Milk thistle has been used for more than 2,000 years, primarily
as a treatment for liver dysfunction. The oldest reported use of
milk thistle was by Dioscorides, who recommended the herb as a
treatment for serpent bites. Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23–79)
reported that the juice of the plant mixed with honey is
indicated for “carrying off bile.”[1,2] In the Middle Ages, milk
thistle was revered as an antidote for liver toxins.[1,2] The
British herbalist Culpepper reported it to be effective for
relieving obstructions of the liver.[1,2] In 1898, eclectic
physicians Felter and Lloyd stated the herb was good for
congestion of the liver, spleen, and kidney.[1,2] Native
Americans use milk thistle to treat boils and other skin
diseases. Homeopathic practitioners used preparations from the
seeds to treat jaundice, gallstones, peritonitis, hemorrhage,
bronchitis, and varicose veins. The German Commission E
recommends milk thistle use for dyspeptic complaints, toxin-
induced liver damage, hepatic cirrhosis, and as a supporti