Blessed Thistle
Blessed Thistle helps strengthen the heart and lungs; increases circulation.
Blessed Thistle is used to strengthen the heart, and is useful in all remedies for lung, kidney, and especially liver problems. It is also used as a brain food for stimulating the memory.
Blessed Thistle is used in remedies for menopause and for menstrual cramping.
In Europe, blessed thistle, as a "bitter vegetable drug" is considered to be a medicinal agent used to stimulate appetite, aid digestion and promote health.
Blessed thistle is generally taken as an herbal tea three to five times per day. As an aromatic bitter, a cup of the unsweetened tea is drunk half-an-hour before meals. It is recommended that boiling water be poured over the finely chopped herb, or alternatively that cold water is added to the herb material and brought to the boil and after 5-10 minutes strained.
Blessed Thistle is generally found along roadsides and in wastelands. It is an annual, and reaches to 2 feet tall. Most folks consider this a pesky weed, so cultivation is not common. This plant is covered with tiny spines that are rather painful when they get stuck in the skin, so buying commercial is the easiest way to obtain it.
