Super Milk Thistle®

KEY INGREDIENT(S)

Milk Thistle

Ingredient Testing

Licorice Root

Ingredient Testing

Dandelion Root 

Ingredient Testing

Artichoke

Ingredient Testing

Milk Thistle

Silybum marianum (L.)

Extract standardized to contain 80% silymarin

Tests done on every batch

Manufacturers determine the amount and types of testing done on raw ingredients. Nature’s Way goes above and beyond industry standards with extensive testing on every batch of ingredients before they even go into production.

Silymarin (from milk thistle)

The benefits of milk thistle seed are often attributed to its component called silymarin. Analyzing each batch of powdered extract ensures your product contains the amount of silymarin promised on the label.

Standardized assay

Assay testing is performed on certain raw materials to measure the amount of a key component. This testing ensures consistency across batches of raw material, so you can feel confident that the ingredient matches the quantified amount declared on the label.

Identification

Verifying each botanical genus, species, and plant part ensures your product contains the exact ingredient listed in the Supplement Facts panel. High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) testing provides a detailed chemical fingerprint of the ingredient for comparison against certified botanical reference standards. HPTLC testing is among the best, most reliable methods for authenticating raw materials.

Microbiological contaminants

Nature’s Way tests every ingredient for microbial contaminants that can break down ingredients, decrease potency, and degrade a product’s quality. Verifying that ingredients meet regulatory standards for microorganisms like bacteria, molds, and yeasts helps ensure a safe and compliant product.

Heavy metals

Every ingredient is tested to meet regulatory standards for heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead. Testing for trace metal levels ensures ingredients comply with protective laws like California’s Proposition 65, and that the supplement won’t expose you to harmful levels of chemicals.

Solvent residue

Trace amounts of solvents used during processes such as ingredient extraction may remain in the raw materials. Performing USP <467> screening ensures that residual solvents are within safe, regulated limits. Testing every lot of the ingredient ensures it is processed according to Good Manufacturing Practices.

Aflatoxins

Aflatoxins are naturally occurring mycotoxins produced by specific mold and fungi species that grow on crops and botanicals, so it’s important to know your products are tested for them. Aflatoxin qualification testing at Nature’s Way ensures our suppliers’ testing is reliable and that the ingredients meet the required qualifications.

Tests performed periodically

Nature’s Way performs additional tests to ensure every supplier’s testing meets federal regulatory and our own high standards. Extra testing is especially critical for monitoring higher-risk botanicals.

Pesticides

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets safety limits, known as tolerances, for residual pesticides, and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requires botanical suppliers to comply. Nature’s Way verifies compliance with these tolerances through annual or periodic in-house testing of raw materials following the standards outlined in USP <561> to ensure safety and quality.

The ingredient

The name "milk thistle" comes from the milky-white veins in its leaves and sap that oozes out when crushed. The herb has been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic traditions for millennia. While we use the seeds for our supplements, almost all parts of the milk thistle plant are edible. The roots, young shoots, and leaves can be cooked or eaten fresh.

The majority of our milk thistle is cultivated in the cool and dry climates of Asia where vast, fertile land offers ideal growing conditions for amazing milk thistle.

Parts used:

Seed

Licorice Root

Glycyrrhiza glabra L.

Extract standardized to contain 5% glycyrrhizic acid

Tests done on every batch

Glycyrrhizic acid

Nature’s Way analyzes every batch of licorice root standardized to contain 5% glycyrrhizic acid to ensure that you receive the potency promised on the label.

Identification

Microbiological contaminants

Heavy metals

Aflatoxins

Aflatoxins are naturally occurring toxins produced by specific mold and fungi species that grow on crops and botanicals, so it’s important to know your products are tested for them. While annual qualification verifies our suppliers’ aflatoxin testing for most ingredients, some raw materials are more susceptible, so Nature’s Way tests every single batch.

Solvent residue

Standardized assay

Tests performed periodically

Pesticides

The ingredient

Licorice spans cultures and time, from the ancient teas found in King Tutankhamun’s tomb to this day as a soothing agent in dietary supplements. Whether you love or hate the candies it’s most commonly known for today, the “sweet root” is used in many foods as a sweetener and sugar substitute.

Parts used:

Root

Rhizome

Dandelion Root 

Taraxacum officinale

Root extract

Tests done on every batch

Identification

Microbiological contaminants

Heavy metals

Aflatoxins

Solvent residue

Tests performed periodically

Pesticides

Aflatoxins

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids

Nature’s Way tests specific ingredients for pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are naturally occurring chemical compounds produced by certain plants as a defense mechanism.

The ingredient

While some may say the dandelion—a small, flower-like botanical that grows quickly and plentifully around the globe—is a pesky weed, it’s actually a versatile botanical that can be used in teas, tinctures, powders, and other wellness preparations. Its leaves and flowers can also be eaten, most commonly in salads.  

Parts used:

Root

Artichoke

Cynara cardunculus var. Scolymus L.

Extract standardized to contain 13% caffeoylquinic acids

Tests done on every batch

Caffeoylquinic acid

Nature’s Way analyzes every batch of artichoke leaf extract standardized to contain 13% caffeoylquinic acids to ensure that you receive the potency promised on the label.

Standardized assay

Identification

Microbiological contaminants

Heavy metals

Tests performed periodically

Pesticides

Solvent residue

Trace amounts of solvents used during processes such as ingredient extraction may remain in the raw materials. Performing USP <467> screening ensures that residual solvents are within safe, regulated limits. Annual testing of the ingredient ensures it is processed according to Good Manufacturing Practices.

Aflatoxins

The ingredient

The artichoke isn’t just a delicious addition to salads and appetizers—it’s also a plant with a long, varied history. The herb, with its big leaves that originate at the base of the plant, can grow up to over six feet high and is most similar to the thistle plant.

The artichoke is one of the oldest cultivated plants, and it appears in many ancient historical records, including in Greece, Rome, and Egypt. In ancient times, dating as far back as 400 BC, it was used in Roman wellness practices.

Parts used:

Leaf

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