Historic references date back as far as 2000 years of medicinal use, but it was largely in Germany in the mid-19th century when milk thistle gained popularity. It was commonly used to cure jaundice, as well as liver and gallbladder disorders, including hepatitis. White veins give the leaves a diffusely mottled appearance and were historically thought to represent the Virgin Mary’s milk², and therefore commonly used as a galactagogue to support milk production in lactating women.

Growing – Our Milk thistle seed is harvested at its peak therapeutic activity from the Central USA. It is cultivated on an organic farm, from a grower that we have worked with for over 10 years. Milk thistle is grown to seed stage, then harvested, and cleaned within a couple weeks. A seed cleaner is used to clean the seed and then packaged for fermentation and bottling in Quebec.

Making – The milk thistle seeds are decocted into an herbal tea and combined with a unique symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. Along with some organic sugar to feed the fermentation process, the mix is sealed and left to ferment for several months. The final product has been transformed into a live fermented vinegar, rich in vitamins B, probiotics, organic acids, and live enzymes. The herbs are tested for purity, including for contaminants such as herbicides, pesticides, molds, microbes, aflatoxins, and heavy metals.