PeteZa said...
Milk Thistle Seed is the whole herb and has not been altered in any way. Most herbalists like the usage of the whole herb versus the extraction process of using a solvent so you really have to know the manufacturer. My health food store is way up on their knowledge of where their shelf products come from and I don't have to ask. I know there is no "junk" in my herbs.
I don't know if your store is a knowledgeable as mine (CA - hippieville) but they are a fountain of information and I rely on them so I don't have to read books all day to purchase an herb.
However, I do have to ask if they are wildcrafted or organic. Those are not on the labels and that is a trickier question...... I then have to ask WHO did the wildcrafting. I want a very responsible source doing that.
Milk thistle seed isn't the whole herb - it is - what it says - the seed.
All parts of the plant can be used, but the milk thistle seeds are considered to be the most medicinally potent for therapeutic use.
"Milk thistle seeds, consumed as a powder, tea, tincture or standardized extract, can be helpful for not only healthy liver function, but as a side effect also works to increase the condition of the kidneys, spleen, gall bladder as well as the endocrine and gastrointestinal systems.
The seeds are a concentrated source of the flavonoid antioxidant called "silymarin" which also exhibits immune boosting and anti-inflammatory qualities"
www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com/milk-thistle-benefits.html/www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/milk-thistle-seed/profileThe standardized extract is 80% - and sometimes it doesn't say if it's from seeds or not...it might just read: Milk thistle Extract standardized to 80% silymarin