Sunday, July 6, 2008

Milk Thistle As A Natural Remedy

By: Evelyn Lim

Milk thistle is best used for nursing mothers and those with liver and gall bladder diseases. This herb is known to be versatile due to its tonifying and restorative abilities. You can use almost all parts of the milk thistle plant for healing. Its flowers, leaves and seeds of the milk thistle have healing properties and there are several ways that you can prepare them into a natural remedy to be used from home.

Milk thistle first got its name as it was traditionally used to help stimulate milk production in mothers who are breastfeeding their babies. The white streaks running across its leaves are said to represent milk flow. Simply consume this natural remedy by munching on the leaves just like how you would eat spinach if you want to increase milk flow or to help relieve menstrual problems.

For liver and gall bladder disorders, look to the seeds. Milk thistle seeds contain a large amount
of silymarin. They are used to combat the symptoms of liver disease and in the treatment of cirrhosis of the liver. In addition, you can lower high cholesterol levels and reduce gall bladder inflammation with eating thistle seeds.

Many research studies also show that milk thistle has other wonderful health benefits. One of the findings reveal that this natural remedy contains many more antioxidants than even Vitamin E. These seeds can be used to help prevent damage to the tissues of the body due to free radicals.

Flowers can also be used as a natural remedy for healing purposes. It is best that you consume the flowers before they bloom. You can treat the heads of the flowers much the same as artichokes. Consume the flower heads to help stimulate the liver and digestive system.

If you find it hard to eat the milk thistle in its raw state, then it is possible to prepare the herb into
a natural remedy for use. Just take the seeds of the milk thistle to prepare a tincture by using 20-25 drops of the oil and combine it with water. This tincture can help treat liver and gall bladder issues.

Dislike gardening? If you prefer convenience, simply purchase milk thistle in the form of capsules. Herbalists usually recommend a dosage of one or two 200mg capsules each day for gall bladder or liver ailments. To help fight a hangover, consume the capsules before drinking alcohol.

An easy method to consume this natural remedy is through an infusion. You can prepare an infusion by using the leaves and flowers of the herb to help increase milk flow in lactating mothers or to help for digestive problems.

Finally, you can also crush the seeds into a powder to use on skin ulcers. Alternatively, you can also infuse the seeds for an infusion tea. The infusion works well for treating gall bladder symptoms. You can also mix the seeds with ladys mantle and St. Johns Wort for a natural remedy of menstrual cramps.

Article Source: http://www.articleblender.com

Evelyn Lim would often use a Herbal Home Remedy for treating illnesses. Her remedies also include herbs from diverse cultures such as Tradtional Chinese Medicine or Ayurvedic Medicine. She shares about what she does in her free newsletter. For free information and a bonus MP3 download, please visit her site at www.herbalremedytips.com