Five handy uses for milk thistle seeds

Milk thistle is a botanical triple threat. Not only is it believed to have liver-protecting effects, but many also use the herbal remedy for lowering cholesterol levels and controlling type 2 diabetes. If you’re intrigued by how milk thistle can be incorporated into your day-to-day diet, this blog will outline how to use milk thistle seeds in five fantastic and handy ways.

1. Grind them into a hot drink

For those who have tried every herbal tea under the sun or have consumed so many home-brewed coffees they’ve lost count, milk thistle seeds can be ground up and made into a delicious hot beverage. By crushing the seeds in a mortar or coffee grinder, you get a delicate fine powder that can be used to brew milk thistle tea or substituted for a teaspoon of coffee powder.

2. Add them to a smoothie

Ground milk thistle seeds also make a great addition to a healthy and tasty breakfast smoothie. One popular smoothie combo is ½ cup of blueberries, one banana, nut milk, a handful of mint leaves and some powdered milk thistle seeds. After a quick blend into a smooth drink, you’ll no doubt be inundated with numerous extra breakfast requests!

3. Use them to level up your salads

That’s breakfast sorted, but what about lunch? Sprinkling raw milk thistle seeds onto your salads is a sure-fire way to take them up a notch – not to mention boost the antioxidant value of your lunchtime meal. People usually describe milk thistle seeds as having an oily taste that can sometimes be sweet and bitter. That’s why we recommend sprinkling in small doses to let your taste buds adjust.

4. Make a trail mix

You can also use milk thistle seeds to upgrade your hiking snacks. By mixing them with other healthy seeds like pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and sunflower seeds, you can enjoy something a little bit different while taking in the views. Adding dried fruit, raisins and chopped nuts can further boost the flavour of your hiking trail mix.

5. Mix into baked goods

For avid bakers, milk thistle seeds will likely be the missing ingredient they didn’t know they’d been searching for all these years. After a quick grind into a fine powder, these superpower seeds can be incorporated into bread making or even added to soups and stews! Next up on Bake-Off: Milk Thistle Week.

If you want to get your hands on this incredible herbal remedy, you can buy milk thistle seeds now at Mimea, a leading source of dried botanicals online.