Identification

• The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that milk thistle grows to be between 2 and 6 feet tall. It has dark-green serrated leaves with distinctive white marbling along the veins and a thick-ridged stem. The stem ends in a cluster of spiny leaves topped with a reddish-purple, thistle-like flower. A milky-white fluid exudes from crushed leaves.
  
  

Benefits

• Milk thistle counteracts deathcap mushroom toxicity if given within 10 minutes of ingesting the toxin. The active ingredient, silymarin, is often suggested as a complementary medicine for people with liver disease. It also improves the survival rates in people with liver disorders such as chronic hepatitis, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
  
  

Dosage

• The Mayo Clinic recommends 230 to 600 mg of silymarin per day divided into several doses. The University of Maryland Medical Center suggests 280 to 450 mg per day divided into two or three doses. Milk thistle is available in liquid extract, herb capsules and tinctures.