Blessed thistle is a type of herb or plant that was once the sole species of the genus Cnicus, but is now classified as Centaurea benedicta. Blessed thistle has been used as a dietary / herbal supplement, home remedy, alternative medicine, and natural cure for a number of different diseases. Historically, Blessed thistle was used to treat the bubonic plague during the middle ages and was also used by monks as a kind of tonic during the same period.
Other names for Blessed thistle include: Cardo Bendito, Carbenia benedicta, Cardo Santo, Carduus benedictus, Carduus, Cardon Benit, Cardon Beni, Cnicus, Cnici Benedicti, Holy Thistle, St. Benedict Thistle, and Spotted Thistle.
This medical herb is in the Asteraceae plant family which is native in France, Eastern Iran, Portugal, other parts of the Mediterranean area, and elsewhere.
Health Benefits of Blessed Thistle
In modern times, Blessed thistle is used as a natural remedy to promote lactation as a galactogogue. The most common method of preparing this as a home remedy is in tea form. It is often used as a herbal medicine for maladies such as indigestion and lack of appetite. It is also said to have some medicinal value for treating a cold, fever, cough, diarrhea, bacterial infection, and some even say that it helps in the promotion of increased breast milk flow in mothers who have recently given birth. Interestingly, blessed thistle has also been used commercially as an alcohol flavoring agent.
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