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| ronmental toxins, alcohol and other drugs. Many clinical and experimental studies have demonstrated milk thistle's hepatoprotective properties. |
| Milk thistle acts as an antioxidant in preventing free radical damage and has been shown to be many times more potent than vitamin E in its antioxidant effects. It has great benefit in formulas for combating chronic skin ailments through its powerful yet gentle action as a detoxifier. Milk thistle seed is also protective against the harmful effects of radiation treatments and x-rays. It increases the production of breast milk for nursing mothers. As a bitter tonic, milk thistle improves digestion and promotes the flow of bile. |
| Milk thistle was formerly used as an antidepressant in conjunction with despondency, apathy and forgetfulness. The liver was often treated in patients with depression, as the liver was associated with melancholia. Its tonic effects are gradual, and greater benefits can be seen by using the herb for at least a three-month period. Even taken in large doses, the only side effects seen are mild laxative effects in isolated cases. |
| Milk thistle seed is usually taken in doses of 1/4 teaspoon of tincture three to six times daily or 2 capsules, two to three times daily. The nutty-tasting seed can also be roasted and ground in a spice mill or coffee grinder, and taken in doses of 2 to 3 tablespoons daily, sprinkled on food. |
| Nettles |
| (Urtica dioica) |
| Part used: Leaves, seeds and root |
| Actions: Tonic, astringent, hemostatic, diuretic, galactagogue, expectorant |
| Indications: Commonly called stinging nettle, the tiny hairs on the underside of the leaf and stem do indeed produce a stinging sensation when brushed, but the many benefits of nettles seem to outweigh the temporary prickly |
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