the wonderful milk thistle

i've finally have my first submission for the flickr group, complete herbal thanks to yesterday's little excursion. 

here, a little more about this plant:

Milk thistle is a thorny pink flowering plant that has been revered for its beneficial properties for thousands of years. First grown in the Mediterranean region, it now flourishes, too, in the Eastern United States and in California. Originally valued as a supplement to encourage production of breast milk in new mothers, for menstrual problems, depression, and even to ease the symptoms of varicose veins, its current popularity stems from its use in the treatment and prevention of liver disease. The human liver can become damaged by disease, environmental toxins or from the effects of personal choices, such as overuse of alcohol or drugs. Milk thistle may help to ameliorate this liver damage.

The benefits of milk thistle are nothing short of amazing. Researchers call it a smart herb because it seems to know when to produce new cells as well as when to halt the production of bad cells, such as cancer cells. How this herb knows when to help regenerate cells and when to keep them from regenerating is still a matter for research, but the benefits to the liver are undeniable.

The above information is from milkthistle.com. to read more, visit the site :)