Milk thistle is a wild plant of the aster family with large lilac flowers and leaves with white spots. Milk thistle was valued as a useful plant by our ancestors. They knew about the indications and contraindications for the use of milk thistle meal. In ancient times, magical properties were attributed to him, it received many names and legends.
Milk thistle is known to gardeners as a difficult-to-weed weed, with whitish spots on the leaves. In Russia, the plant is called "sharp-motley", which reflects the motley pattern on the leaves and the stiff thorns surrounding the inflorescences and basal leaves. Thistle is also called Maryin Tatarnik, frog, variegated thistle, milk thistle, a gift from the Virgin Mary.
Historical documents record that more than two thousand years ago in ancient Greece and Egypt the roots, seeds and leaves of milk thistle were used by healers for liver diseases and other diseases. Scientists of antiquity in medical works recommend taking infusions as an antidote for the bites of poisonous snakes.
The plant was grown in the monasteries of medieval Germany and used for medical purposes. Already at that time they knew that tinctures and decoctions from milk thistle seeds help with diseases of the liver and spleen, and with the help of roots and leaves it is possible to cure tumors and ulcers.
Indications for use
Consider the list of indications for the use of such a unique plant as milk thistle.
- Liver disease. The most famous useful property of milk thistle meal is the treatment of disorders in the liver, as the plant acts as a powerful hepatoprotector. By activating the work of the body and accelerating its recovery, milk thistle is often used in complex therapy in the treatment of cirrhosis and hepatitis. Milk thistle meal is used as a biliary and biliary agent.
- Departures. The most important element that is part of milk thistle is silymarin, which can break down the compounds of poisons before they negatively affect the body. Therefore, milk thistle preparations in the form of injections are widely used in the treatment of poisoning mushrooms. They are able to neutralize even the most dangerous poisons for humans.
- Removal of stones and sand from the kidneys and gall bladder. Milk thistle meal is indicated in the treatment of diseases of the spleen, inflammation of the bile ducts, cholecystopathy.
- Salt deposits. Phytotherapists suggest using the plant in the treatment of salt deposits, disorders in the gastrointestinal tract, and radiculitis.
- Skin and bone damage. The active substances that milk thistle contains help the body resist infections and poisoning. The beneficial effect of the plant is used in the treatment of damage to the skin and bones, accelerating the healing of fractures.
- Gynecological diseases. The therapeutic properties are also used in gynecology: in combination with other drugs, they treat inflammatory diseases, erosion and vaginitis.
- Weight Loss. Milk thistle meal is gaining increasing popularity as a means for losing weight. Plant-based drugs have a beneficial effect on digestion, normalize metabolism in the body and remove harmful substances.
Video about the beneficial properties of the plant
Contraindications
Despite the many advantages, there are contraindications to the use of milk thistle preparations.
- The fruits of the plant are rich in calcium and phosphorus, the excess of which in the body can negatively affect the functioning of the respiratory system and provoke shortness of breath. Excess calcium can disrupt the cardiovascular system and calcification of the heart valve.
- Thistle in chronic asthma is strongly contraindicated, mental illnessepilepsy depressed.
- In acute cholecystitis and cholangitis, accompanied by blockage of the bile ducts and liver failure with developed cirrhosis of the liver, milk thistle meal should not be used.
- Caution is required to use milk thistle decoctions for choleretic purposes. If the stones in the gallbladder are too large, they can clog the bile ducts.
- Treatment of urolithiasis with milk thistle should be started with small doses and increased gradually.
- It is not recommended to use drugs for children under the age of four years and pregnant women.
Harm milk thistle meal for the body
If you consult a doctor before using milk thistle, consider all cases in which the use of the drug is undesirable, it is almost impossible to cause harm to the body. Rare side effects can be associated with individual intolerance and can be expressed as discomfort in the abdomen and diarrhea.
How to apply milk thistle meal - instructions
For therapeutic purposes, milk thistle meal is used as follows. One teaspoon is washed down with a sufficient amount of water three times a day for half an hour before eating. The maximum course of treatment lasts approximately 40 days, after which a break of two weeks is required. Depending on the diagnosis, the number of courses may vary. But it is recommended that there be no more than four.
Milk thistle meal is also effective in the prevention of liver diseases. The application is simple: 1 teaspoon of the drug is drunk in the morning on an empty stomach with plenty of water. The average duration of the course is about a month, but any treatment should be prescribed individually by a doctor, based on the characteristics of the patient and the course of the disease.
Milk thistle meal
Having a beneficial effect on the body systems, milk thistle is an effective way to get rid of unwanted kilograms:
- Milk thistle removes harmful substances from the body.
- Thanks to silubin, the liver is cleansed, which helps process fats and not accumulate in the body.
- The laxative property of the leaves helps in the fight against extra pounds.
- The composition of the seeds includes silymarin, which is a powerful antioxidant. He will help save the skin in tone, as a sharp weight loss often provokes her sagging and sagging.
- The main condition for successful weight loss is proper metabolism. And here there is just no helper better than milk thistle.
- Milk thistle meal will help normalize hormonal levels. Problems in this area are also often the cause of overweight.
In order for weight loss to pass quickly and not cause harm to the body, you need to follow some rules of admission:
- To speed up the process of getting rid of extra pounds, in addition to meal, you can take a decoction of dandelion. This will speed up the metabolism.
- Milk thistle seeds are consumed in 1 teaspoon with a glass of warm water before meals four times a day.
- Accepted tea from seeds.
- Milk thistle treatment should not exceed three weeks, after which a break of two weeks should follow.
- In order for the treatment to bring the proper effect, you need to abandon fatty, canned food and fast food.
Milk thistle for the treatment and cleansing of the liver
Much has been said about the benefits of milk thistle meal for the liver.The therapeutic effect on the organ is due to silymarin, which is part of the seeds.
The use of milk thistle meal activates the recovery of hepatocytes. When using milk thistle for medicinal purposes, it is important to know that silymarin breaks down at temperatures above +60 ° C. Hence, tea, decoction or seed oil for medical purposes does not make sense.
Milk thistle
Herbal medicine is suitable for treating children, but their body's response to herbs may differ from that of an adult. The main rule is not to harm.
- When treating a child with herbs, only pharmacy preparations that have passed the necessary cleaning and processing are used.
- Before starting treatment, be sure to coordinate the details with the pediatrician.
- With extreme caution, you should treat the use of herbal preparations if the child is prone to allergic reactions.
- It is preferable to use such methods of herbal medicine as inhalation and rinsing.
- There are few contraindications to taking meal, but you should not use it to treat children under three years of age. Some doctors believe that the use of milk thistle is permissible only for children after twelve years.
It is no coincidence that milk thistle is called a miracle of nature, its gift. The use of the plant will help in the treatment of many diseases and their prevention, if you consult a doctor and choose the optimal set of measures.