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What’s this
Milk thistle or wild thistle is a natural remedy used in phytotherapy and herbal medicine for liver well-being. It is the fruit of Silibum marianum, a small biennial plant of the Asteraceae or Compositae family, which also includes calendula, echinacea, arnica, burdock, artichoke and dandelion, species known for their therapeutic properties and, in some cases, for their nutritional importance.
Also known as the wild artichoke, the thistle plant is common in southern Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa it is easily recognizable. The thistle has large, bright green leaves with toothed edges and thorns, typically veined with white. In the second year of the plant’s life, a stem develops from the center of the rosette of leaves that will bear the flowers, flower heads formed by many purple-red tubular flowers. The fruit then develops from the flower, which represents the drug of the plant. THE fruits of the thistle they are collected in midsummer and then boiled to separate the pappus, which contains the seed.
Property
THE milk thistle fruits they contain flavonoids, proteins, lipids, small amounts of mucilage and above all flavolignans, considered the principles most responsible for the properties and benefits of this remedy. The mixture of flavolignans present in the thistle is called silymarin and consists mainly of silybin, sildianin and silycristin.
Milk thistle is a plant known for its protective activity on the liver. Thanks to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating action, thistle is a useful remedy for regenerating liver cells following damage caused by exposure to toxic substances or reversible liver diseases. Milk thistle-based preparations can be used, for example, in case of excessive alcohol consumption and medication or if you suffer from hepatitis acute and chronic e hepatic steatosis.
The property tonic and choleretic (ed. that is able to stimulate the production of bile by the liver) of milk thistle are then exploited to improve digestive processes, reduce LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, improve blood sugar control and reduce insulin resistance. Milk thistle is also useful for increase blood pressure, promote milk production in breastfeeding women, prevent seasickness or motion sickness e reduce fatigue and mental exhaustion. The antihemorrhagic properties of this plant also make it a good remedy to reduce bleeding in epistaxis (nosebleed), hemorrhoids and heavy menstrual periods.
Creams and ointments containing milk thistle extracts are useful for promoting skin healing in case of erythema, sunburn, dermatitis and psoriasis and have an anti-aging action given by the antioxidant properties of the plant.
The thistle leaves mariano are rarely used but, thanks to the presence of flavonoids, plant sterols, organic acids, they perform a tonic, cholagogue, digestive and diuretic action and can be associated with the preparations obtained from the fruits.
How to use it
Milk thistle can be taken in the form of herbal tea, dry extract or mother tincture. The thistle infusion can be prepared with shredded flowers and leaves: in the first case the infusion time is about 15 minutes, while in the second it is 10 minutes. The dosage for both is equal to a teaspoon of dried drug. Milk thistle tea can be consumed two or three times a day, before main meals.
There tincture it is administered instead by diluting 30 drops in water and taken from one to three times a day, always before meals.
Often the milk thistle in the supplements it is associated with other plants capable of promoting digestive processes, the production and secretion of bile or capable of carrying out a protective action on the liver. For example, it is combined with dandelion, artichoke, mint and lime sapwood to strengthen its activity.
Contraindications
Milk thistle is generally well tolerated and does not present any details side effectsIts use is contraindicated in case of allergies and should be limited in case of high blood pressure. Before resorting to milk thistle preparations, it is best to consult your doctor if you are following drug therapies or if you are taking oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy as interactions may occur.
Curiosity
The noticeable white veins on the thistle leaves are related to several reading and popular beliefs. The name of “Madonna’s Thistle” with which this plant is called derives from a legend according to which the Virgin Mary hid with the Child Jesus among the thistle leaves to protect her son from Herod’s persecution. Crouching under the plant, she would lose a few drops of milk from her breast and stain the leaves of the thistle. According to another belief, the white streaks would instead be a sign of the galactagogic properties (ed. The ability to stimulate the secretion of milk) of the thistle.
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