Everything DoseRank tracks on the milk thistle shelf — Silymarin. The category itself is never ranked: 171 products get scored the moment you say what you want them to do.
How to read the scores
This legend covers the scores on this page — for data sources, scoring weights, and limits, read the full methodology →
Answer a few questions about your goals, habits, stack, and budget. Then, DoseRank will find the products that best match your needs based on your answers. It's free and only takes 60 seconds! No account is required.
A saved, shareable breakdown: your matched products, dose math, interaction flags to discuss with a clinician, and a price-tracked stack you can revisit.
Questions
Each product gets a composite score blending clinical strength, evidence, dose fit, trust and value — computed for the goal you picked, across this category's products. The #1 on the DoseRank tab has the highest composite; the other tabs re-rank the same products by Value, Trust, or Popularity. Placement is never paid.
A category alone does not say what you want the product to do. The same category can lead on sleep for one shopper and stress for another, and the evidence behind each pick differs. Picking the medical outcome first lets DoseRank rank this category's products against that outcome's studies and doses.
No. Dose-fit rewards landing inside the range studied for the outcome — over-dosing (common with melatonin) or under-dosing both lower the score. The goal is the effective dose, not the biggest number.
The Value score compares a product's price per serving with clinically relevant products ranked for the same outcome. A score of 50 is the typical price; above 50 means better value than typical, while below 50 means the product costs more than typical. It is a 0–100 value signal, not a percentile.
Cost is only one input. A cheap pick can trail on the composite when it uses a weaker form, misses the studied dose, or carries a stock-risk flag — the composite also weighs evidence, dose fit and availability.
Retailer links may be affiliate links and DoseRank may earn a commission. Rankings and placement are determined by the scoring model only — never by payment from a brand.
No. DoseRank summarizes evidence to help you choose; it is not a substitute for a clinician, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication, or managing a health condition.
Start with a goal, not a brand
Browsing milk thistle supplements without a goal makes no sense — different products do different jobs, and “best” flips depending on which job you're hiring for. These are the 45 health outcomes that matter for this category. Pick yours, and the full evidence-ranked shelf loads for that goal alone.
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)Enzyme used to assess liver and muscle injury.154 rankedStrong
Lactation adequacySufficient breast milk production or breastfeeding success.143 rankedLimited
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)Liver enzyme used to assess hepatocellular injury.156 rankedStrong
Liver functionOverall biochemical or clinical hepatic performance.155 rankedStrong
Hepatotoxicity or liver injuryClinically important harmful effect on the liver.53 rankedModerate-strong
Hepatic steatosisExcess fat accumulation in the liver.156 rankedModerate-strong
Fluid retention or edemaAbnormal accumulation of fluid in tissues.17 rankedLimited
HbA1cAverage blood glucose marker over prior months.147 rankedStrong
Fasting blood glucoseBlood glucose after fasting.155 rankedStrong
Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)Marker of cholestasis, alcohol exposure, or hepatic stress.12 rankedModerate-strong
Antioxidant capacityMeasured ability to counter oxidative stress.158 rankedStrong
Digestive comfortSubjective ease and comfort of digestion.38 rankedModerate-strong
LDL cholesterolLow-density lipoprotein cholesterol; lower is often preferred.32 rankedStrong
Respiratory symptom burdenOverall severity of breathing-related symptoms.6 rankedStrong
Oral healthOverall condition of the mouth, teeth, and gums.3 rankedModerate-strongNothing is ranked yet — the shelf stays locked until you pick a goal.
No goal, no ranking.
A “best milk thistle supplement” list without a goal would be marketing, not evidence. Pick what you want to improve and DoseRank scores all 171 products against that goal's trials.