Shui Fei Ji
StarSilybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.
☯ TCM Properties
Clears Heat and Resolves Toxicity; Courses the Liver and benefits the Gallbladder; Clears Damp-Heat from the Liver and Gallbladder; Protects the Liver
Traditional Chinese Uses
Shui Fei Ji (milk thistle, silybum marianum) is a cool, bitter herb that in Chinese medicine clears Heat and Damp-Heat from the Liver and Gallbladder. It is used for hepatitis, jaundice, gallstones, and fatty liver conditions where Liver-Gallbladder Damp-Heat is the underlying pattern. Though originally introduced from Europe, silymarin — its active compound — has made it one of the most thoroughly researched herbs for Liver protection worldwide, validating its traditional TCM use for liver-clearing conditions.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Silybum marianum, milk thistle or Shui Fei Ji, is a stout biennial or annual herb in the Asteraceae family, native to the Mediterranean basin and naturalized widely across temperate regions. First-year plants form a large basal rosette of glossy dark green leaves boldly veined and mottled white, with deeply pinnatifid lobes ending in stiff yellow spines; in the second year flowering stems rise 60-200 cm. Solitary terminal heads 4-8 cm across are subtended by stout spine-tipped involucral bracts and bear bright red-purple tubular disc florets in summer. The shiny dark brown achenes (treated commercially as 'seeds') bear a tuft of bristly pappus and contain the silymarin flavonolignan complex.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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