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Video: Growing Milk Thistle
2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47
Silybum marianum is a valuable medicinal and ornamental plant
Milk thistle has been used as a medicinal plant for more than two thousand years. According to historical documents, the fruit decoction was used in Ancient Greece - Dioscorides recommended the use of milk thistle for many diseases.
In folk medicine, this plant is often used in the treatment of various liver diseases. The Latin name - Silybum marianum - comes from the Greek "silybum" - brush. The name of the species - "marianum" - is given in honor of the Mother of God. The name of the Holy Virgin Mary is mentioned in the name of this plant in many European countries. This is due to the white stripes on the leaves of the milk thistle, which were considered the milk of the Virgin Mary. Among the people, the milk thistle (milk thistle) is known under the name Maryin Tatarnik. Sometimes, because of the white stripes, it is called "spicy and variegated".
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Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) belongs to the Asteraceae or Compositae family. It is a one or two year old plant, reaching a height of 1.5-2 meters. In width, milk thistle grows up to 90 cm. The stem is straight or slightly branched, covered with flour bloom. The leaves are large, spotted, pinnate or pinnately dissected with spiny-toothed lobes.
Milk thistle blooms from mid-summer to autumn with purple tubular flowers, collected in an inflorescence - a round basket. The fruit is a black-yellow achene with a tuft of hairs at the end. Milk thistle is widespread in Asia Minor, Central Asia, the Mediterranean, North America. On the territory of our country, milk thistle is found in the southern regions of the European part, in the North Caucasus, in Western Siberia. Milk thistle grows along roads, in weedy and dry places.
The medicinal properties of milk thistle are actively used in modern medicine. It contains the whole group of fat-soluble vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, amino acids - only about 200 components, which determines the versatile use of this medicinal plant.
But the most valuable component of milk thistle is silymarin. Silymarin is a mixture of flavonoligands - silybin, silydianin and silicristin, which are obtained from the fruit of the plant. Silybin is believed to have immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, detoxifying and regenerating properties. This flavonoid is hepatoprotective and antioxidant.
Silymarin stabilizes biomembranes and improves the function of cellular structures. This substance has a therapeutic and specific preventive effect on liver cells. Silymarin is considered an effective remedy in the treatment of liver diseases such as fatty degeneration, toxic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and viral hepatitis. There is evidence that, in addition to liver diseases, silymarin is effective in the treatment of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.
Currently, in the pharmacy you can see a lot of medicines and dietary supplements (BAA) based on Silybum marianum. Typically, drugs are sold in oil, powder, or tablet form. It is believed that milk thistle oil has a wound healing, antiulcer, organoprotective, immunostimulating and general strengthening effect. Milk thistle oil is recommended for burns, wounds, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, periodontitis, pharyngitis, etc. The oil is used as a prophylactic and as a remedy.
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Milk thistle preparations in tablet form are often used for liver diseases (toxic damage, cirrhosis, chronic inflammatory diseases).
The medicinal raw material of milk thistle is mainly the seeds of this plant (they also harvest the roots). The seeds are harvested in late August and early September. Store in a well-ventilated area. In folk medicine, milk thistle roots are also used (decoction of roots is used for toothache, diarrhea, radiculitis).
The roots are dug up in autumn, cleaned of the earth, and then dried in the sun or in a dryer at a temperature of 40 … 50 ° C. Dried roots are stored in a closed glass container.
In addition to the medicinal properties that milk thistle is generously endowed with, this amazing plant is very decorative. In garden plots, milk thistle is prized mainly for its beautiful variegated leaves. Milk thistle is suitable for growing in a semi-wild garden or in the background of a curb. It propagates by seeds. When grown on a plot, milk thistle is not recommended to be fed, since this plant grows better on poor soils. It is better to choose a planting site that is sunny and provide good drainage. Young plants can be damaged by slugs and snails.
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