Milk thistle

The Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) is a large thorny plant known for its positive effects on the liver and on liver regeneration. It is characterised by lobate or pinnate leaves banded with splashes of white and by prominently purple-coloured flowers. Thanks to its striking appearance it is sometimes cultivated as a decorative plant whose beneficial effects have been known since the 17th century. The reason is that it contains the significant substance of silymarin. It originated in the subtropical zone and is quite rare in this country. The English name "Milk Thistle" derives from its typical leaves. Historically, the milky bands on them were said to be Mother Mary's milk, and this leads us to the origin of another common English name, St. Mary's thistle. It was brought to Europe probably jointly with monastic medicine by monks who used it very frequently.