Carline Thistle Plant Health Benefits

The carline thistle resembles a golden disk in the middle of the meadows. According to some people, it also looks like a fried egg. However, it more resembles a thistle. It is one of those plants that cannot hide from any walker.

A legend says an angel advised Charlemagne that this plant helped prevent the plague in his armies. Hence, he obliged his soldiers to eat it, thus avoiding a terrible epidemic. This thistle is called Carline in honor of the Holy French emperor. With time, this legend was also attributed to another emperor: Charles the First of Spain and Fifth of Germany.

The fame of the carline thistle as plague-preventing was that the outstanding Spanish botanist Andres de Laguna (1499-1560) recommended its root as an “admirable remedy against the plague.” Unfortunately, many millions of Europeans fell victim to the plague despite the carline thistle.

For several centuries, physicians and pharmacologists smiled at the claims of Andres de Laguna. How could it prevent or heal the plague, an infectious disease caused by a micro-organism, by using a plant? But, in a historic turnaround, carline thistle was shown to contain an antibiotic substance, carlinoside. Today, research is being conducted on the antibiotic effects of this substance and its application.

Healing Properties and Indications

The root of the carline thistle contains inulin (a sugar), resin, tannin, and essential oil, among whose components are carlinoside. The whole set of those active components gives the plant the following properties:

1. Sudorific and mildly diuretic. This makes the plant helpful for influenza, colds, and catarrhs. Font Quer noted that carline thistle root was successfully used during an epidemic, not of the plague, but influenza in Europe in 1918. This is much more believable after knowing that the root of the carline thistle contains substances with antibiotic properties.
2. Vermifuge. As a decoction of root taken on an empty stomach for four or five days, the carline thistle is effective against intestinal parasites (taeniae and roundworms).
3. Stomach invigorator and cholagogue (it promotes emptying the gall bladder). It is recommended when stimulating digestive processes is required: lack of appetite, poor digestion, and gastritis.

Carline Thistle Scientific Facts

1. Scientific name: Carlina acaulis L.
2. Other names: Carline.
3. French: Carline, artichaut sauvage.
4. Spanish: Carlina.
5. Environment: It grows in open meadows on mountain slopes. Very common in the Pyrenees and Central Europe.
6. Description: This thorny plant, similar to a thistle, of the Compositae family grows almost at ground level. It has a short stem (less than 20 cm high). The flower chapter or head is formed by 100-odd small dark yellow flowers growing on a flat disc some 10 cm in diameter. The leaves are radial and thorny.
7. Parts of the plant used medicinally: The root (deeply rooted: 1-2 m) and the flower head (artichoke).

Ornamental Carline

A stemless variety of carline (Carlina Cynara (D.C.) Pourr. = Carlina acanthifolia All.) grows at ground level and is used as an ornamental plant. It is usually called Cynara or ornamental carline to distinguish it from the other carline varieties. Its medicinal properties are practically identical to those of the carline thistle.

How to use Carline Thistle

1. Decoction with ground root (20-30 g per liter of water). Drink two or three cups a day, but never exceed the dose since it can provoke nausea.
2. The heart of the carline thistle can be cooked with potatoes or roasted as a vegetable. Its taste is similar to that of an artichoke, and it is highly valued in some regions of France, where it is called “wild artichoke.” The heart contains the same active components as the root, though in a lesser proportion.

DISCLAIMER: All content on this website is presented solely for educational and informational objectives. Do not rely on the information provided as a replacement for advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified medical expert. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have any preexisting medical concerns, talk to your doctor before using any herbal or natural medicines.

REFERENCES

1. George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. “Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants.” George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Ed. Francesc X. Gelabert. vols. 2 San Fernando de Henares: Editorial Safeliz, 2000. 749, 750. Print.
2. National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health (NCCIH): https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/milk-thistle
3. WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-138/milk-thistle
4. Mount Sinai: https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/milk-thistle