herb
Milk Thistle
Silybum marianum
common names
Marian Thistle, Mary Thistle, Lady's Thistle, Holy Thistle, Mediterranean Thistle
flavor profile
Pungent and slightly bitter.
availability/processing
Milk thistle seed is available whole or powdered. Whole organic milk thistle seed is also available.
uses
The herb has a long history of use in treating liver disorders dating back to ancient Rome and Greece.
The plant was cultivated as a pot herb for food and medicine. The young leaves, which are considered a delicacy in Arab cuisine, are added raw to salads.
The roots and peeled stems are boiled and eaten as a vegetable, while the base of the flowerheads are cooked and eaten with melted butter like artichokes.
The seeds are roasted and used as a coffee substitute.
culinary companions
Milk thistle seeds can be added whole to salads or ground and sprinkled into shakes or hot cereals, rice and vegetable dishes, either alone or in combination with
sesame, sunflower,
flax or
other seeds. In terms of flavor, the seeds complement fish, soups and stews.
parts used
The ripe seeds.
storage tips
Store in a cabinet, cupboard or other cool, dark place, ideally in a sealed glass jar.
habitat/range
Native to Europe, Middle East and North Africa, now naturalized in North America.
a bit of botany
Milk thistle is a member of the daisy or sunflower family and is characterized by tall erect stems with mottled, toothed alternative leaves that yield a milky liquid. The upper leaves support purple flower heads that are composed of tube-like florets surrounded by thorny spines. A hardy plant, milk thistle is commonly found growing along wayside paths and in pastures.
history and folklore
In medieval Europe, all parts of the plant were consumed as a vegetable. The young shoots and roots were roasted, the peeled stems were braised or stewed, the spiny flower heads were treated like an artichoke and the raw leaves, relieved of the stingers, were added to salads.
The plant received its genus name from the Greek physician Dioscorides, but the species name of “marianum” refers to a legend that the milk of the Virgin Mary (another version says tears) once fell upon the leaves of the plant, creating the white mottling effect on the leaves and the milky sap within.
chemical composition
Milk thistle seeds contain up to 3% flavonolignans, primarily silybin A and B, a mixture referred to as silibinin. Other compounds include isosilybin A and B, silychristin and silydianin. These agents are collectively known as silymarin. The seeds also contain up to 30% fatty oil, vitamin E and the flavonoids apigenin, quercetin, taxifolin and naringenin.
side effects
Milk thistle may cause stomach upset and/or diarrhea. This herb should not be used during pregnancy or if there is a history of liver, gallbladder or kidney disease. Do not use milk thistle products if you take other medicines without first consulting your physician because compounds in this herb may interfere with the absorption of pharmaceutical medications metabolized the liver enzyme CYP3A4.
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.