the supplemented group.
Additional research in Medical Science Research (1995;23:31–33) followed 27 cirrhosis patients with ALT and AST levels two to ten times normal. In a crossover design, patients received either 600 mg/day of ursodeoxycholic acid or 420 mg/day of silymarin for six months, with a one-month washout period before switching treatments. Exams at months 3, 6, 7, 10, and 13 showed that both therapies reduced ALT and AST, indicating decreased liver-cell death. Across the full two-year study period, lab improvements ranged from 15% to 43%.
Taken together, these studies suggest that silymarin may help stabilize liver enzymes and support hepatocyte recovery in cases of alcohol-induced damage or cirrhosis.
