• Bitter thistle, Carbenia benedicta, cardin, Cardo Santo, Carduus benedictus, Chardon Benit, Cnici benedicti herba, cnicus, holy thistle, Kardo-benedictenkraut, St. Benedict thistle, salonitenolide, spotted thistle.
• Note: Blessed thistle should not be mistaken for milk thistle (Silybum marianus) or other members of the thistle family.

• Blessed thistle leaves, stems, and flowers have traditionally been used in "bitter" tonic drinks and in other preparations taken by mouth to enhance appetite and digestion. Blessed thistle may also be included in the unproven anti-cancer herbal remedy Essiac®. This herb has been tested in laboratory studies for its properties against infections, cancer, and inflammation with promising results. However, high-quality trials showing benefits in humans are lacking.

• Abortifacient, anorexia, appetite stimulant, astringent, bleeding, blood purifier, boils, breast milk stimulant, bubonic plague, cancer, cervical dysplasia, choleretic (bile flow stimulant), colds, contraceptive (birth control), diaphoretic (sweat stimulant), diarrhea, digestion enhancement, diuretic (increasing urine), expectorant, fever reducer, gallbladder disease, inflammation, jaundice, liver disorders, malaria, memory improvement, menstrual disorders, menstrual flow stimulant, painful menstruation, rabies, salivation stimulant, skin ulcers, wound healing, yeast infections.

Adults (over 18 years old)

• Tea, tinctures, and liquid extracts are available. Traditional doses include 1.5 to 3 grams of dried blessed thistle flowering tops steeped in 150 milliliters of boiling water taken three times daily or 1 to 3 teaspoons of dried blessed thistle herb in one cup of boiling water for 5 to 15 minutes taken three times daily (sometimes recommended to be used 30 minutes before meals). 1.5 to 10 milliliters of other preparations have been taken by mouth up to three times daily. May be bitter in taste.

Children (under 18 years old)

• Not recommended due to lack of lack of reliable safety data.

• This information is based on a systematic review of scientific literature edited and peer-reviewed by contributors to the Natural Standard Research Collaboration (www.naturalstandard.com).

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