The Medicinal Uses of Milk Thistle

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.


Now, this was a fun little plant to research.  OK, well, it's not so little.  It will grow up to four feet tall in ideal conditions.  I was aware of some of its uses as my husband takes it for reducing cholesterol, but now I know a whole lot more!

Milk thistle, Silybum marianum, native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean, thrives in warm climates and well-drained soil.  But like most weeds, it will do well just about everywhere.  In fact, in some areas it is considered a highly invasive weed and allowing it to grow on your property may result in fines.  Check local ordinances before planting seeds.

While the entire plant growing above the ground is medicinal, the active constituents are most concentrated in the seeds, and these are what is typically used in producing medicine.  Harvest the flower heads, from July through September usually, just as the flower is turning from purple to the white puff (similar to dandelions).  Place the flower heads in a paper bag to dry for about a week. When completely dry, shake the bag vigorously to separate the seeds from the fluff.  Discard the fluff.

(The rest of the plant need not be wasted.  The roots may be eaten raw, boiled, or parboiled and roasted.  The leaves, once the prickles have been removed, are said to make a nice addition to salads or cooked and eaten like spinach.  The stems are also edible.)

Most of the clinical research on the medicinal qualities of milk thistle is conducted in Europe.  Studies there show a wide diversity of uses for this much-maligned weed.

• Milk thistle is the go-to herb for liver detoxification.  It mitigates liver damage caused by:
• acetaminophen (Tylenol), 
• alcohol poisoning, 
• radiation, 
• iron overload, 
• mushroom poisoning, 
• carbon tetrachloride, and 
• hepatitis (chronic and acute).  
• Milk thistle reduces oxidative stress and has shown promise in slowing the progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
• It helps reduce blood sugars and cholesterol, especially in type-2 diabetics.
• Milk thistle dramatically increases breast milk production, by 86%, as compared with a 32% increase for the placebo group.  There were no undesirable side effects and milk quality was unaffected.  (Fresh milk thistle is toxic to sheep and cattle, so don't try increasing their milk production with this.  Researchers have used a milk thistle extract to increase milk production in cows.)
• Milk thistle works well with activated charcoal in treating food poisoning, but not at the same time.  Activated charcoal is administered immediately to adsorb toxins in the stomach.  Milk thistle is taken two to three hours later to detoxify the liver from toxins the activated charcoal did not bind.  If taken together the activated charcoal would bind the milk thistle and neither would do any good.

Most of the studies conducted utilize milk thistle taken as a supplement in capsule form.  The standard dosage for liver detoxification is 150 mg, 1-3 times per day.  When taken for liver support the dosage is 50-150 mg, once per day.  Women were given 420 mg per day to increase milk production. 

If standardized capsules are not an option, we'll have to make our own medicine.  The active constituents in milk thistle are extracted much more readily by alcohol.

Tincture:  Use the dried seed, one part by weight to three parts 70% alcohol by volume.  To treat any of the above conditions, use 1 teaspoon, 4-5 times per day.

Infusion:  Steep two teaspoons of powdered seeds in one cup of boiling water for 15 minutes. 

Contraindications.  Milk thistle should not be used by individuals allergic to ragweeds and those who have hypoglycemia.

For further reading:
Stephen Buhner, Herbal Antibiotics, p 386.
Charles Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States.
Sam Coffman, The Herbal Medic, pp 254-255.  
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19260380  (increasing breast milk production)
https://www.motherearthliving.com/plant-profile/milk-thistle-therapy (overview) 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20564545 (overview)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30080294 (overview)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3928361/ (cancer)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17548789 (cancer and chronic liver disease)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16164374 (chemistry)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28125040 (chemistry)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29125572 (chemistry)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17072885 (diabetes and reducing cholesterol)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27387273 (type-2 diabetes)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21071836  (Alzheimer's prevention)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22842463  (allergic asthma)
https://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/t/thistl11.html

 3.2.20