Properties:

a)medicinal:

- To cure low blood pressure, by cooking its fruits in a proportion of 30 grams per litter.

- To ease liver congestion we use not only the roots and stem but the leaves juice too by crushing them in the desired proportion. The compounds contained in this plant, especially silymarin, helps fight liver degeneration by means of helping the body eliminate toxins that could be responsible for the development of cirrhosis or hepatitis. Moreover, this plant helps reduce liver inflammation , counteracts the effects of alcohol and it is able to regenerate damaged cells. (Take some milk thistle supplement. On sale in pharmacies of herbalists ) (Eat milk thistle young leaves in salads)

Its effectiveness as an antidote againstAmanita venom has been tested in order to prevent these fungi toxins can destroy the liver.

- For gallstones: It helps to ensure that stones are not formed in the gallbladder (1 ml of tincture 3 times daily)

Other properties: febrifuge, haemostatic (after some blood loss) antiallergic and antiasthmatic

b)cookery:

We can make salads from its leaves once we remove its prickles. The same leaves ,as well as its roots and flower-heads ,can be eaten boiled, being very useful for the liver.

Picking and storing:Spring is the best season to make use of the plant ,specially because we use it fresh, just after collecting it.We can pick the fruits in Summer

More information about natural medicine in the listing above.