A laboratory study suggests that silymarin—an extract from the milk thistle plant—has multiple effects against the lifecycle of the hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C is a chronic (long lasting) disease that primarily affects the liver and is often difficult to cure. The laboratory study examined the antiviral properties and mechanisms of silymarin on cultured (grown in a lab) human liver cells infected with the virus. The study, funded in part by NCCAM, was published in the journal Hepatology.
NCCAM
Effects of Milk Thistle Extract on the Hepatitis C Virus Lifecycle