Milk thistle oil with unique nutritional properties

This cold-pressed milk thistle oil has a mild, slightly bitter taste. It is excellent for flavouring salad dressings, spreads and various dips. Because of its unique nutritional properties, you can also use it directly „by the spoonful“.

History

First mentioned in writings from ancient Greece

Probably the earliest mention of the colourful milk thistle is preserved in the writings of the eminent scientist Theophrastus, who literally dedicated his life to the herb and its effects. From the oily seeds of milk thistle and other herbs he developed a purifying tonic that was prescribed to people with liver ailments.[1,2]

Theophrastus's vi­ews were subsequently followed by Gaius Plinius Secundus, who recorded his findings on the supportive effects of milk thistle in detail in a natural history encyclopedia called Naturalis Historia. [3]

The knowledge of these two eminent figures was not wasted

The records served as a starting point for a group of German scientists who isolated the main active ingredient, Silymarin**, from the seeds **for the first time. This has been an officially recognised substance since 1968. [1, 2, 3]

Processing methods

Cold-pressed

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.) is an undemanding herb native to the Mediterranean. Its beautiful purple flowers give off dry seeds at the end of summer, from which the resulting oil is extracted. This is done in a very gentle way – by cold pressing.

Composition and properties

The composition of milk thistle oil consists mainly of unsaturated fatty acids, of which essential linoleic acid is the most abundant.

Due to the low pressing temperatures and the omission of the refining process, maximum amounts of valuable bioactive compounds, vitamins, provitamins and other beneficial substances are preserved in the resulting oil.

Uses

Salad dressings, spreads, various dips, on bread and „by the spoonful“ on its own.

Milk thistle seed oil has a mild, slightly bitter taste. It is excellent for flavouring salad dressings, spreads and various dips. It is also excellent in combination with crusty bread or other favourite pastries.

It is also suitable for direct consumption „by the spoonful“.

In order to preserve all the ingredients, it is ideal to serve this oil with cold or chilled food.

Dosage

Daily intake of milk thistle oil: 3–5 ml (1–2 teaspoons). Start with a dose of 3 ml (1 teaspoon), at least 15 minutes before meals, with a glass of water. Gradually increase the dose to 5 ml (2 teaspoons) over 14 days.

Caution:

Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. This product is not intended to replace a varied and balanced diet. Not suitable for children under 3 years of age, pregnant and lactating women.

Country of origin

China

Sources

[1] Z. TOKLU, Hale et al., 2008. Silymarin, the Antioxidant Component of Silybum marianum, Prevents Sepsis-Induced Acute Lung and Brain Injury. Journal of Surgical Research. 145(2), 214–222.

[2] SHAKER, E., H.. MAHMOUD and S. MNAA, 2010. Silymarin, the antioxidant component and Silybum marianum extracts prevent liver damage. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 48(3), 803–806.

[3] BAHMANI, Mahmood et al., 2015. Silybum marianum: Beyond Hepatoprotection. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine. 20(4), 292–301.