Milk Thistle

About Milk Thistle

Silybum marianum is named for the milky white veins on its leaves, linked in legend to the milk of the Virgin Mary. Its seeds contain silymarin, a complex of compounds traditionally used to support the liver. An injectable extract, silibinin, is used in Europe to treat death cap mushroom poisoning. Evidence for treating chronic liver disease is mixed. The young leaves and stems were once eaten as vegetables. It can become an invasive weed in pastures.