• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Herbal Resource

Information on Medicinal Herbs & Functional Medicine

  • Home
  • Herbs List
  • Herbs by Health Condition
  • Latest Posts
  • Phytochemicals
  • Our Authors

What is Blessed Thistle used for?

March 6, 2022 by Herbal Resource Leave a Comment

Pin3
Share
Reddit
Flip
Share
Tweet
Share
3 Shares

Blessed thistle contains lignans, essential oil, tannins, and the minerals calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium and manganese. The main bitter substance is cnicin present in a concentration of 0.2 to 0.7 percent.

In Greek folk medicine the herb was used to treat malaria, and the common belief was it could cure epidemic diseases such as measles, chickenpox, smallpox, and plague.

Medicinal Herb Blessed Thistle (Cnicus benedictus)
Medicinal Herb Blessed Thistle (Cnicus benedictus) – ©The Herbal Resource

The herb is often used in the form of herbal teas as an herbal remedy for loss of appetite, indigestion (which is not related to ulcers), respiratory ailments, intestinal worms, constipation, flatulence, colic, anorexia and ailments associated with poor liver function like headache, fatigue and irritability.

The bitter substance found in blessed thistle is what makes the herb stimulate the appetite and enhance digestion through increased secretion of juices from the salivary glands, stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, and bowels.

The astringent (constricting) properties of the plant makes it a good remedy for treating diarrhea. When used to treat diarrhea, it is often combined with other herbs with high tannin content like agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and tormentil (Potentilla erecta).

Blessed thistle has antibiotic properties due to the substance cnicin, the essential oil and the polyacetylene found in the plant.

It may be used to help stimulate the immune system

The herb also has diuretic properties that may prove useful for high fever and feverish conditions.

The herb can act as an expectorant and may be used for respiratory infections such as colds and flu.

It has been used against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli due to the germicidal properties of the plant. The herb also contains substances that have been reported to prevent HIV.

Blessed thistle has been used traditionally to treat some symptoms of menopause, to relieve painful menstruation, menstrual cramps and menstrual headaches and also for increasing milk production in lactating mothers.

It is thought to increase blood circulation to the brain and is used traditionally to improve memory and concentration and to relieve headaches (especially if related to poor liver function) and depression.

[Read more about Blessed Thistle…]

The following two tabs change content below.
  • Bio
  • Latest Posts

Herbal Resource

The Herbal Resource was created out of a passion for all natural health solutions and to inform on what nature can provide to heal. Staffed by a group of functional medicine advocates, scientists and natural health experts, we use science to support how natural can help bring health to people.

Latest posts by Herbal Resource (see all)

  • What is Pipsissewa used for? - June 4, 2022
Pin3
Share
Reddit
Flip
Share
Tweet
Share
3 Shares

Filed Under: Herbs - General

About Herbal Resource

The Herbal Resource was created out of a passion for all natural health solutions and to inform on what nature can provide to heal. Staffed by a group of functional medicine advocates, scientists and natural health experts, we use science to support how natural can help bring health to people.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Newsletter Sign-up

Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your inbox weekly.

We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously

Footer

  • Newsletters
  • Deals
  • Ethical Foraging – Do’s and Don’ts
  • Write for Us
  • Partner, Advertising & Commercial Relationships
  • Affiliate Agreement
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Categories

  • Functional Medicine
  • Grow Your Own Herbs
  • Herbs – General
  • Herbs – Scientific Evidence
  • Herbs for Specific Ailments
  • Medicinal Herb Profiles
  • Phytochemicals
  • Poisonous Plants
  • Sponsored Posts
  • Uncategorized

Follow

Subscribe to notifications

Contact Information

Email: herb@herbal-supplement-resource.com

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure Statement

The Herbal Resource is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program as well as with other affiliate partners.

An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to their products and services.

Looking for Something?

© Copyright 2018 The Herbal Resource · All Rights Reserved!

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
SettingsAccept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT