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Milk thistle (blessed thistle)
Silybum marianum
This page contains information on milk thistle and how it is used as a herb in alternative herbal treatments to treat ailments and problems, such as liver damage. It is used as a hepatic tonic and for cirrhosis.
On this page
Please note that we are not advocating that people stop using their normal medication, but would like to make people aware that some alternative therapies can be very effective to help treat problems and create a healthier, younger and more vital you. For more information on our range of products, please click here.
Although we believe in the therapeutic and healing properties of herbs, care must be taken in the use thereof, as they are powerful compounds.
Family |
Asteraceae |
Genus and specie |
Silybum marianum |
Carduus marianus, blessed thistle, prickly thistle, St. Mary thistle, silybum and thistle.
It is a stout annual or biennial plant with purple, thistle-like flower heads in summer, followed by black seeds with tufts of white hairs.
The leaves are used, although the fruit, consisting of ripe seed, is more effective.
It is bitter, diuretic herb, with a regenerative tonic effect on the liver cells, stimulating bile flow, increasing lactation and relaxing spasms.
The fruits contain proteins and lipids, flavonolignans, known as silymarin, which contain silybinin, isosilybinin, silychristin and silydianin.
- Internal use
- Although milk thistle was originally used to stimulate lactation in nursing mothers, it is used internally for liver and gall bladder diseases, dyspeptic complaints, jaundice, hepatitis, liver damage, and cirrhosis, as well as poisoning.
- It is also beneficial in minimizing the side effects of cancer chemotherapy.
- It is one of the most effective herbs to help with toxic liver damage, and for chronic liver inflammatory disease, as well as hepatic cirrhosis.
- The silymarin not only blocks the liver toxins from entering the liver, but also stimulates regeneration and formation of new liver cells.
- In mushroom poisoning, it reactivates the protein synthesis in the liver which is blocked by amanitin and other mushroom toxins.
- External use
- Aromatherapy and essential oil use
In some cases a mild laxative effect has been observed.
To promote the interest and use of herbs and natural complementary health alternatives, we have included information on the following herbs.
Please note - although we discuss a wide variety of herbs, not all of them are used or sold by us.
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