Milk thistle tincture very bitter

by Susun Weed | Jun 25, 2007 | Columns, Magazine, Wise Woman Ways | 0 comments

Hi Susun,

I have MCS and recently began taking milk thistle tincture before venturing into difficult environments. I’ve been very impressed however, the taste leaves much to be desired! Would it negate the effectiveness of the milk thistle if it were mixed with other herbs? To be honest, I much prefer using simples, but in this case, am hoping there is a good mix that will be effective. Or maybe you can suggest ways I can to learn to love the taste of milk thistle!

Karen Joy’s response (apprentice to Susun Weed):

You can do whatever you wish to the tincture to make it more pleasurable for you, however, two considerations.

One: Often trying to mask it can make it more pronounced.

Two: Like you, I favor simples. Think of it as the intimate relationship with a friend. If being with that friend is so awful you need to look away and plug your ears, perhaps this is not a good friend for you. If you need lots of other people around you so you barely notice the friend’s presence, this friend may not quite benefit you.

A beauty in the simples is this intimate relationship and the focus you give it as a gift to your further health.

I do however find it surprising that 25-35 drops of Milk Thistle seed tincture in water is so distasteful. Perhaps you are unaccustomed to bitter. This tincture is superb for liver nourishing, but there are others. Bitter is the taste of the liver; if you wish to nourish it a taste for bitter ought to be developed. There is no need to force yourself though! You do not need to force this tincture or this taste.

Maybe you can develop this taste by eating a dandelion leaf a day, or adding a litte bit of the more bitter lettuce greens in your salad. Meanwhile, try a liver-nourishing tincture that is less bitter to your tastes, more tolerable—in order to least bitter is yellow dock root, dandelion root, and burdock root—the last is sweet to my tastes. For all the tinctures use the same amount in water. If you still feel milk thistle is the herb for you, just work your way up the scale until it becomes nearly enjoyable :)