Milk Thistle is one of those plants that you often see growing along the roadside. It has bright purple thistles that look too pokey to pick (yet I have seen horses eat them). They have medicinal properties that date back to first century Greece. The plant is native to the Mediterranean and thrives in many soil types, even tolerating drought — hence seeing them along dirt roads. It’s considered an herb that is safe to use and quite valuable.
History
The purple flowering plant was most likely identified as an herbal remedy by Dioscorides, a first century Greek physician, who named it Silybum and used it as an antedote for snake bites and poison mushrooms. The leaves of this plant have white splashed on them, hence the name “milk thistle.”
In 20th century Germany the milk thistle was used to treat a variety of liver ailments and was considered as valuable as calling on the Virgin Mary. The herb therefore came to be called Holy Thistle or Mary Thistle, and the white striations on the leaves were thought to be the Virgin Mary’s milk as recorded by Mountain Rose Herbs.
The Latin name for this herb is silybum marianum, the marianum for Mary.
The German Health Authorities have established a Commission E to develop acceptable uses of the milk thistle for chronic inflammatory liver diseases as described in the Monographs by Steven Foster.
Identification
Milk Thistle is classified as an annual or biennial broad leaf plant, growing from 2 to 6 1/2 feet in height. It has stiff erect stems with spiny leaves of white veins running through them, that looks much like spilt milk, hence the name “milk thistle.” Lower leaves can be 6 to 28 inches long, gradually becoming smaller towards the top of the plant.
The flower is a purple colored thistle that blooms from April to July. Beneath the flower head are large spines up to 2 inches long. The fruit of the plant contains the seed which have tufts on them to carry them through the wind for propagation.
Seed
The fruits, found in the head of the purple thistle flower are called achene, and have one black seed approximately 1/4 inch long. Seeds are collected in the Fall for their medicinal value which contain active compounds of silybum and other flavonoids.
Habitat
Milk Thistle grows along highways, in open pastures, crop fields, unmanaged fields and undisturbed roadsides. They are found growing as weeds in many places and states such as California and Washington have deemed them noxious weeds as described by the United States Department of Agriculture. They thrive in natural conditions throughout Europe and Australia as well.
Names
The name of the Milk Thistle has many variants: St. Mary’s Thistle, Our Lady’s Thistle, Marian Thistle, Holy Thistle, Silybum and Silymarin. The Latin name used in botany is Silybum Marianum, the “marianum” for Mary, as well as the main medicinal constituent called silybum.
Milk Thistle Benefits and Uses
Milk Thistle has been used for a variety of liver problems, as it exhibits properties to combat toxins. The active ingredient, “silymarin inhibits hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and also displays antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory actions that contribute to its hepatoprotective effects” according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States.
Research is also finding positive results for the treatment of prostate cancer as described in the journal, Investigational New Drugs. Other uses for milk thistle continue to be studied for breast, colon, and lung cancers, as well as mushroom poisoning as published in the American Family Physician.
Liver Protection
“Milk thistle” has a long history of use for liver problems. The shiny black seeds of this plant contain flavonolignans called silymarin and silybin with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.
Herbalists suggest that you take milk thistle for liver damage due to excessive alcohol consumption, acetaminophen usage and hepatitis infection to help regenerate liver cells. The journal “Digestive Diseases and Sciences” May 2007 suggested that silybin be used as a complimentary approach to treat chronic liver damage.
Take milk thistle in doses of 280 to 450 mg per day, standardized to 70 to 80 percent of silymarin, the active ingredient. Improvement should be seen in eight to 12 weeks, according to Herbs 2000. Always consult with a medical doctor for serious liver problems.
Survivalist Food
“Common thistle” is often used as a survival food according to Wilderness Adventures. If you are a wilderness hiker and love the outdoors than you may want to be aware of this plant. All parts of the common thistle are edible.
Use the peeled stems to quench your thirst. Peel off the sharp prickly spines and hard outer shell to get to the inner stalk which is sweet and juicy. Eat it as you would celery.
The roots can be eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable, much like a turnup. You can also dry them and grind them into flour to be used as a thickener for stews and soups.
To eat the leaves, choose young tender ones, remove the thorns and then cook or eat them raw. The older leaves can be used to make a tea.
Prostate Cancer
In “Oncology Reports” June 2010, researchers in China further studied the positive effects of milk thistle’s active flavonoid–silibinin–on prostate cancer. They found that silibinin was able to suppress the invasion of cancer cells in the prostate. The strong anti-cancer properties inhibit both cell growth, invasion and metastasis.
Dosage for at-home use has not been determined, but research continues to be promising.
Research
Milk thistle may have some anti-cancer properties as published in the March 2010 issue of Anti-cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry: Silibinin–a promising new treatment for cancer. Researchers reviewed studies finding that extracts of silymarin and silibinin used orally have anti-cancer properties for skin, breast, lung, colon, prostate and kidney carcinomas.
A pilot study found the active constituents of milk thistle can be a complimentary treatment for patients with chronic liver damage as published in the journal, Digestive Diseases and Sciences. Milk Thistle seed is mostly known for its liver supportive functions. “In laboratory studies, silymarin has been found to stabilize cell membranes, thus preventing toxic chemicals from entering the cell.” according to the National Cancer Institute.
Milk thistle is also being studied for advanced stage prostate cancer with good results, as reported by the journal Investigational New Drugs.
Preparations
Although the entire thistle had been used historically, in more recent times the seeds of the milk thistle have been identified to contain silymarin, the main active ingredient, according to the National Cancer Institute. Milk thistle seed is best prepared in a tablet or capsule form rather than a tea, due to its lipophilic nature or ability to dissolve in fat rather than water. In Europe it is administered intravenously for an antidote for Amanita phalloide, a poisonous mushroom that causes severe liver toxicity. Very little of silymarin is found in the stalks, leaves, and thistle, so most preparations will be from the seeds.
Dosage
In clinical studies various dosages are being studied, however the common use is 140 to 400 mg silymarin, divided into two or three doses. Standardized preparations are preferable to ensure potency. Milk thistle is available in capsules. I have taken them as part of a detoxification from things that we just naturally encounter or drugs we take, such as Tylenol (which is very toxic to the liver). My daughter is going to take it as part of her therapy for psoriasis and eczema. It’s also a good herb to have on hand as sort of an emergency medication — if the world falls apart.
Safety Issues
How safe is milk thistle seed? Since this herb is being studied and found to have medicinal actions it is important to talk to a doctor if undergoing any serious treatment for cancer or liver damage. If healthy, milk thistle is considered relatively safe herb by the American Cancer Society. Reports of nausea or diarhea are thought to be due to outside contamination and not the silymarin. Allergic reactions are also rare but those allergic to ragweed or chrysanthamums may need to be careful. Any hives, or shortness of breath should be reported to a doctor and the herb discontinued.
