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General Information of Silymarin

Herbalist Michael Moore describes Milk Thistle as "a bulldog with a spiked collar" because of the plant's prickly appearance. The plant grows to heights of 5 to 10 feet and is dangerous looking-right down to the sharp spines on its reddish purple flowers. Milk thistle's common name comes from the white markings on the leaves, its milky white sap, and its traditional use by nursing mothers to increase lactation. The humble plant is closely related to other common thistles, including blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus), which has similar medicinal properties but is not as well researched.

Milk thistle is native to Europe, southern Russia, Asia, and North Africa. When the English colonists brought it to North America, the plant quickly became a common weed in many parts of the United States. Today, large fields of Milk Thistle are cultivated in Texas and Argentina, with an eye toward developing cultivation methods that yield the highest amounts of silymarin. If you decide to grow Milk Thistle in your own garden, watch out! The plant lives up to its reputation as a weed, spreading easily on its many parachute-like seeds. Milk thistle is an annual or biennial and favors sunny locations and well-drained soils, though it generally tolerates harsher conditions. The seeds can be harvested in July or August after the flowers have blossomed.

Phycology and Constituents

Milk Thistle contains three potent liver protective flavonoids: silybin, silydianin, and silychristin, known collectively as silymarin. Numerous clinical trials have shown that silymarin and milk thistle extract can protect the liver. Silymarin counteracts the toxic effects of a wide variety of poisons, including alcohol, carbon tetrachloride, acetaminophen overdose, and the Deathcap mushroom, Amanita phalloides which causes death within a day. The mechanism of action of silymarin involves altering the membranes of hepatic cells to inhibit passage of toxins and increasing cellular regeneration by stimulating protein synthesis. Silymarin also has antioxidant activity and inhibits inflammatory enzymes. Recent research has indicated that silymarin helps to protect against depletion of the antioxidant glutathione in liver cells.

Scientific Name

Holy thistle, Marian Thistle, Our Lady's thistle, Mary thistle, St. Mary's thistle, Wild Artichoke, Mariendistel (Germany), Chardon-Marie (French). Milk thistle should not be confused with blessed thistle, Cnicus benedictus. Former botanical name was Carduus marianus. Legalon (Germany) and Thisilyn (U.S.) are the two most researched products. In Chinese, Milk thistle is known as Shui Fei Ji.

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