
Herb Directory

Milk Thistle
Alternative Name:
silybum marianum
Milk thistle, or Silybum marianum, is a flowering herb native to the Mediterranean region. It has been used for over 2,000 years as a natural remedy for liver and gallbladder disorders. The Greek physician Dioscorides was among the first to document its medicinal use in the first century AD.
Milk thistle was traditionally used to treat jaundice, hepatitis, and other liver-related conditions. The active compound, silymarin, is believed to protect and regenerate liver cells.
In modern herbal medicine, milk thistle is widely used as a liver tonic and detoxifier, supported by numerous studies validating its hepatoprotective effects.