Milk Thistle (Milk Thistle or lat. Silybum marianum) is also known as silver thistle or milk thistle - an herb native to the Mediterranean. It is mainly used for diseases of the liver and gallbladder , and owes its healing effects to Silymarin . It contains a complex of flavonoliganans - silibinin, silydianin, silicristin and isosilibinin , and its most important function is the protective effect against liver cells . In addition, it contains a number of unsaturated fatty acids (especially linoleic and oleic acid), proteins, amino acids, sulfur, vitamin E, flavonoids and essential oils.