Ingredient profile
Finessa Milk Thistle and Artichoke: How Much Silymarin Is in a Scoop?
Finessa lists milk thistle powder, artichoke extract and silymarin 80% as places 3, 4 and 5 of its 450 mg Liver Health Blend. By our arithmetic from the label order, a scoop holds at most 150 mg, 112 mg and 90 mg of them. Studied silymarin doses are 250 to 750 mg.
Written by the Finessa label deskUpdated
What is listed01
What are milk thistle and artichoke doing in Finessa?
They are three of the five lines in the Liver Health Blend: milk thistle powder, artichoke extract (std to 5% cynarin) and silymarin 80% (as silibinin).
The blend totals 450 mg a scoop, and the panel prints no single amount. Dandelion and turmeric come first. These three come third, fourth and fifth.
Milk thistle seeds hold a group of compounds called silymarin. Artichoke here means a leaf extract. Both are traditional herbs, and Finessa is a powder supplement, not a treatment for any liver or bile disease.
The tub front says "Liver Cleansing Formula". That is the brand's wording, quoted. The liver clears waste on its own, and we found no evidence that a powder does it for you.
| Name on the label | Milk Thistle Powder |
|---|---|
| What it is | Seeds of Silybum marianum |
| Where it appears | Place 3 of 5 in the Liver Health Blend, 450 mg |
| Amount per scoop | Not listed; place 3 of 5, at most about 150 mg |
| Amount used in research | Products hold 250 to 750 mg of silymarin a dose, taken 2 to 3 times a day |
| Strength of evidence | Conflicting or too limited for liver disease; two NCCIH-funded trials showed no benefit |
| Marketed or traditional use | A seed used traditionally for the liver. |
| Main caution | Mild stomach upset; ragweed-family allergy; may affect blood sugar and some medicines. |
| Name on the label | Artichoke Extract (Cynara scolymus; std to 5% cynarin) |
|---|---|
| What it is | Leaf extract of Cynara scolymus |
| Where it appears | Place 4 of 5 in the Liver Health Blend, 450 mg |
| Amount per scoop | Not listed; place 4 of 5, at most about 112 mg |
| Amount used in research | EU monograph: 400 to 1,320 mg of dry leaf extract a day |
| Strength of evidence | Traditional use for indigestion; no strong trials found |
| Marketed or traditional use | A leaf extract used for bile flow and indigestion. |
| Main caution | Avoid with bile-duct obstruction or gallstones unless a doctor agrees. |
| Name on the label | Silymarin 80% (as silibinin), from milk thistle seed extract |
|---|---|
| What it is | Concentrated milk thistle flavonolignans |
| Where it appears | Place 5 of 5 in the Liver Health Blend, 450 mg |
| Amount per scoop | Not listed; place 5 of 5, at most about 90 mg |
| Amount used in research | Products hold 250 to 750 mg of silymarin a dose, taken 2 to 3 times a day |
| Strength of evidence | Conflicting or too limited for liver disease |
| Marketed or traditional use | A standardized extract of milk thistle. |
| Main caution | Mild stomach upset; rare allergic reactions. |
How much is in a scoop02
How much milk thistle and artichoke is in a Finessa scoop?
At most 150 mg of milk thistle powder, about 112 mg of artichoke extract and 90 mg of silymarin. Those are ceilings, not measurements.
A blend lists its parts from most to least by weight and prints only the total (21 CFR 101.36 (proprietary blends)). So line k weighs at most the total divided by k. The table shows our arithmetic from the label order, not a lab test.
| Place | Line | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dandelion powder | 450 mg |
| 2 | Turmeric powder | 225 mg |
| 3 | Milk thistle powder | 150 mg |
| 4 | Artichoke extract (std to 5% cynarin) | 112 mg |
| 5 | Silymarin 80% (as silibinin) | 90 mg |
The real amounts can be far lower. If dandelion weighs 300 mg, the other four share 150 mg.
"Silymarin 80% (as silibinin)" names a standardized seed extract. If 80% of that line is silymarin, the line holds at most 72 mg of it. Milk thistle powder, one line above, may add a little more. The "5% cynarin" on the artichoke line would mean at most about 5.6 mg of cynarin.
Dose vs research03
Is the Finessa silymarin dose close to the studied dose?
No. Milk thistle products hold 250 to 750 mg of silymarin a dose, taken two or three times a day, and a Finessa scoop can hold at most 90 mg (NCCIH, Milk thistle).
That is 36% of the lowest studied dose, even at the ceiling. The EU artichoke monograph lists 400 to 1,320 mg of dry leaf extract a day, against at most 112 mg here (EMA, Artichoke leaf (Cynara) herbal monograph). The bars show the most a scoop can hold, in blue, next to the research amount, in gold.
The other bars come from other blends. See dandelion, turmeric and ginger.
The evidence04
Does milk thistle work for the liver?
Nobody can say yet. NCCIH says there is not enough high-quality evidence for definite conclusions (NCCIH, Milk thistle).
For liver diseases, results have been conflicting or too limited. Two NIH-funded trials, in hepatitis C and fatty liver disease, showed no benefit from silymarin. Some products also hold a silymarin amount far from the label (NCCIH, Milk thistle), and Finessa publishes no test of its own.
No trial has tested Finessa. The research used products at doses far above one scoop, so it cannot be carried over to this powder.
Artichoke has a similar record. The EU regulator lists it for traditional use against indigestion with fullness, based on long use, not strong trials (EMA, Artichoke leaf (Cynara) herbal monograph).
The sales page promises to "support your liver, colon health, gut balance and smooth digestion". We found no study of that claim for this product.
Finessa: from $39 a bottle50 scoops a tub · 1, 3 or 6 bottles · free US shipping on 6 · 180-day guarantee
See packsSafety05
Who should be careful with milk thistle and artichoke?
Anyone with gallstones, a blocked bile duct, a liver condition, or an allergy to ragweed and its relatives should ask a doctor before using a product with either herb.
The EU monograph lists bile-duct obstruction, gallstones and liver disease as reasons not to use artichoke leaf without medical advice (EMA, Artichoke leaf (Cynara) herbal monograph). A blocked bile duct can be serious and needs urgent care (NIDDK, Gallstones symptoms and causes). Milk thistle can trigger reactions in people allergic to ragweed and daisies, and product quality varies (NCCIH, Milk thistle).
Do not stop, skip or cut a prescribed medicine because you started a supplement. Tell your care team before you add one (FDA, Mixing medications and supplements).
Herbal supplements account for about 10% or more of drug-induced liver injury cases in the US (LiverTox, Herbal and dietary supplements overview). Yellow skin or eyes need a doctor the same day. See Finessa side effects.
Verdict06
What is the bottom line on Finessa milk thistle and artichoke?
They are present, but last in line. They are the final three lines of the liver blend, at doses well below anything studied.
What the label gets right
- Names the herbs and standardization
- Lists parts in weight order
What stays unproven
- No single amounts or silymarin test
- Doses far below studied ones
- No trial of the powder
If you want a liver-focused product, talk to a doctor first. A powder is not a treatment for liver or bile disease. For more on claims about the liver, read liver detox myths.
FAQ08
Milk thistle and artichoke questions
How much silymarin is in Finessa?
At most 90 mg a scoop from the silymarin line, by our arithmetic from the label order, and likely less. The panel prints no single amount. Milk thistle products in studies hold 250 to 750 mg of silymarin a dose (NCCIH, Milk thistle).
What does 5% cynarin mean in the artichoke extract?
It means the extract is standardized to contain 5% cynarin, a compound from artichoke leaf. At the 112 mg ceiling for that line, cynarin would be at most about 5.6 mg a scoop. That is our arithmetic, not a lab result.
Does Finessa artichoke help digestion?
Artichoke leaf has traditional use for indigestion with fullness, based on long use rather than strong trials, at hundreds to thousands of mg a day (EMA, Artichoke leaf (Cynara) herbal monograph). Finessa holds at most about 112 mg of the extract, and no trial tested the product.
Can I take Finessa with gallstones?
Ask a doctor first. The EU monograph lists gallstones and bile-duct obstruction as reasons not to use artichoke leaf without medical advice (EMA, Artichoke leaf (Cynara) herbal monograph). Pain that lasts hours, fever or yellow skin needs urgent care (NIDDK, Gallstones symptoms and causes).
Is milk thistle safe with ragweed allergy?
It may not be. NCCIH says people allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds and daisies can react to milk thistle (NCCIH, Milk thistle). If you have those allergies, ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any product that lists it.
Does the Finessa liver blend support liver health?
The tub calls it a "Liver Health Blend" and a "Liver Cleansing Formula", but no trial tested the powder. Evidence for milk thistle in liver disease is conflicting or too limited (NCCIH, Milk thistle). It is not a treatment for any liver condition.
Who wrote this09
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by Gofinessa, a U.S. stocking partner for Finessa, not by the manufacturer. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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