The plant we know as the milk thistle grows wild all around the world, including many parts of North America. For centuries, the milk thistle plant has been cultivated and used for its medicinal value, and it is known to contain significant concentrations of powerful compounds called silymarin. The black fruit of the milk thistle plant contains the highest concentrations of silymarin, and these fruits are traditionally harvested at the end of the summer.

Milk thistle is best known for its ability to treat a variety of liver ailments, and it has been used for this purpose for thousands of years. Traditional healers from many different cultures have used the milk thistle plant to treat a number of common liver problems, and some recent studies have backed up the strong effects the plant has on the liver.

In particular, the compounds contained in milk thistle have been shown to stimulate the flow of bile from the liver, and this stimulation of bile flow is thought to be responsible for many of the liver protecting effects of the plant. Indeed, in many parts of Europe, milk thistle is common prescribed to treat a number of serious liver ailments, from cirrhosis of the liver to hepatitis.

The positive impact of the milk thistle plant is not confined to the liver. Indeed, the bile secreting abilities of milk thistle are also thought to aid in digestion, and to help prevent and treat gallstones. In addition, the compounds in milk thistle have shown promise at preventing and treating high cholesterol, allergies and perhaps even skin cancer.

There is even a powerful medicine which is made from the milk thistle plant. An injectible form of milk thistle is used as an antidote for those who have consumed poisonous mushrooms. Another extract made from the milk thistle plant has shown promise at reducing the liver damage that can result from chemotherapy treatments. It is thought that the compounds found in milk thistle may be able to speed the elimination of toxins from the body.