Milk thistle – Silybum marianum
With its crimson flowers, the milk thistle is one of the most beautiful of its kind. But it is not only pretty, it is also useful: in 1848, the German country doctor Radermacher discovered its positive effect on the liver. The substances responsible for this are found directly under the skin of the seed-like fruit.
Bodyguard for the liver
Fields of application
Milk thistle is said to have digestive and liver-protective functions. It alleviates toxic liver damage and chronic liver inflammation. Silymarin, a mixture of three flavonolignans, is responsible for the liver-protective effect. It prevents harmful substances from entering the liver cells. It also supports liver regeneration by stimulating cell growth. Milk thistle can significantly improve the survival time of patients with chronic liver disease and is one of the few cures for poisoning by the death cap mushroom. It is also used for fatty liver and hepatitis. The use of milk thistle for varicose veins is a handed-down tradition, whereby those affected are supposed to take milk thistle tea.
Botanical characteristics
Milk thistle belongs to the daisy family. The plant, which can grow up to 1.5 metres high, has light marbled leaves with a thorny edge. The seeds develop from the fertilised flowers and contain the active ingredients. When the seeds are ripe in August and September, they can be harvested and then air-dried.