Milk Thistle Seed - SILYBUM MARIANUM
(Powder) (Organically Grown)
COMMON NAME
Standardized: milk thistle
Other: Mary's thistle
BOTANICAL NAME
Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.
Plant Family: Asteraceae
OVERVIEW
Milk thistle has been revered for thousands of years as an effective healing herb. However, early on all parts of the plant were used for a variety of purposes. The leaves were extensively utilized and often eaten as a vegetable.
Milk thistle supports the liver's natural detoxification process.*
HERBAL ACTIONS
cholagogic and choleretic, tonic, galactogogue, hepatoprotective, alterative
USES AND PREPARATIONS
Dried seed (technically the fruit) eaten, as a tincture or tea, or powdered and encapsulated.
CONSTITUENTS
The seed contains flavone lignans (which comprise silymarin and contains silybin, silychristin, and silidianin), fixed oil (mostly linoleic acid, but also has oleic and palmitic acid) protein, tocopherol, sterols such as cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and sitosterol, and some mucilage.2
HERBAL MISCELLANY
Each flower can produce up to 190 seeds, averaging 6,350 seeds per plant in its lifetime! This is great news for the herbalist, but not so great news for those waging a war against invasive species. (weeds)
PRECAUTIONS
Specific: Milk thistle may cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to the Asteraceae (Ragweed) plant family.
General: We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.