What is Blessed Thistle Used for Today?
Blessed thistle has been approved by Germany’s Commission E as a treatment for loss of appetite and non-specific indigestion ( dyspepsia ). Blessed thistle contains the bitter constituent cnicin. Bitter substances are widely believed to promote appetite, though this has not been proven. Cnicin does appear to have antimicrobial properties, killing bacteria and fungi in the test tube. 1,2 These findings do not, however, indicate that blessed thistle can be used as an oral antibiotic. Antibiotics are substances that can be taken into the body at high enough doses to kill microbes throughout the system. In contrast, blessed thistle extracts, like those of many plants, appear to have antiseptic properties, meaning that they kill microbes on direct contact.
