Milk Thistle

Figure 1. The Milk Thistle (or Silybum marianum) plant.

Milk Thistle or Silybum marianum is an annual or biennial plant of the family Asteraceae. It is also sometimes called blessed milkthistle, Marian thistle, Mary thistle, Saint Mary's thistle, Mediterranean milk thistle, variegated thistle and Scotch thistle. Milk Thistle is native to the Mediterranean region of Europe including Greece, east of Iran, and Afghanistan.

Milk Thistle is an adaptive crop with low requirements. It is mainly cultivated as a medicinal plant. Traditional Milk Thistle extract is made from the seeds. The extract is made up of 65%-80% silymarin (a flavonolignan complex) and 20%-35% fatty acids, including Linoleic Acid. Silymarin is a complex mixture of polyphenolic molecules, including seven closely related flavonolignans (silybin A, silybin B, isosilybin A, isosilybin B, silychristin, isosilychristin, silydianin) and one flavonoid (taxifolin).

Due to its diverse phytochemicals, Milk Thistle is a popular dietary supplement. Taken as a supplement, Milk Thistle is commonly promoted to help with liver disorders, including liver damage caused by chemicals, alcohol, chemotherapy; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; chronic inflammatory liver disease; cirrhosis of the liver; and chronic hepatitis. Milk Thistle is also promoted for other health benefits such as to help with preventing age-related brain decline, progressive bone loss, improving breast milk production, preventing acne, and lowering blood sugar levels.