Blessed Thistle is a bitter herb that’s so versatile and can be beneficial for so many ailments, it has often been thought of as a “gift from God.” Perhaps that’s why the many other names it goes by all have a holy or saintly element to them: Holy Thistle, St. Benedict’s Thistle, Cardo santo, and Cnicus Benedictus.

What Is Blessed Thistle?

Blessed Thistle (not to be confused with its close cousin, Milk Thistle) is an annual flowering plant with leathery leaves and a thorny, weed-like appearance.

Blessed Thistle is part of the Asteraceae family, as are most thistle plants. This family is huge, comprising over 32,000 different varieties. Another name for this categorization is the “daisy” or “aster” family [1].

Blessed Thistle is native to the Mediterranean region of Western Europe and has been used medicinally there for centuries. Since the Middle Ages, it’s been touted as a general tonic for all-around health.

Cnicus benedictus is also what’s known as a “bitter” herb, and as such contains unique and deeply healing properties for humans. Just a few of its uses include:

• as a source of assistance for digestion and elimination
• as an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory
• as a good source of antioxidants, and
• as a detoxifier

Cnicus benedictus: The Benefits of a “Bitter” for Better Digestion

All foods have a certain taste; most of us are familiar with and even crave tastes such as sweet or salty. The bitter taste goes unnoticed and unappreciated by most palates, however. This is a shame because “bitters,” as they are often referred to, are among some of the most healing foods on the planet.

All bitter foods can aid the digestive process, and Blessed Thistle is no exception. In Ayurvedic medicine, bitter foods are thought to balance stomach acid and can work as natural diuretics and stimulants for bowel movements.

In Chinese medicine, bitters are thought to “cool down” the body, acting as a substance to help release the buildup of excess body fluids that can add heat. Chinese medicine practitioners also believe that bitters can strengthen the small intestine, return balance to the microbiome, and that they’re also very beneficial for the heart.

Recent research supports the ancient reverence for bitter foods as excellent for digestive health, optimizing nutrient absorption, and improving the gut microbiome.

For example, bitter melon, a common bitter plant, was shown to help alleviate ulcers in a 2009 study published in the journal Ethnopharmacology [2]. The common bitter herb dandelion may be helpful in combatting obesity because of the way it supports the pancreas, according to research conducted at Auburn University in Alabama [3].

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Besides Blessed Thistle, dandelion, and bitter melon, there are dozens of other fruits, vegetables, and herbs that contain bitter elements. Examples of other common bitters include:

• kale
• cranberries
• apple cider vinegar
• grapefruit
• coffee
• cacao
• ginger
• artichoke
• arugula
• red wine
• chicory

Cnicus benedictus for Women’s Health and Fighting Infection

What it can do for circulation is one of the reasons why Blessed Thistle is often used to stimulate mothers’ milk for nursing new moms. On the other hand, Blessed Thistle can also have an effect on the endocrine system as a whole, helping to balance hormones when taken in the right amount.

Anecdotal accounts as well as evidence-based studies have connected Blessed Thistle to relief from the headaches, mood swings, and overall cramping that is often associated with the menstrual cycle for so many women. Note: It’s important to seek out the guidance of a natural health professional if you’re considering using Blessed Thistle in this capacity.

Blessed Thistle is also antibacterial and can help with infections both internally and on the skin’s surface. It can aid with respiratory infections, help lower inflammation, and has been said to be a tonic for the brain as well.

A 2014 study conducted by researchers at Ankara University in Turkey found that all members of the Asteraceae family contain high levels of antioxidants that can help to detoxify the body of harmful substances [4].

Unlike Milk Thistle, which contains a substance called silymarin, Blessed Thistle contains tannins. These are polyphenol phytonutrients that can protect the body from oxidative stress [5].

The properties within Blessed Thistle have been shown to be powerful detoxifiers and a strengthener of both the liver and the kidneys. Let’s explore next how Blessed Thistle can help the detoxification pathways in the body in particular.

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The Many Ways That Blessed Thistle Herb Can Help with Detoxification

There are a few reasons why Cnicus benedictus is thought to be a powerful ally for our detoxification systems. The first reason is, again, because of its categorization as a “bitter.” You already learned about the benefits bitters can have for the gut, but in reality, bitters can be beneficial for ALL the organs.

Bitters help to stimulate the organs and get them moving again. The “reflex response” that bitters evoke in the body helps with elimination, but they actually can stimulate the glands as well, helping the liver, kidneys, and lymphatics in the process.

In the case of Blessed Thistle, it stimulates bile production, making it an ideal constituent to add to any liver detox program. Using Blessed Thistle for liver health can dramatically increase your energy, help you to fight fatigue, and turn that “brain fog” into clear thinking for a super productive day.

The presence of glycosides is one of the tell-tale characteristics of a bitter plant such as Blessed Thistle. Glycosides derived from plants can be found in many pharmaceutical drugs and can potentially be poisonous when taken in large amounts.

When they’re consumed in their natural form through bitter fruits, vegetables, and herbs, however, their purging and anti-inflammatory effects are safe and can be strong allies in our toxic world [6].

Herbalists throughout the ages have used Blessed Thistle, in particular, to purge the body of toxins and for healing illness in general. Many homeopathic formulas for hepatitis, jaundice, and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis contain derivatives of the herb as well.

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Get the Detoxifying Support You Need Through Cleansing Herbs

Your body needs to detoxify waste, clean up dead tissue, and get rid of pathogenic residue every day, and it must rely on certain organs in order to do that. The best way to ensure that your liver, kidneys, blood, and other detoxifying pathways are doing their job is to:

1. stay away from toxins as much as possible
2. eat a clean, organic diet
3. limit stress
4. drink lots of clean water, and
5. get plenty of physical activity

Of course, it can be difficult to achieve all of these things all the time in the modern world we live in. According to Chemical & Engineering News, no one actually knows how many chemicals are in use in the U.S. today. In 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] had more than 85,000 on its inventory of substances that fall under the Toxic Substance Control Act [8].

Many of these chemicals have not been tested for what they may do to negatively affect health. Unfortunately, many of these same chemicals wind up in our drinking water, in the air we breathe, in the food that we eat, and in the products we use to clean our homes, offices, cars, and even our bodies.

When detoxifying pathways are overburdened, that is when disease sets in. Even if you do all that you can to protect yourself and your family from toxins, exposure in some way is simply inevitable in today’s chemically dependent world.

Therefore, we must take it upon ourselves to be proactive when it comes to our toxic load. This includes doing what we can to gently detoxify our bodies regularly and support our intrinsic detoxification pathways like the liver.

Luckily, this is where specific herbal formulas can come in. High-quality herbal formulas that contain specific “herbal detoxifiers” can make all the difference, and not just for longevity and disease prevention. Adding detoxifying herbs to your health regimen can also result in significant improvements in how you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally every day.  

Organixx Cleanse & Detoxx is a two-step formula that provides a gentle yet powerful full-body detox using organic botanical ingredients. Naturally purge your body of toxins, chemicals, free radicals, heavy metals, waste, as well as bacteria, and pesticides. Easily cleanse your colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, and lymphatic system resulting in increased energy, and better digestion with more nutrient absorption, in addition to improved immunity, mental clarity, and overall health and wellbeing.

Chances are, you’ve never heard of dong quai before – yet it’s a very popular health product in China, Japan, and Korea.

Pronounced as dang gui in Chinese, the name literally means “restore proper order.” A member of the same family as carrots, celery, parsley, and coriander, dong quai is a traditional medicinal and edible plant, typically harvested for its leaves and roots. The roots are usually dried and cut up into pieces or ground into powder for brewing into an herbal tea with a strong, bitter taste similar to anise (the distinctive flavor of licorice).

Also known as Chinese angelica (scientific name Angelica sinensis), the “Empress of herbs,” and female ginseng, dong quai has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for toning, replenishing, and invigorating blood as well as relieving pain, combating constipation, and treating irregular menstruation and amenorrhea [1].

It is believed that dong quai’s health-promoting properties are because of the naturally occurring compound coumarin, along with others, such as ferulic acid and phytosterols.

Dong Quai in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

The biological actions of dong quai have been extensively researched for thousands of years in China, where it has a well-established reputation as a remedy for ailments of the female reproductive system and as a blood tonic.

Research from China indicates that dong quai boosts production of red blood cells, promotes better blood circulation, and dissolves blood clots. Chinese herbalists typically prescribe this herb to women who need to enrich the quality of their blood throughout the menstrual cycle, during and after childbirth, and during the transition to menopause.

For women in menopause, it is prescribed to reduce the severity of hot flashes, insomnia, and mood changes. This is why dong quai is known as the “female ginseng.”

Additionally, dong quai has been shown to contain high levels of vitamin A, C, B3, B12, and E, along with the minerals iron, cobalt, magnesium, and potassium. For this reason, this medicinal herb is routinely prescribed as a tonic, usually in combination with other Chinese herbs, to treat fatigue, mild anemia, high blood pressure, and poor circulation in both men and women.

Dong Quai Relieves Symptoms of Menopause

Menopause is a natural reduction in the number of female hormones produced by the ovaries, especially estrogen, typically as women get into their 40s and 50s. Symptoms of this decline include hot flashes, night sweats, hair loss, changes in mood, and loss of bone strength and density, known as osteoporosis.

An Alternative to HRT?

Many women turn to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which provides synthetic hormones to combat the effects of menopause – however, these come with their health risks and adverse effects.

As we have already seen, dong quai has a long history in TCM as a natural resource to help alleviate symptoms of menopause. Modern scientific research supports this therapeutic function of dong quai.

For example, in a 2003 study, 55 postmenopausal women complaining of hot flushes were randomly assigned to either chew five tablets daily of dong quai and chamomile or placebo tablets for 12 weeks [2]. For the entire duration of the study, these women were asked to complete a daily questionnaire that assessed the frequency and intensity of their menopausal symptoms.

Relative to women in the control group, women who took dong quai and chamomile experienced a dramatic reduction in both the number and intensity of hot flashes in the first month already, and reported fewer sleep disturbances and less fatigue.

The authors of the study concluded that dong quai helps to relieve the symptoms of menopause without any apparent major side effects and that it can be considered as a natural alternative to HRT [2].

Similarly, a randomized, crossover study published in 2016 showed that a combination of nutraceuticals – which contained a dry extract of dong quai – given to 43 postmenopausal women for four weeks helped to relieve their symptoms, while also improving their cardiovascular profile [3].

The results of these and other studies are not surprising, given that extracts of dong quai roots have been shown to have estrogenic activity in laboratory animal experiments [4].

Can Dong Quai Help Reverse Bone Loss (Osteoporosis)?

Osteoporosis is a bone disease. The word comes from the Latin for “porous bones.”

Healthy bones have small spaces inside them, like a honeycomb. These spaces tend to grow larger during osteoporosis so that bones lose both their strength and density.

Osteoporosis is quite common in older adults, especially in women when they reach menopause. Unfortunately, osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures – especially in the ribs, hips, and bones in the wrists and spine – even when carrying out routine activities such as standing or walking.

In China, dong quai is believed to help prevent bone loss and even to help build bone strength. Indeed, preliminary laboratory studies in cell lines and animals seem to confirm this, although there have been no human clinical trials confirming these results so far.

In a 2016 study, a natural compound known as ferulic acid, extracted from dong quai roots, was shown to boost bone mineral density, bone mineral content, and trigger bone cell growth in laboratory mice [5].

Similarly, treating rats with dong quai extract was seen to help preserve bone mineral density [6]. Even better, a dong quai extract was shown to trigger collagen synthesis and stimulate the growth of human bone precursor cells in a laboratory experiment [7].

Dong Quai Promotes Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. today. Improving cardiovascular profile – specifically, reducing the ratio of total cholesterol to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) as well as the ratio of LDL to high-density lipoprotein or HDL, along with lowering levels of triglycerides are all considered effective ways to reduce heart disease risk.

Promisingly, a 2015 laboratory study has shown that treating mice with dong quai for four weeks lowered levels of both total cholesterol and triglycerides. Dong Quai was also seen to lower levels of fasting blood glucose and serum insulin, thereby reducing diabetes risk [8].

Similarly, combining dong quai with Huang qi, another medicinal plant, was seen to reduce levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) in a laboratory experiment on rats [9].

In a very promising outcome from a study in China back in 1992, treatment with dong quai lowered blood pressure and improved heart function in 40 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) [10].

When Not to Take Dong Quai

Dong Quai consumption has been associated with some side effects, including the sensitivity of the eyes and skin to light, excessive development of breasts in men (gynecomastia), diarrhea, and fever – hence, it should only be taken medicinally under the supervision of a qualified herbal practitioner.

Further, it is advisable not to take dong quai in any form when:

• taking anticoagulants such as warfarin, as dong quai contains coumarin, which promotes blood thinning, and may increase the risk of bleeding
• pregnant or breastfeeding
• undergoing radiation therapy, as dong quai can worsen the effects of radiation therapy on the skin
• having hormone-sensitive cancer, as dong quai has estrogenic effects and can potentially stimulate the growth of estrogen-responsive cancer cells [11]

Pregnant or lactating women and menstruating women who are experiencing unusually heavy bleeding, in particular, should not use dong quai unless advised by a qualified healthcare practitioner.