4 oz jar
Milk thistle is taken by mouth most often for liver disorders, including liver damage caused by chemicals, alcohol, and chemotherapy, as well as liver damage caused by Amanita phalloides (death cap) mushroom poisoning, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, chronic inflammatory liver disease, cirrhosis of the liver, and chronic hepatitis.
Milk thistle is also taken by mouth for heartburn (dyspepsia), inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis), enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia), a blood disorder called beta-thalassemia, and infertility.
Some people also take milk thistle by mouth for diabetes, kidney damage caused by diabetes, prostate cancer, to decrease the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, uterine complaints, increasing breast milk flow, allergy symptoms, starting menstrual flow, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), high cholesterol, and menopausal symptoms.
Some people apply milk thistle directly to the skin for skin toxicity caused by radiation.
In foods, milk thistle leaves and flowers are eaten as a vegetable for salads and a substitute for spinach. The seeds are roasted for use as a coffee substitute.