Milk Thistle Gold

General Questions about Milk Thistle

What is milk thistle?

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) is a plant native to the Mediterranean region that is often characterized by its bright purple flowerheads and sharp, prickly leaves. Milk thistle has a long history of safe use and has been recognized as medicine since Greco-Roman times. Today, standardized preparations from the seeds of milk thistle are often taken as a supplement to support liver health*.

What health benefits does milk thistle provide?

Milk thistle extracts standardized to silymarin and its isomers help support liver detoxification, antioxidant defense for healthy liver function, digestive health, and healthy blood sugar levels already within the normal range*.

What is silymarin?

Silymarin is a group of antioxidant bioflavonoids naturally present in milk thistle seed that are thought to be primarily responsible for the health-promoting benefits of milk thistle extract. Researched forms of silymarin include silybinin, silychristin, and silydianin.

What are some factors to consider when choosing a milk thistle supplement?

Depending on your reason(s) for supplementing with milk thistle and your personal preferences, it may be helpful to consider one or more of the following factors when making a purchasing decision—

• Does the product contain just milk thistle whole powder or an extract standardized to provide a consistent and guaranteed amount of silymarin in each serving?
• Is the milk thistle extract clinically-proven to provide intended benefits? 
• Is the recommended dosage supported by science and sufficient to provide intended benefits? 
• What is the amount or percentage of silymarins per serving of the product? 
• Is the product independently verified to meet identity, potency & purity standards?
• What assurance, if any, is available that what’s on the product label is, in fact, in the bottle?
• Is the project Non-GMO Project Verified?
• Does the product contain any chemical additives or preservatives?

Can milk thistle supplements be taken with OTC or prescription medications?

If you are taking or planning to take an OTC or prescription medication or planning a medical procedure, please consult a licensed pharmacist or your healthcare provider before beginning supplementation to minimize risk of side effects associated with potential supplement-drug interactions. 

Still have questions?

• For general information about milk thistle, check out the resources below—

• Milk Thistle — HerbMedPro™ Record

• Milk Thistle Overview — NIH National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health

• Milk thistle — Excerpt from Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs.

• For specific guidance on the suitability of milk thistle to support your particular health goals, please talk to your healthcare provider.

Questions about Milk Thistle Gold

How does Milk Thistle Gold compare with other milk thistle supplements?

While milk thistle products are available in multiple formats (e.g. powders, extracts, teas), it is important to note that the vast majority of completed research on milk thistle demonstrates that a concentrated, standardized extract of milk thistle seed is necessary in order for the active constituents (silymarin) to be properly absorbed and utilized by the body. (Source)

• Milk Thistle Gold features the most clinically-studied milk thistle extract currently available.
• The extract in Milk Thistle Gold has been used in over 100 clinical studies and was developed using a patented process to allow for optimal stability and bioavailability.
• The extract in Milk Thistle Gold is standardized for 80% silymarin by HPLC, which is the same dosage used in clinical studies.
• The extract in Milk Thistle Gold is standardized to all six isomers of silymarin, including > 50% silybinin, the most biologically active silymarin isomer.
• The extract in Milk Thistle Gold is certified organic and Non-GMO Project verified.

Does Milk Thistle Gold contain Silybinin?

Yes, Milk Thistle Gold is guaranteed to contain greater than 50% of silybinin, the most biologically active isomer of silymarin.

What is the best time of day to take Milk Thistle Gold?

Milk thistle can generally be taken anytime. However, for those with a sensitive GI tract, milk thistle is often best taken with food. As a matter of principle and in the interest of your health and safety, we encourage you to consult your healthcare provider prior to supplementation to determine what use, if any, is best for your individual needs.

Can I take more than what is suggested on the label?

Because we are not licensed medical professionals and individual needs can vary, we regret that we cannot recommend a dosage beyond what is suggested on the product label. It may be important to note that the dosing range provided in the suggested use on the label is based on amounts of the extract used in clinical investigations. Please consult your healthcare provider prior to supplementation to determine what dosage, if any, is best for your individual needs.

Why does Milk Thistle Gold contain tapioca maltodextrin and rice concentrate?

At NutriGold, we are philosophically opposed to the use of chemical additives and synthetic preservatives in our products, which is why we avoid magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide, and other commonly-used additives derived from GM ingredients like corn starch, corn maltodextrin, and soy lecithin. The tapioca maltodextrin and rice concentrate are plant-derived alternatives to chemical additives and added to the product to ensure finished product quality and integrity. 

How does NutriGold ensure the purity of the ingredients used in its Milk Thistle Gold product?

At NutriGold, our first priority is consumer safety, which is why we verify that raw materials used in our products as well as the finished products themselves meet industry-defining quality and purity standards. Depending on the complexity of the testing involved, including determining what needs to be tested, what methods are fit-for-purpose, and which lab is most qualified to perform the testing, we sometimes have results from as many as 4 or 5 different independent, ISO-accredited labs for each product. We take these results from third-party labs and summarize them in lot-specific Certificates of Analysis that are  freely available in the spirit of authentic transparency on the product pages on our website so consumers can make informed purchasing decisions.

What assurance can you provide that the amount of  silymarins listed on the label is actually in the product?

All of our products are verified by independent third-party labs to meet identity, purity, and potency label claims. We take these results from third-party labs and summarize them in lot-specific Certificates of Analysis (C of A) that are  freely available in the spirit of authentic transparency on the product pages on our website so consumers can make informed purchasing decisions. The C of A provides assurance that the claims made on the label accurately reflect the contents of the product inside the bottle. If interested, more information on our our commitment to independent, third party quality testing can be found at this link - https://nutrigold.com/pages/accountability 

Can I break apart the capsule and add the contents to liquid/food to consume?

All of our products are formulated to be taken as capsules and our purity and potency claims are based on the product being taken as recommended. We generally do not recommend breaking apart the capsules because it can introduce contaminants or otherwise compromise product potency and effectiveness.

Is Milk Thistle Gold suitable for children (under 18 years of age)?

Milk Thistle Gold is formulated for individuals over 18 years. Because children are considered a vulnerable population, we regret we cannot make any recommendations regarding the use of our products by or for children under the age of 18. We ask that you talk to your pediatrician or family practitioner about whether or not Milk Thistle Gold is suitable and safe for your child’s particular healthcare needs prior to supplementation.

Questions about capsule shell

What is in the capsules used by NutriGold to encapsulate its products?

Depending on the formulation, NutriGold products are encapsulated using cellulose, pullulan, organic pullulan, or soft gel capsules. Information regarding the composition of the capsule shell is provided in the “Informed Purchasing Decision Checklist” and is accurate to the best of our knowledge based on information available in the public domain as well as supply-chain documentation provided by the capsule and soft gel manufacturers/vendors.

Are any processing aids used in the production of the empty vegetarian capsule?

Yes. Minor amounts (~ 3%) of processing aids are used in the production of the empty vegetarian (cellulose) capsule shell. The processing aids used in the manufacturing of the capsule shell have been identified as proprietary by the capsule manufacturer and protected by intellectual property and confidentiality agreements between the capsule manufacturer/vendor and NutriGold. As such, we are legally bound to maintain this information strictly confidential and regret that we cannot provide this information to consumers. We can, however, assure you that the processing aids are non-toxic, generally recognized as safe (GRAS), compliant with both the United States Pharmacopoeia and European Pharmacopoeia, and do not pose an allergen risk.  

Are the processing aids used in the production of the empty capsule shells present in the finished product?

Processing aids that are used in the production of the capsule shell may be present in the finished empty capsule shell. We regret we cannot provide precise information on the type of processing aid(s) or the approximate residual amount of the processing aid(s) in the finished capsule shell because it would require us to divulge information proprietary to the capsule manufacturer. We can, however, assure you that the processing aids used in the production of the empty capsule shell are non-toxic, generally recognized as safe (GRAS), compliant with both the United States Pharmacopoeia and European Pharmacopoeia, and do not pose an allergen risk.

I am concerned about a possible allergy to the processing aid(s) used in the production of the capsule shells. How can I find out what processing aids are used so I can determine whether the product is safe for me to take?

Although we make every effort to provide as much information as we can about the ingredients in our products to help consumers make educated purchasing decisions, there may be times when we cannot provide the requested information or clarification because it is proprietary to the manufacturer, as in the case of the processing aids. Disclosing protected information to unauthorized individuals, within and outside our organization, is not just unethical, but also unlawful. If you are concerned about a potential allergy to the processing aid(s) that may have been used in the production of the capsule shell, we encourage you to discuss your concerns with your healthcare provider prior to making a purchasing decision. 

Why does NutriGold® sometimes use soft gelatin capsules to encapsulate its products?

At NutriGold®, we are committed to offering sustainable products using non-GMO, organic, and/or vegan ingredients, and this includes the capsule shell we use to encapsulate those ingredients. In fact, many of our products are certified vegan by Vegan Action®, helping provide unbiased assurance that the product (and the ingredients it contains) comply with both dietary and ethical vegan standards. However, there are some ingredients (e.g. fish oil, ubiquinol, astaxanthin) that are more sensitive to oxygen and can, consequently, oxidize or degrade. For ingredients like these, bovine gelatin soft gelatin capsule shells offer better protection and help ensure finished product integrity until the end of the shelf-life of the product. That being said, we are hopeful that growing consumer awareness of and demand for vegan options will continue to drive innovation in dietary supplement delivery systems and we are committed to replacing the gelatin soft gels in our products with a clean-label, vegan capsule shell that offers the same protection from the elements as the gelatin capsule when such an option becomes available.

Questions about the ‘Best By’ date and ‘Consume by’ recommendation

What does the “Best by” date printed on the bottom of the bottle mean?

The “Best By” date printed on the bottle is the date until which a product will meet label claims as long as the product is sealed or, once opened, stored and handled as recommended on the product label.

Is the product safe to take after the “Best by” date printed on the bottle?

As long as the product is stored and handled under conditions that will not cause it to become contaminated, the product should be safe to take past the “Best By” date printed on the bottom of the bottle. However, we do not guarantee that the product will meet stated label claims past the “Best By” date printed on the bottle.

Why does the product I purchased have a recommendation on the label to consume the product within a certain number of days after opening the bottle?

The “consume by” recommendation is included on products that are formulated using ingredients that are sensitive to environmental factors (e.g. heat, light, humidity). Although exposure to these environmental factors does not adversely impact or compromise product safety, it can degrade the potency of these eco-sensitive ingredients and, consequently, make the product less effective. So, to ensure that you get the most out of products that are made using eco-sensitive ingredients, please consume the product within the timeframe recommended on the label.

What is the difference between the “Best by” date and the “Consume by” recommendation on your products?

The “Best By” date printed on the bottle is the date until which a product will meet label claims as long as the product is sealed or, once opened, stored and handled as recommended on the product label.

The “Consume by” recommendation is included only on products that are formulated using ingredients that are sensitive to environmental factors (e.g. heat, light, humidity). Although exposure to these environmental factors does not adversely impact or compromise product safety, it can degrade the potency of these eco-sensitive ingredients and, consequently, make the product less effective. So, to ensure that you get the most out of products that are made using eco-sensitive ingredients, it is important to consume the product within the timeframe recommended on the label.

If the product I purchased contains ingredients that can degrade once the bottle is opened, how can I be confident that I am still getting the declared amounts of the nutrients on the label?

To ensure that our products provide the nutrients in the amounts declared on the label, we intentionally include higher amounts of eco-sensitive ingredients than what is declared on the label to compensate for degradation that may occur once the bottle is opened. The amount of an ingredient that is added above what is declared on the label is referred to as an intentional “overage” and it is added for the precise purpose of compensating for possible potency degradation during routine product storage and handling. That being said, we would like to assure you that we take great care to ensure that the amount of the overage does not exceed established tolerable upper limits and there is no risk of toxicity when the product is taken as directed.

Because there are practical and regulatory considerations on how much of an overage we can include in our different formulations, the most effective option we have available to ensure that consumers get the most out of our products is to provide the “consume by” guidance on products that contain eco-sensitive ingredients. You can be confident that you are getting the declared amounts of the nutrients as long as you store and consume the product within the recommended time frame.

Why do you recommend consuming the product within a certain number of days after opening the bottle even though the “Best by” date is months (or years) away?

NutriGold products are made with natural ingredients and without chemical preservatives. While the vast majority of ingredients we use in our products are stable and remain potent even after the product is opened, there are some ingredients that are particularly sensitive to environmental factors and must be handled with care from source to shelf, and beyond.

If the product you purchased includes a recommendation to finish the product within a prescribed time, it is important that you follow this guidance (unless it conflicts with instructions from your healthcare provider), so you can enjoy the health benefits that can only be realized when the product is taken consistently as recommended.

Will the product still provide benefits past the “consume by” recommendation on the bottle?

If the product you purchased includes a recommendation to finish the product within a prescribed time, it is important that you follow this guidance so you can enjoy the health benefits that can only be realized when the product is taken consistently as recommended. Although not consuming the product within the recommended time frame once the bottle is opened will not cause the product to “spoil” or become “unsafe,” the potency of some of the more eco-sensitive ingredients may start to degrade and this can diminish the product’s potential to support your health goals.

What is the best way to store NutriGold products?

NutriGold products are made with natural ingredients and without the use of any chemical stabilizers or preservatives. So, the best way to store them is in their original container away from direct sunlight and humidity. It is not recommended to empty the capsules or soft gels from their original container and store them in pill boxes or plastic bags because it could not only cause some of the more eco-sensitive ingredients to lose potency, but may also increase the risk of cross-contamination with other products or environmental pathogens.

Follow these simple guidelines to get the most out of NutriGold supplements —