Blessed thistle. Carbenia benedicta Cnicus benedictus L. German: Benediktendistel. French: Chardon be?nit. Spanish: Cardo santo. Italian: Cardo beneditto. Herb.
Constituents: sesquiterpene lactones, mucilage, lignans, oil.
Action: Febrifuge, anti-haemorrhage, antibiotic, bacteriostatic, bitter, splenic tonic, expectorant, galactagogue, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, carminative. Externally as an antiseptic. Antidiarrhoeal. Anti- flatulent.
Uses: Dyspepsia, loss of appetite, gastro-enteritis, liver and gall-bladder disorders. To increase a mother’s milk after pregnancy. Migraine, painful menstruation, sluggish circulation.
Combination, with Agrimony (equal parts) for anorexia nervosa.
Used in the production of Benedictine.
Externally, as a cleaning wash for discharging ulcers.
Preparations: Thrice daily.
Tea. Dried flowerheads 1 teaspoon in each cup boiling water; infuse 15 minutes. Dose: 1 cup. Liquid extract. 1-3ml (15-45 drops).
Tincture, BHC Vol 1. 1:5, in 25 per cent ethanol.
Dose: 3-6ml.
Poultice. Flowerheads.
Diet. Flowerheads cooked as artichokes.
Large doses emetic. Avoid in pregnancy or hyperacidity.
Carbenia benedicta. N.O. Compositae.
Synonym: Carduus benedictus, Blessed Thistle.Features ? Thomas Johnson, in his edition of Gerard's Herbal, published in 1636, gives us the following description of this member of the familiar thistle family ? "The stalks of Carduus benedictus are round, rough and pliable, and being parted into diverse branches, do lie flat on the ground ; the leaves are jagged round about and full ofharmless prickles in the edges; the heads on the top of the stalks are set with and environed with sharp prickling leaves, out of which standeth a yellow flower; the seed is long and set with hairs at the top like a beard; the root is white and parted into strings; the whole herb, leaves and stalks, and also the heads, are covered with a thin down."
Action: Although more popular among the old herbalists than among those of to-day. Holy Thistle is still valued for its tonic, stimulant and diaphoretic properties.
Mainly used in digestive troubles, the 1 ounce to 1 pint infusion, given warm in wineglass doses several times daily, is also found capable of breaking up obstinate colds. As it is held to stimulate the mammary glands, the infusion has been given with the object of promoting the secretion of milk.Tilke is enthusiastic in his praise of the herb ? "I have found it such a clarifier of the blood, that by drinking an infusion once or twice a day, sweeted with honey, instead of tea, it would be a perfect cure for the headache, or what is commonly called the meagrims." The same writer recommends it as a salad "instead of watercresses."The medicinal use of Holy Thistle goes back far beyond the days of Tilke, or even Johnson. William Turner, Domestic Physician to the Lord Protector Somerset in the reign of King Edward VI, in his Herbal published 1568, agrees with Tilke that the herb is "very good for the headache and the megram."
Milk Thistle tea is a type of herbal tea made from the plant with the same name: milk thistle. The plant has many health benefits, therefore making the tea good for your body. Find out more about the milk thistle tea in this article.
About Milk Thistle Tea
The main ingredient of the milk thistle tea is, of course, the milk thistle; it is made from the seeds of the plant.
The milk thistle is a flowering plant of the daisy family, an annual or biennial herb which grows in the Mediterranean regions of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The stem is tall, branched but with no spines, and has large, alternate leaves. At the end of the stem, there are large flower heads, disk-shaped and pink-purple in color. The fruit of the plants consists of a black achene with a white pappus.
The name of the plant comes from the way its leaves look. The edges of the leaves are streaked with milky-white veins.
How to prepare Milk Thistle Tea
You can easily prepare a cup of milk thistle tea in no more than 10 minutes. First, boil the water necessary for a cup of milk thistle tea. Add one teaspoon of milk thistle tea seeds and then, add the hot water. Let it steep for 4-7 minutes, depending on how strong you want the flavor of the tea to be.
During summer, you can also try the iced tea version of the milk thistle tea. Place 6 teaspoons into a teapot or a heat resistant pitcher and then pour one and a half cups of boiled water. Let it steep for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, get a serving pitcher and fill it with cold water. Once the steeping time is done, pour the tea over the cold water, add ice, and then pour more cold water. Add sugar, honey or anything else you want to sweeten the taste.
Benefits of Milk Thistle Tea
The main health benefit of the milk thistle tea is related to its effectiveness in protecting the liver, thanks to one of its components, Silymarin. Silymarin is the main active ingredient of the milk thistle tea, working both as an anti-inflammatory and as an antioxidant. It helps with cirrhosis, jaundice, hepatitis, and gallbladder disorders. It also detoxifies the liver, as well as helping it by cleansing the blood.
If you’ve got type 2 diabetes, drinkingmilk thistle tea might help you a lot, as well. Some of the benefits of milk thistle tea, related to diabetes, are:decrease in blood sugar levels, improvement in cholesterol and improvement in insulin resistance. Also, by lowering the LDL “bad” cholesterol levels, milk thistle tea can help lower the chances of developing heart diseases.
Other health benefits of milk thistle tea involve increasing the secretion of the bile in order to enhance the flow in the intestinal tract, helping to ease kidney and bladder irritations, and helping to remove obstructions in the spleen.
Milk Thistle Tea side effects
Despite its important health benefits, don’t forget that there are also a few side effects you might experience when drinking milk thistle tea.
If you regularly drink milk thistle teafor a long period of time, it might end up having laxative effects. That can easily lead to diarrhea and, in some rare cases, it can also lead to nausea, gases, and an upset and bloating stomach.
You should avoid drinking milk thistle tea if you know that you have a ragweed allergy. In this case, it can cause a rash or lead to more severe allergic reactions. Milk thistle tea also isn’t recommended to women who are pregnant or breast feeding.
The main ingredient of milk thistle tea, the milk thistle herb, may mimic the effects of estrogen. Because of this, some women should avoid drinking milk thistle tea. This refers to women who have fibroid tumors or endometriosis, as well as women who are suffering from breast, uterine, and/or ovarian cancer.
Also, don’t drink more than six cups of milk thistle tea (or any other type of tea) a day. Otherwise, it won’t be as helpful as it should be. The symptoms you might get are headaches, dizziness, insomnia, irregular heartbeats, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite.
Try the milk thistle tea! As an herbal tea, it helps you stay healthy, especially by protecting your liver. Still, don’t forget about the few side effects.... discover the milk thistle tea
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