Liver disease (chronic) Several studies of milk thistle in liver disease caused by viruses or alcohol report improvements in liver tests. However, most studies

Liver disease (chronic) Several studies of milk thistle in liver disease caused by viruses or alcohol report improvements in liver tests. However, most studies have been small and poorly designed. More research is needed before a conclusion can be made. B -- Good scientific evidence for this use http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/milk-thistle/evidence/hrb-20059806 http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/milk-thistle/evi... I have taken milk thistle. Some people don't tolerate it well. There are alternate things that can be taken in that case. Looking back on my notes, the reason it helps is that it boosts glutathione. IIRC, you cannot take glutathione directly as a supplement. So, instead, you need to take things that help the body create glutathione, and milk thistle is one of the things that can do this. If you don't tolerate milk thistle well, you should research glutathione precursors. But be aware that a lot of the websites you will most readily find are kind of sketchy. You also need to remove the stress from the liver. Said friend needs to stop drinking. It may also help to do other things to reduce stress on the liver.