Try Blessed Thistle During Cold & Flu Season

Ever wonder what it takes for a plant to be called blessed? Turns out, it just needs to help stave off the common cold! For more than 2,000 years, a small plant called blessed thistle has promoted everything from a healthy appetite and digestion to hormonal balance and reproductive health. And especially during cold and flu season, blessed thistle might just be your saving grace!

Blessed thistle is an annual flowering plant that originated in the Mediterranean but is now found all over the world in regions of Europe, Asia, South Africa, Central and South America, and even the United States. It grows on dry and stony ground, mostly in open and sunny areas, with a thin red stem, spiky leaves, and yellow or purple flowers – it may not look like much, but it packs a punch!

Also known as holy thistle, this hairy little plant actually got its name in the Middle Ages when Benedictine Monks used it to treat victims of the bubonic plague, which was also called the Black Death. And although we don’t need it for such a dangerous illness today, blessed thistle can still make a big difference in life today – especially when it comes to the flu.

Not to be confused with milk thistle, which is known to protect the liver, blessed thistle is most commonly used in support of a healthy immune system, respiratory system, and digestive system. Read on for a few ways that this little plant can help in a big way, especially when it comes to that early springtime cold you might be fighting.

Potential Health Benefits of Blessed Thistle

Digestive Health

Blessed thistle is a blessing (pun intended!) for the digestive system in more ways than one. It helps stimulate the production of bile and stomach acid, which is needed to break down waste and nutrients so the body can digest food more effectively. Blessed thistle also has natural diuretic qualities, which can support detoxification and cleansing, helping vital organs like the liver, kidneys, and colon eliminate excess waste and stay healthy.

Immune System Health

Blessed thistle can also promote a healthy immune system, especially during allergy and cold season. When occurring in the wild active ingredients in milk thistle help protect the plant from environmental attacks. These same ingredients can be synthesized to help humans in the same way, creating a calming effect for an overactive immune system and potentially helping to block histamine reactions that result in allergy attacks.

Upper Respiratory Health

In the same way that blessed thistle can help ease allergies or the common cold by supporting the immune system, it can also help with these symptoms by supporting the upper respiratory system. Characteristics of blessed thistle have been found to have an expectorant effect on the respiratory system, helping to reduce inflammation and promote clear air passages, helping the body to breathe easier … even when you’re all stuffed up!

Skin Health & Healing

Blessed thistle has long been used in traditional folk medicine to promote healthy skin. With antimicrobial, astringent, and anti-inflammatory properties, blessed thistle can help support the skin’s ability to absorb antioxidants and stay toned and looking fresh. Studies have also found that blessed thistle can promote improved healing from burns and wounds and prevent infection.

Female Reproductive Health

Last but certainly not least, blessed thistle can promote a wide range of potential benefits for the female reproductive system. Not only has it been used in traditional herbal medicine to alleviate symptoms related to painful menstruation, cramps, and menstrual headaches, blessed thistle can even help with milk production for nursing mothers and menopausal symptoms in older women.

One Note of Caution

Before hopping on the blessed thistle bandwagon, check with your doctor or allergist, as it may cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive things like daisy, sunflower, or ragweed. No allergies? Great! Here’s how to use blessed thistle!

How to Use Blessed Thistle

There are countless ways to integrate blessed thistle into your everyday life. If you want to take it everyday for things like digestive support or allergies, blessed thistle capsules are an easy and quick way to get your daily dose. Blessed thistle extract is also a way to explore its daily benefits – just place a few drops in your favorite drink two or three times a day and you’re set!

If you want to take a more DIY approach to blessed thistle, there are a few ways you can do so while also alleviating symptoms related to digestive issues, menstrual pain, or the cold or flu. We recommend placing a few teaspoons for dried blessed thistle in boiling water and steeping for 5 to 15 minutes (depending on how strong you want it). It may be bitter to the taste, but drinking 1 cup two or three times daily may make a difference when it comes to temporary pain relief or respiratory challenges.

How will you incorporate blessed thistle into your everyday routine and start exploring it’s many benefits? Let us know in the comments below!

###

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash