Milk thistle supplement sales in the U.S. reached $95 million in 2008, and its global market size skyrocketed to more than $1 billion by 2022, per one analysis.

As a plant, milk thistle has bright magenta or purple flowers surrounded by large, prickly leaves, "which expel a milky white sap when they are crushed, giving the plant its name," explains Perri ...

The Silybum marianum plant goes by many different names, including Scotch thistle, holy thistle, Mary thistle, variegated thistle, and milk thistle. The plant is native to Southern Europe and Asia ...

Prickly yet pretty, milk thistle is a plant with a long, thin stem, spiny leaves, and a purplish-pink thistle at the top. Often considered a weed, it has been used for hundreds of years as a ...

The seeds of the milk thistle plant have been promoted for centuries as a remedy for liver ailments. These days they are widely available as an herbal supplement, with United States sales reaching ...

Ran on: 04-25-2007 Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) has dramatically marked leaves. Janet Rosen/Zanshin Art Q: This plant popped up as a volunteer at the side of my compost heap.

Enter milk thistle: a natural aid to improve digestion. Silybum marianum is the scientific name for the medicinal plant whose seeds have long been used to treat liver disorders and aid digestion.

Here are the advantages and downsides of taking milk thistle supplements – plus whether it is safe to do so. Milk thistle may improve some medical conditions. But more research is needed.

Milk thistle is, obviously, not recommended for anyone who is allergic to the plant and its components. It should also be avoided during pregnancy and lactation as there is insufficient data regarding ...