Silybum marianum (Milk Thistle)
All parts of all thistles are edible. The leaves are best cooked is soups, roasted ect, be sure to trim the spines off, young leaves can be used raw in salads if they are to your taste or add to pesto or vinegar. I like to fry in butter or olive oil with garlic, salt and pepper. They are a rich source of minerals and quite tasty. The seeds of the milk thistle can be tinctured into a liver medicine, or eaten in food.
Here from Cambridge Naturals:
“Well, quite simply, milk thistle is one of our best plants for supporting overall liver health. The seeds impart a protective effect on the liver, and help to prevent the absorption of substances that are damaging. In a world filled with environmental toxins, chemicals, alcohol and drugs, milk thistle is very beneficial indeed. It is a very practical herb to have on hand for any indulgent occasion… Too much rich food? Too much alcohol? Milk Thistle! Just eat some seeds (ideally before and) after to help keep your liver moving along happily.
Cambridge Naturals – https://www.cambridgenaturals.com/blog/milk-thistle-food-for-the-liver
“With an affinity for the liver, milk thistle really is like a food, helping to build and rejuvenate this vital organ. By increasing protein synthesis, milk thistle’s effects also lead to the growth of healthy new liver cells. Herbalists of past and present have used the seeds for cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis, alcohol damage, and for an overall congested or sluggish liver. Milk thistle also contains wonderful anti-inflammatory properties; as such it is often used in inflamed skin conditions that correspond to liver stagnation. Furthermore, the seeds can improve the break-down and removal of fats from the system by stimulating bile production; this action also helps address constipation and keeps the body regular.”
Milk thistles are identifiable from other thistles by the white veining pattern on their leaves that is supposed to look like Mary’s spilt milk, hence the name. Both the leaves and the seed heads have fierce spines, you will definitely need gloves. Grows here in the SW pine forests and farmland, usual weedy areas.