# Sourcing & Product Quality Silymarin is the bioactive extract of **Milk Thistle** (*Silybum marianum*). Product quality matters because the percentage of standardised **silymarin** directly changes how much active compound a reader actually gets. ### Why standardisation matters Milk Thistle supplements vary enormously. Raw seed powder may contain only a small percentage of silymarin, while a well-standardised extract provides far more active compound per capsule. When comparing products, look for: 1. the **silymarin percentage**, not just the extract weight 2. clear source and extraction information 3. minimal fillers and unnecessary additives 4. capsule format and overall formulation quality ### Trusted product The trusted option is the MCS Formulas Milk Thistle Silymarin 500 mg product. At 500 mg extract standardised to 80% silymarin, each capsule provides roughly **400 mg of silymarin**. That makes it a high-strength, standardised extract option compared with many general Milk Thistle powder products. ### Bioavailability and strength vary greatly Milk Thistle supplements are not equal. A product may look similar on the front label but contain much less active silymarin in practice. The most useful comparison points are: * How many milligrams of extract does each capsule contains * How many milligrams of extract does each capsule contain * What percentage is standardised to silymarin * How much active silymarin does this work out to per capsule * Whether the product avoids unnecessary fillers ### Practical use notes Based on the pharmacokinetic literature, absorption may be improved by: * taking with a small amount of fat * dividing doses across the day * considering piperine or other bioenhancement strategies only with clinician awareness ### Key References Milk thistle evidence summary\ Therapeutic potentials review\ Novel strategies enhancing bioavailability and therapeutic potential of silymarin\ **Trusted product:** MCS Formulas Milk Thistle Silymarin 500mg\ 500 mg Milk Thistle extract per capsule, standardised to a minimum of 80% silymarin. Use the code `abbey5` at checkout to save 5% and help support the free Healing Cancer Study Support resources. {% hint style="warning" %} This information is for education only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please speak with a qualified clinician before making changes to care, medication, or supplement use. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} © 2026 Abbey Mitchell. All rights reserved. Please share by URL rather than copying page text. {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://myhealingcommunity.gitbook.io/myhealingcommunity-docs/natural-medicines/silymarin-milk-thistle-in-oncology/sourcing-and-product-quality.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.