Milk thistle (milk thistle) - application, beneficial, medicinal properties of seeds, preparations (dietary supplement) in capsules. Milk thistle (milk thistle): medicinal properties and application features

This unusual plant attracts the attention of everyone who sees it. It looks very impressive: large spotted leaves and spines spread out in all directions, and above them pink corollas of flowers with a prickly border. This milk thistle is not only an original ornamental plant, but also a powerful healer that can restore health and sometimes save lives.

Mary's thistle or milk thistle belongs to the genus Milk Thistle and is part of the Aster family. Its close relatives are tartar and thistle. In the wild it is a biennial plant, but when cultivated it becomes an annual plant. Large shiny green leaves with white spots can reach a length of up to 80 cm. Their shape is varied: round, elliptical, pinnately dissected. They are decorated with spines not only at the ends of the central, but also the lateral veins; there are spines on the stem at the places where the leaves are attached and even around the corolla of the flowers.

The stem of milk thistle is bare and can be straight or branched. It reaches a height of 1.5 - 2 m, and sometimes higher, and bears rather large basket-shaped flowers of purple, pink or white. The flowers are bisexual, therefore, this thistle does not need pollinators. Milk thistle blooms from July to August. The seeds are quite large and have a tuft.

Milk thistle is not only an original ornamental plant, but also a powerful healer that can restore health and sometimes save lives.

Places of growth, collection and preparation of milk thistle

The natural habitat of this plant is the Balkans, the Mediterranean and the Iberian Peninsula. From there it spread widely throughout the world, and in many countries it was introduced into cultivation as a medicinal plant. Milk thistle crops in our country reach 10,000 hectares, and in China, where traditional medicine is honored, it is ten times more.

In our country, this plant is rarely found in uncultivated form, mainly in the southern regions and Western Siberia, where it grows in landfills and along roads. Mary's thistle does not tolerate temperatures below minus 10 degrees, so it can overwinter only in places with warm winters. This plant does not form wild thickets suitable for collecting medicinal raw materials. The main crops of milk thistle are in the Krasnodar Territory and the Volga region. This fairly unpretentious plant can be grown in any summer cottage. The main condition is that the frost period should not exceed 150 days so that the seeds have time to ripen.

For medicinal purposes, only fully mature seeds are used - their effect is the strongest, but all parts of the plant have medicinal activity. Plants need to be mowed and dried. The seed pods are threshed, which is quite difficult to do manually, since the thorns that are on the pods greatly interfere with this. The seeds will have to be additionally dried at a temperature not exceeding 50 degrees. They can be stored for no more than a year.

Gallery: milk thistle (25 photos)

Medicinal properties of milk thistle (video)

Composition, beneficial and medicinal properties of milk thistle

Among many peoples, milk thistle is considered one of the most effective medicinal plants. The history of using milk thistle as a medicinal plant goes back thousands of years. Dioscorides also used milk thistle as a cure for many diseases. The ancient Romans also knew its amazing healing properties. It was treated in the East and in European countries.

In 1968, the use of milk thistle received scientific justification thanks to research conducted at the Munich Institute of Pharmacy. Scientists have found almost 200 different biochemical substances in this plant. She is rich:

saponins;
flavonolignans;
fatty oil;
alkaloids;
biologically active amines;
minerals;
vitamins, including especially valuable ones.

For medicinal purposes, only fully mature seeds are used - their effect is the strongest.

But the most valuable component turned out to be silymarin, which is not often found. Further research has proven that it helps the liver in two ways, namely, it not only strengthens the membranes of affected liver cells, but also stimulates the formation of new, full-fledged cells, that is, it is a hepatoprotector.

Silymarin is the strongest antioxidant, surpassing vitamins E and C in these indicators. It is able to inhibit the penetration of various poisons into the liver, binding them and thereby neutralizing them. The list of toxic substances that it successfully fights is impressive:

green fly agaric and toadstool toxins;
nitrates;
solvent carbon tetrachloride;
chlorine compounds.

Consequently, milk thistle can cure liver and gallbladder lesions, including such severe ones as hepatitis. But its healing properties are not limited to this. It is used to treat skin diseases using healing oil. Milk thistle helps with diseases of the joints, spleen, and varicose veins. It is used to treat hemorrhoids and thyroid diseases. It helps with lack of milk in nursing mothers. A decoction of the roots is good for toothache and diarrhea, and juice from the leaves is good for inflammatory diseases in the stomach and intestines.

Among many peoples, milk thistle is considered one of the most effective medicinal plants.

Pharmaceutical forms of milk thistle release

This medicinal plant is included in the pharmacopoeia of many countries around the world. Based on it, drugs have been created to treat many diseases. This can be oil, which is sold in 50 ml bottles, and tablets or capsules, which contain silymarin alone or together with other active drugs. The drug Karsil is available in the form of tablets. Milk thistle meal is also sold; it comes in tablets. You can also buy whole fruits, packaged in packs of different weights. This drug is considered a dietary supplement.

The use of milk thistle in folk medicine

Traditional medicine widely uses this prickly plant. Tea, decoction, tincture are prepared from it, the powder is taken and treated with its oil.

Milk thistle tea

It is taken during the recovery period after liver disease, alcoholism, and varicose veins. Drink tea three times a day before each meal. One glass of tea is needed per dose. Brew it with boiling water in an amount of 250 ml, pouring in 1 teaspoon of dry seeds. Infusion time is 20 minutes.

How to use milk thistle seeds to treat the liver (video)

Decoctions from the medicinal plant milk thistle

A decoction of seeds has the following areas of application: hepatitis and liver damage from toxins, cirrhosis, diabetes, slagging of the body. A decoction is prepared from seeds ground into powder. You will need 30 g of this powder. After it has been poured with half a liter of hot water, you should put everything in a water bath. You will have to boil for a long time, until the volume of water is reduced by half. Drink a thoroughly strained decoction, one tablespoon every hour for 12 hours. The course of admission is 3 weeks. If necessary, it can be repeated after two weeks.

Thistle tincture

There are two varieties:

infusion of water, which is very easy to prepare - pour a tablespoon of dry seeds into 250 ml of boiling water, leave for up to 3 hours and drink 2 tablespoons 3 times a day; can be used for all diseases that milk thistle treats;
alcohol tincture from 50 g of seeds and 2 glasses of vodka, infused for a month in a dark place; used externally for trophic ulcers, festering wounds, rubbing sore joints, and relieves skin itching well; You can drink the tincture 25 drops, dissolving them in 100 ml of water, three times a day, half an hour before meals.

Milk thistle tea is taken during the recovery period after liver disease, alcoholism, and varicose veins.

Milk thistle oil

It is obtained by cold pressing the seeds . The effect of the oil is very diverse. They treat external skin damage and allergic reactions. It is good to take the oil internally during long-term treatment with potent drugs to support the liver.

Milk Thistle Seed Powder

This is a good remedy for poisoning and liver diseases. You need a tablespoon of powder per dose. Take it 4 times a day, measuring equal periods of time.

Treatment of liver diseases with thistle

Silibum marianum or milk thistle is effective for many diseases. But for any liver damage it is a real panacea. The main active ingredient of the gift of the Virgin Mary is silymarin is the only natural hepatoprotector, which acts gently but effectively and does not give side effects. It can cure almost all liver diseases, from gallbladder dyskinesia to cirrhosis and fatty degeneration. Milk thistle is also useful for healthy people, since modern ecology leaves little chance for the liver to remain healthy.

Enhances liver detoxification function
Prevents the destruction of hepatocytes and promotes the regeneration of liver tissue (hepatoprotective effect)
Has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties;
Increases bile secretion (cholinoretic effect) and improves fat digestion
Improves the condition of the skin

The liver, being the main cleansing organ, plays a vital role in maintaining your health. Milk thistle has been used for thousands of years to heal the liver. It contains the natural substance silymarin - a mixture of glycosides (silybin, silydianin, silychristin), which primarily helps the liver perform a detoxification function, including by increasing the level of antioxidant protection (the content of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase increases). Obviously, all of the above properties put milk thistle preparations on a par with medications when it comes to acute or chronic liver diseases and even cirrhosis. Silymarin not only has antioxidant properties, but affects the liver in two more ways: firstly, it strengthens cell membranes, and secondly, it promotes the formation of new cells, stimulating protein synthesis. As a result, bile production increases.

If the liver functions normally, then the entire immune system of the body is supported. This also applies to the body's anti-cancer defense, especially when it comes to hormone-dependent tumors. Therefore, it is recommended to take Milk Thistle for the prevention of diseases of the female reproductive organs.

Many herbalists use this herb for psoriasis, periods of exacerbation of which are clearly associated with deterioration of liver function. Simpler dermatological problems in the form of various skin rashes (skin irritation) may be the first symptoms of liver dysfunction.

Finally, milk thistle has a beneficial effect on digestion, as sufficient bile ensures complete digestion of fats and optimal absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

Can I recommend this drug? NSP company more broadly, as a preventive measure for all people associated with toxic substances, living in unfavorable environmental conditions and people who abuse alcohol.

Application

Adults - 1 capsule 2 times a day with meals. Combines well with taking the Antioxidant complex.

1 capsule: Milk thistle or milk thistle (Silybum marianum) seeds - 325 mg. Seed concentrate - 175 mg.

Reviews of the dietary supplement Milk Thistle (Milk Thistle)

Victor, 35 years old, Volzhsky

Milk thistle from NSP was recommended to me by a childhood friend. I work in a company that produces pesticides and toxins. And therefore I need additional protection for the body. I was lucky - a friend and his wife started working on NSP products and suggested that I try them. After three months of use, milk thistle brought my blood tests back to normal. Because before, when I was tested for the kidney-liver complex, the doctor from our production was always not particularly happy. Now everything seems to be back to normal.

Alena, 32 years old, Magnitogorsk

I have been drinking milk thistle from NSP for a year now. I started taking it after serious poisoning, which affected the condition of my liver. The situation was very serious back then. But now health is gradually restored thanks to the NSP product.

Nika, 28 years old, Sterlitamak

It was recommended to drink milk thistle after suffering from hepatitis. I can say that this drug really restores the liver well. Now I can safely allow myself something fatty or sweet in my food. Previously, this was almost impossible.

There were problems with the gallbladder. I even ended up in the hospital once with an exacerbation. While I was being treated there, the doctor assigned to me advised me to try milk thistle during the recovery period. That’s what I did - I’m completely satisfied, I will try other NSP products.

Have you already tried the drug? Leave a review!

Milk thistle has been used for thousands of years to heal the liver. Dietary supplement NSP Milk thistle (milk thistle) is very effective even in the case of acute and chronic liver diseases such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, etc. including cirrhosis. Therefore, it is recommended to take milk thistle to prevent diseases of the female reproductive organs. Dietary supplement Milk Thistle NSP helps the liver to protect itself from harmful substances and renews destroyed or damaged liver cells.

The beneficial substances in the Milk Thistle dietary supplement also activate the formation and secretion of bile, prevent bile stagnation and cholelithiasis, which improves digestion. A distinctive feature from other types of thistle are the white spots on its leaves. Milk thistle application. A biologically active substance such as silymarin, found in milk thistle oil, stabilizes the functioning of cell membranes and especially the liver.

Milk thistle tea. Milk thistle contraindications. This is one of the most beautiful and largest thistles. Milk thistle oil. It was in this case that milk thistle showed itself to be a harmless liver-specific phytotherapeutic agent. In the recipes on the standard package of milk thistle seeds, the German National Health Service prescribes its use only for liver diseases.

Milk thistle for liver treatment

Take dry milk thistle seed powder 1 teaspoon 4-5 times a day. The course of treatment is 40 days, then a break for 2 weeks, etc. Use of milk thistle in folk medicine. The diseases mentioned above are also treated in folk medicine with milk thistle.

Hepatocytes (liver cells) neutralize them (these are complex chemical reactions), and as a result, blood purified from toxins carries only oxygen and useful substances to other organs and systems. Silymarin not only promotes detoxification, but also increases the antioxidant protection of the liver.

The main component of milk thistle is a rare biologically active substance - silymarin. Milk thistle is used to make such drugs as: karsil, silybor, legalon, but in practice it turned out that treatment with the herb itself is more effective and cheaper. Seeds (seed, fruit) of milk thistle.

Medicinal properties of milk thistle for treating diseases

Milk thistle seed oil is highly valued; it has wound-healing, anti-burn, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective properties. Milk thistle helps well with jaundice, vascular atherosclerosis, regulates the production of cholesterol and other lipid fractions. For gynecological diseases, to regulate the sexual and endocrine system in men and women, milk thistle oil is taken orally.

Milk thistle meal is made simply - grind the grains into powder, or use a coffee grinder. Alcohol tincture of milk thistle (extract): take 50 g of milk thistle powder and pour it into half a liter of vodka, leave for 2 weeks, shaking occasionally. Tea can be prepared from both the herb and milk thistle powder: take 1 teaspoon of the raw material, pour a glass of boiling water and leave for 10-20 minutes, then strain.

There are no contraindications as such when taking milk thistle. Milk thistle is easily recognized by its large green, white marbled leaves with spines on the teeth. Blooms in July - August. In Germany it is specially grown on plantations and gardens. Milk thistle often runs wild and is found in warm, dry places, on railway embankments and wastelands. The presence of the silymarin complex (a mixture of three flavonolignans) is responsible for the healing properties of milk thistle for the liver.

Seed tincture. Pour 50 g of milk thistle seeds into 0.5 liters of vodka, leave for 2 weeks, shaking occasionally. Powder from ground seeds. You need to grind the seeds in small portions - per 1 week of use (about 120 g), since milk thistle seeds quickly lose their value when ground. Pour baskets of milk thistle flowers collected in bloom with unrefined sunflower oil in a 1:1 ratio and expose them to the sun for three weeks.

Overeating and excessive alcohol consumption lead in most cases to fatty liver, that is, the destruction or cessation of activity of a large part of its cells. Its active ingredient silymarin, even in high dosages, is free from side effects and has an extremely good effect on liver restoration.

The beneficial effect of milk thistle on the liver is due to the presence of silymarin in its composition, a powerful hepatoprotector, which is a complex of flavonoids and flavolignans.

Milk thistle (milk thistle)– a medicinal plant, one of the types of thistle. Milk thistle is a member of the Asteraceae family. Thistle is a tall plant with beautiful purple flowers that are collected in a prickly basket (see photo). The plant gained its popularity about a thousand years ago; it was used by the inhabitants of Ancient Rome. Indian healers used milk thistle in homeopathy.

The herb is popularly known as St. Mary's thistle. The fact is that the plant has white spots on the leaves, which people nicknamed “Milk of the Mother of God.” Many peoples revere thistle and pass on from generation to generation the legend about the healing properties of this plant.

Milk thistle is found wild in Europe, Asia, and America. The Mediterranean is considered to be the birthplace of the plant. Milk thistle is an excellent honey plant; honey from it has all the beneficial properties of the plant itself. It improves bile secretion and protects the liver.

Cultivation and collection

Growing milk thistle is not a difficult task, since this plant is not very demanding on the soil. It is better to plant milk thistle in a sunny place; an area near a fence is good: this way the grass will act as a hedge. The bright purple flowers of the plant will perfectly complement flower arrangements in the garden. The only thing that can spoil the impression is the thorniness of the grass; therefore, you should not plant thistles near fruit bushes and garden paths.

Before planting milk thistle, you should not dig up the soil, as its roots will immediately reach for moisture, which will slow down the growth and development of the plant. If you plan to plant several seedlings, make sure that they are planted in the same line, otherwise it will be inconvenient to harvest the milk thistle.

Milk thistle should be harvested between August and September. The above-ground and underground parts of the plant are used for medicinal purposes. Milk thistle seeds are especially valuable. Baskets with seeds should be cut using pruning shears. The roots are collected after the seeds ripen, i.e. in the fall. The root should be dug up, washed with running water and then dried.

Medicinal properties

The medicinal properties of milk thistle are indispensable for the treatment and prevention of many diseases. The substances that the plant contains protect and restore liver cells. Milk thistle contains trace elements such as potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium. Potassium and magnesium are responsible for the functioning of the cardiovascular system and are necessary for the treatment of arrhythmia. They prevent the formation of blood clots and are an excellent prevention of heart attacks and strokes. Iron is necessary for the circulatory system; iron-containing products prevent anemia.

Milk thistle is rich in fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, E, B. Vitamin A is necessary for maintaining vision, it improves the condition of the skin, and fights dry skin. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that prevents oxidative processes that lead to aging. Milk thistle contains about 200 biological substances that allow the plant to be used for medicinal purposes.

Milk thistle effectively relieves the negative effects of chemotherapy, fights cancer. Medicine has known cases where the use of milk thistle slowed the growth of tumors or even helped cure them. The fact is that the plant contains a unique substance silymarin, which is known for its antioxidant properties. Silymarin has a beneficial effect on the liver and bile ducts. This substance helps strengthen cell membranes and create cells as it stimulates protein synthesis. Silymarin has received scientific confirmation of its effectiveness; German scientists conducted a study and came to the conclusion that this substance prevents the penetration of poisons into liver cells and decomposes toxic substances before they begin to adversely affect the human body. Silymarin was recognized as the only substance that can protect liver cells and even restore their functions.

Milk thistle normalizes the functioning of the bile ducts, improves the processes of bile formation, and strengthens the liver. By normalizing liver functions, the human immune system is strengthened. Milk thistle may cause slight weight loss due to the fact that the plant is significantly improves digestive processes.

Milk thistle, as already mentioned, is an effective oncoprotector. The plant is recommended to be used for the treatment of hormonal neoplasms. Milk thistle will be beneficial for women's reproductive health. The plant helps with diseases that can be caused by exposure to radiation, toxins, and alcohol intake. In addition, milk thistle effectively cleanses the blood, making it suitable for use after radiation therapy. The plant removes heavy metals from the body well and promotes the removal of radionuclides.

Use in cooking

In cooking, milk thistle has long been used as flour for preparing many dishes. For gastronomic purposes, the plant is added to baked goods, soups, porridges and salads.

Nutritionists consider milk thistle seed oil to be a very valuable product. The oil retains the most beneficial substances in its fresh form, so it is not recommended to heat it. The oil is best used for salad dressing. Cold-pressed oil can be seasoned with porridge, vegetable stews, potato dishes, and pasta.

The calorie content of milk thistle is 396 kilocalories per 100 grams.

Milk thistle benefits and treatment

The benefits of milk thistle lie in its hepatoprotective properties. This plant is used for medicinal purposes in the form of meal, oil, and decoctions. The plant reduces the effects of hepatitis and helps with cirrhosis. Cold-pressed milk thistle seed oil is effective against atherosclerosis and helps with jaundice. It can be used externally to treat burns and wounds. The oil is used for hemorrhoids and to treat cervical erosion. The oil is taken internally to strengthen the liver and blood vessels. When taken internally, the dosage of the oil is 1 teaspoon 3 times a day. You should take the oil for about a month.

Milk thistle is also taken in the form of meal. Meal is the ground seeds of a plant. You can buy this product at the pharmacy or make it yourself using a coffee grinder. Meal is taken 1 teaspoon half an hour before meals 2-3 times a day. You should take the meal for about a month, then you need to take a break.

As a dietary supplement, milk thistle meal is recommended for use by people who live in environmentally unfavorable environments or have problems with the liver or bile ducts. Toxicology recommends using this plant for poisoning with alcohol, drugs, and food. The plant can be used for AIDS.

Milk thistle can also be used in the form of an alcohol tincture. To do this, pour 50 grams of milk thistle meal into 0.5 liters of vodka and leave for 14 days in a dark place. During infusion, the bottle should be shaken periodically. Take alcohol tincture 20-25 drops 4 times a day, washed down with clean water. This product prevents premature aging and neutralizes the negative effects of free radicals.

Milk thistle tea is also indicated to support liver function. To prepare medicinal tea, you will need 1 teaspoon of dried plant, which is poured with boiling water and infused for 20 minutes. Tea should be taken on an empty stomach in small sips. As a rule, this tea is drunk in the morning on an empty stomach and in the evening before bed. This drink is especially effective for varicose veins.

Harm of milk thistle and contraindications

Milk thistle can cause harm to the body if there is an individual intolerance to the product. Contraindications for use are acute appendicitis, pancreatitis, colitis, reflux disease. Contraindications for milk thistle also include children under 3 years of age. Children from 3 years of age can begin to be given meal 0.5 spoons 2 times a day during meals, but under strict medical supervision.

Milk thistle is one of the types of thistle, its other name is milk thistle, Maryin tartar, prickly thistle, silver tartar.
A distinctive feature from other types of thistle are the white spots on its leaves. People said that they symbolize the milk of the Holy Virgin Mary.

This is a very prickly plant up to 2 meters in height, the flowers are bright purple, enclosed in a prickly basket.
It is widespread in Western and Central Europe, the southern regions of Russia and Ukraine, Western Siberia, as well as in America, Asia, and Scotland. Blooms in July-August.

This plant has been known for a very long time, it was mentioned about 1000 years ago: the ancient Romans used milk thistle to treat liver diseases, in Europe its extract was used for hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver, and in India it was used in homeopathic and folk medicine.

But milk thistle (milk thistle) gained particular popularity and application in 1968, after studying its biochemical composition at the Munich Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The main component of milk thistle is a rare biologically active substance - silymarin.

Microelements such as zinc, selenium, copper, the entire group of fat-soluble vitamins, quercetin, flavolignans, polyunsaturated fatty acids were also found in milk thistle - about 200 components in total, which is why it is included in many complex nutritional supplements.

Milk thistle application . As a result of research and experiments, the protective effects of milk thistle in chronic bleach poisoning, high effectiveness in fatty liver, hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcohol, drugs, toxins, and radiation have been proven.

At the moment, milk thistle is widely used for food poisoning, chronic intoxication (including alcohol, drugs, chemicals), toxicosis of pregnant women, acquired immunodeficiencies and AIDS, diabetes mellitus, obesity, decreased vision, to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, etc. .

It is used to cleanse the liver, blood and the entire body of toxins, radiation, after undergoing a course of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Milk thistle is effective against poisoning by one of the most dangerous mushrooms - toadstool.

To cleanse the body of toxic substances and prevent liver damage, use a recipe from a decoction of milk thistle herb with roots: 2 tbsp. spoons of the crushed mixture pour 0.5 liters. boiling water and leave overnight.
Take 3/4 cup 3 times a day.

Medicines such as karsil, silybor, legalon are made from milk thistle, but in practice it turned out that treatment with the herb itself is more effective and cheaper.

Seeds (seed, fruit) of milk thistle . For medicinal purposes, the seeds (fruits) are most used, oil and meal (powder) are made from them, they are most effective, and leaves and roots are also used. Juice is made from the leaves, and a decoction is made from the roots.

Juice from the leaves is drunk for constipation, colitis, as a mild laxative, diaphoretic, diuretic and choleretic agent.

A decoction of the roots is used for stomach catarrh, diarrhea, radiculitis, convulsions, and urinary retention.

Milk thistle powder from seeds (meal, flour) reduces blood sugar levels, cleanses the blood, treats varicose veins.

Much appreciated milk thistle seed oil , it has wound-healing, anti-burn, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective properties. The oil is used both internally and externally and is cold pressed.

Milk thistle helps well with jaundice, vascular atherosclerosis, regulates the production of cholesterol and other lipid fractions. A biologically active substance such as silymarin, found in milk thistle oil, stabilizes the functioning of cell membranes and especially the liver.

In dermatology, milk thistle oil is used in the treatment of psoriasis, vitiligo, acne, and baldness.

For gynecological diseases, to regulate the sexual and endocrine system in men and women, milk thistle oil is taken orally. It is also effective for menopausal atrophic vaginitis, accompanied by itching (3 ml is injected into the vagina at night, with a syringe without a needle). The course of treatment is 12 procedures, daily.

Milk thistle meal It's easy to do - grind the grains into powder, you can do it in a coffee grinder. It is used to treat the liver (take 1 tsp 4-5 times a day. The course of treatment is 40 days, then take a break for 14 days and so on for 0.5-1 year) and other diseases.

Milk thistle decoction (seeds), recipe: cook 30 g of powdered seeds over low heat in 0.5 liters of water until half the water has boiled away. Drink 1 tablespoon every hour, from 8.00 to 20.00. Drink for 3 weeks, take a break for 2 weeks, and drink again for 3 weeks for hepatitis.

Alcohol tincture of milk thistle (extract) : take 50 g of milk thistle powder and pour it into half a liter of vodka, leave for 2 weeks, shaking occasionally. Take 20-25 drops with water, 30 minutes before meals 4-5 times a day.

Milk thistle is also a good antioxidant that prevents premature aging. It neutralizes free radicals that destroy biological structures.

Milk thistle tea . Tea can be prepared from both the herb and milk thistle powder: take 1 teaspoon of the raw material, pour a glass of boiling water and leave for 10-20 minutes, then strain. Drink tea hot, in small sips, 1 cup in the morning on an empty stomach, at lunch 30 minutes before and in the evening, before bed. Taken orally for varicose veins and other diseases.

Honey collected from milk thistle plantations is a good remedy for normalizing the functions of the gastrointestinal tract, improving the secretion of bile, liver, and kidneys.
By the way, milk thistle seeds can be bought at the market or in a pharmacy and grown at home. She is not whimsical and produces good seedlings. In Ukraine, it can be grown as an annual plant, because it does not tolerate frosts of more than -10 degrees.

Milk thistle contraindications . There are no contraindications as such when taking milk thistle. But during a liver cleanse, minor pain may occur. If you have liver stones, you should start with small doses, and it is better to consult your doctor. There are also differing opinions about its use by pregnant women.