Botanical Names: Carduus marianus, Silybum marianum Common Names: Marian thistle, Holy thistle, Our Lady’s thistle

Once considered native to only the topography associated with the Mediterranean Sea, milk thistle has unquestionably allowed for its medicinal properties to be used throughout the modern world.

Historically, the use of milk thistle has been traced back more than two thousand years. Documentation exists, dating back to the Greco-Roman era, confirming its use in ridding the body of various toxins. These past cultures were already reaping the rewards of milk thistle supplementation on conditions focusing on internal cleansing, especially concerning the liver. In fact, modern physicians are often in agreement with 17th century pharmacist, Nicholas Culpeper, and have used milk thistle seeds in the same manner he had; for congestion of the liver, spleen, and kidneys. Today, milk thistle studies indicate that this herb is primarily used for protection of the liver by viruses, alcohol abuse, and poisoning.

The most active ingredient of milk thistle is its dried fruit, which contains flavonoid complexes known as silymarin. Silymarin exists within a group of compounds known as flavonolignans. It is this constituent of milk thistle that is responsible for exhibiting therapeutic effects upon humans. Most products containing milk thistle are standardized to contain up to 80% of the flavonolignans silibinin, silidianin, and silicristin. All three of these substances form, and are often labeled under the heading of, silymarin; with silibinin attributed as being the most potent and active of all flavonolignans.