Milk Thistle as an Herb

(Silybum marianum)

Thistle is the old English name for a large family of plants occurring chiefly in Europe and Asia. Introduced by early colonists in America, it is naturalized in eastern North America and common in California. The seeds are used. The seeds of this plant are used nowadays for the same purpose as Blessed Thistle.

In agriculture the Thistle is the recognized sign of untidiness and neglect. In fact, it has always been a plant of ill repute. And yet in medicine Thistles are far from useless. The Marian, or Milk Thistle, is perhaps the most important medicinally among the members of this genus.

Medicinal Uses for Milk Thistle

According to early Greek references, milk thistle seeds have been used to treat liver disorders for over 2,000 years. The Roman writer Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23-79), wrote that the juice of the plant mixed with honey was excellent for "carrying off bile".

The sixteenth-century English herbalist John Gerard considered Milk thistle to be "the best remedy that grows against all melancholy [liver] diseases," and the eighteenth-century German physician Rademacher used the seed for chronic and acute liver diseases. During the next two centuries, its use declined, but by the 1930s, interest in clinical use of milk thistle preparations for liver disease was growing again.

More than 300 studies conducted since the late 1960s provide an experimental basis for the effectiveness and safety of silymarin, the main chemical complex of milk thistle seeds in the treatment of liver disease. Silymarin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and it may help the liver repair itself by growing new cells.

German health authorities allow milk thistle preparations to be used in supportive treatment of chronic inflammatory liver disorders such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, and fatty infiltration caused by alcohol or other toxins. In addition to its well-documented curative action, silymarin can help prevent liver damage if it is taken before exposure to toxins.

Milk thistle is often suggested as a treatment for alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis. But scientific studies show mixed results.

Based on traditional use, milk thistle has been used as an emergency antidote to poisoning by deathcap mushroom (Amanita phalloides).

Culinary

The young leaves may be eaten as a salad.

They were sometimes baked in pies. The roots may be eaten like those of Salsify.

The heads of this Thistle formerly were eaten, boiled and treated like those of the Artichoke.

Cautions

There are no known serious side effects, contraindications, or drug interactions related to the use of milk thistle preparations. Loose stools may occur during the first few days of use. Always consult your physician prior to using any herbal remedies.

Some people may get a rash from touching milk thistle plants.

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DISCLAIMER: These pages are presented solely as a source of INFORMATION and ENTERTAINMENT and to provide stern warnings against use where appropriate. No claims are made for any historical herbal treatment. In no way can the information provided here take the place of the standard, legal, medical practice of any country. Some plants are extremely toxic and should be used only by licensed professionals. Some plants used for illness in the past have proven to be ineffective for the problems to which they were applied.