Plant Comparison

Wild Lettuce vs Milk Thistle

A side-by-side comparison of two medicinal plants — every documented constituent, action, use, safety note and cited source, assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana database.

First plant

Second plant

Plant AWild LettuceLactuca virosaAsteraceaeFull monograph →

Plant BMilk ThistleSilybum marianumAsteraceaeFull monograph →

At a glance

Wild Lettuce and Milk Thistle: both belong to the Asteraceae family.

Wild LettuceMilk Thistle

Constituents22

Pharmacological actions46

Indicated uses810

Safety notes22

Cited sources1417

Indicated uses

Only Wild Lettuce

AnxietyBack painCoughHeadacheInsomnia / sleeplessnessNervous tensionPain (general)Stress

Shared (0)

none

Only Milk Thistle

Arthritis / joint painBloatingBlood sugar / diabetes supportCancer (anticancer research)Detox / cleansingIndigestionInflammation (general)Liver supportMetabolic supportSkin irritation

Pharmacological actions

Only Wild Lettuce

Analgesic (pain relief)Antitussive (cough suppressant)Anxiolytic / calmingSedative / sleep support

Shared (0)

none

Only Milk Thistle

Anti-inflammatoryAnticancer (preclinical)Antidiabetic (blood-sugar lowering)AntioxidantDigestive aidHepatoprotective (liver support)

Key Constituents

Sesquiterpene lactones (lactucin, lactucopicrin)^{[4, 11, 12]}

Bitter, centrally-active constituents responsible for the sedative and pain-relieving effects; isolated lactucin and lactucopicrin produced analgesia comparable to ibuprofen and sedation in rodent tests.

Sesquiterpene lactonesSesquiterpenes

Lactucarium (the dried milky latex)^[11]

The historical medicinal preparation, concentrating the active lactones.

Silymarin (a flavonolignan complex)^{[12, 13]}

The active complex; silybin (silibinin) is the most active component, with silydianin and silychristin.

Silymarin (silybin)

Flavonoids^[13]

Additional antioxidant constituents of the seed.

Flavonoids

Pharmacological Actions

Analgesic (pain relief)^{[4, 6, 11, 12]}

Mild analgesic / anodyne for pain (lactucin and lactucopicrin act on the central nervous system) - in mice these compounds produced analgesia comparable to ibuprofen

Antitussive (cough suppressant)^{[5, 11]}

Antitussive for an irritable, dry cough (traditional)

Anxiolytic / calming^[11]

Calming for nervous tension and restlessness

Sedative / sleep support^{[4, 6, 7, 8, 11]}

Sedative for sleeplessness / insomnia - lactucin and lactucopicrin showed sedative activity in animal models

Anti-inflammatory^{[11, 12, 13]}

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant

Anticancer (preclinical)^{[5, 13]}

Antidiabetic (blood-sugar lowering)^{[10, 14]}

Improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetes - lowers fasting blood glucose and HbA1c

Antioxidant^{[2, 6, 12, 13]}

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant; Hepatoprotective / liver support (protects liver cells, antioxidant and antifibrotic)

Digestive aid^[12]

Digestive support / mild dyspepsia (traditional)

Hepatoprotective (liver support)^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 15]}

Hepatoprotective / liver support (protects liver cells, antioxidant and antifibrotic); May improve liver enzymes and hepatic fat in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); Supports liver recovery and 'detox' (traditional framing of the hepatoprotective action)

Traditional & Indicated Uses

Anxiety^[11]Traditional · 1/10

inferred from anxiolytic action

Evidence: 1

Label: Anxiety

Back pain^{[4, 11, 12]}Traditional · 2/10

inferred from analgesic action

Evidence: 2

Label: Back pain

Cough^[11]Traditional · 1/10

Antitussive for an irritable, dry cough (traditional)

Evidence: 1

Label: Cough

Headache^{[4, 11, 12]}Traditional · 2/10

inferred from analgesic action

Evidence: 2

Label: Headache

Insomnia / sleeplessness^{[4, 11]}Traditional · 2/10

Sedative for sleeplessness / insomnia - lactucin and lactucopicrin showed sedative activity in animal models

Evidence: 2

Label: Insomnia / sleeplessness

Nervous tension^[11]Traditional · 1/10

Calming for nervous tension and restlessness

Evidence: 1

Label: Nervous tension

Pain (general)^{[4, 11, 12]}Traditional · 2/10

Mild analgesic / anodyne for pain (lactucin and lactucopicrin act on the central nervous system) - in mice these compounds produced analgesia comparable to ibuprofen

Evidence: 2

Label: Pain (general)

Stress^[11]Traditional · 1/10

inferred from anxiolytic action

Evidence: 1

Label: Stress

Arthritis / joint pain^{[12, 13]}Moderate · 5/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

Evidence: 5

Label: Arthritis / joint pain

Bloating^[12]Moderate · 5/10

inferred from digestive action

Evidence: 5

Label: Bloating

Blood sugar / diabetes support^[14]Good · 7/10

Improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetes - lowers fasting blood glucose and HbA1c

Evidence: 7

Label: Blood sugar / diabetes support

Cancer (anticancer research)^{[5, 13]}Good · 7/10

inferred from anticancer action

Evidence: 7

Label: Cancer (anticancer research)

Detox / cleansing^[12]Moderate · 5/10

Supports liver recovery and 'detox' (traditional framing of the hepatoprotective action)

Evidence: 5

Label: Detox / cleansing

Indigestion^[12]Moderate · 5/10

Digestive support / mild dyspepsia (traditional)

Evidence: 5

Label: Indigestion

Inflammation (general)^{[12, 13]}Moderate · 5/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

Evidence: 5

Label: Inflammation (general)

Liver support^{[12, 13, 15]}Good · 8/10

Hepatoprotective / liver support (protects liver cells, antioxidant and antifibrotic); May improve liver enzymes and hepatic fat in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

Evidence: 8

Label: Liver support

Metabolic support^[14]Good · 7/10

inferred from antidiabetic action

Evidence: 7

Label: Metabolic support

Skin irritation^{[12, 13]}Moderate · 5/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

Evidence: 5

Label: Skin irritation

Safety, Cautions & Contraindications

Safety note^[12]Info

Can be unsafe in large amounts or if harvested too early: overdose can cause sweating, fast heartbeat, dilated pupils, dizziness, ringing in the ears, vision changes, heavy sedation, breathing difficulty and, in extreme cases, death.

Safety note^{[11, 12]}Caution

Its sedative effect can add to that of sedatives and alcohol - avoid combining and do not use before driving. As a daisy-family (Asteraceae) plant it can cause allergy; avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Safety note^[12]Info

Very well tolerated, even at high doses; the main effects are mild gastrointestinal upset (nausea, loose stools). As a member of the daisy family (Asteraceae), it can cause allergic reactions in sensitive people.

Safety note^[12]Caution

Has a low potential for drug interactions (little effect on liver CYP enzymes), but use caution with medicines that have a narrow therapeutic window. Human pregnancy data are limited, so use cautiously.

External Ids

Gbif: 3140346

Wikidata: Q578927

Gbif: 3145214

Wikidata: Q193798

Botanical Description

Tall, bristly biennial herb with a milky latex throughout, and prickly-edged, often blue-green leaves that tend to twist to align edge-on with the sun ('compass plant' habit). Small, pale yellow, dandelion-like flower heads are borne in loose branched clusters atop a tall, spiny-stemmed flowering stalk.^[11]

Height: 1-2 m

Habit: Tall, bristly biennial herb; low rosette in year one, tall flowering stem in year two

Leaves: Prickly-edged, often blue-green, sometimes twisting edge-on to the sun

Flowers: Small, pale yellow, dandelion-like flower heads in loose branched clusters

Stem: Tall, spiny, exuding milky white latex when cut

Root: Taproot

Fruit: Small achene with a feathery pappus

Flowering Period: July-September (second year)

Robust biennial (occasionally annual) thistle (Asteraceae), 30-150 cm tall. Leaves are glossy dark green with distinctive white marbled veining (the 'milk' of legend), spiny-margined and deeply lobed. Large, solitary, purple-pink thistle-type flower heads are surrounded by spiny bracts, followed by shiny, mottled brown-black seeds - the part used.^[12]

Height: 30-150 cm

Habit: Robust biennial (occasionally annual) thistle

Leaves: Glossy dark green with white marbled veining, spiny-margined, deeply lobed

Flowers: Large, solitary, purple-pink thistle heads with spiny bracts

Stem: Erect, ridged

Root: Deep taproot

Fruit: Shiny, mottled brown-black seed (achene)

Flowering Period: June-August

Habitat

Grows on dry waste ground, roadsides, hedgerows and disturbed soil; native to Europe, North Africa and Western Asia and naturalised in North America.

Native to the Mediterranean region, now naturalised worldwide on disturbed, sunny ground - roadsides, waste places and dry pastures - and widely cultivated commercially for its seed.^[12]

Harvesting

The milky latex is traditionally collected by scoring the flowering stem and letting the exuded sap dry into lactucarium; the aerial parts (leaf and stem) are also cut and dried while the plant is flowering.^[11]

Parts: Aerial parts and dried latex (lactucarium)

Season: Flowering (second year); latex collected by scoring the stem

Seed heads are harvested once fully dry (late summer), and the seeds (fruit) are threshed out.^[12]

Parts: Seed (fruit)

Season: Late summer

Traditional Uses

Wild lettuce has a long folk history, reflected in the name 'opium lettuce', as a mild sedative and analgesic remedy for insomnia, nervous tension and pain, and as an antitussive for irritable dry cough, its dried latex (lactucarium) once used as a milder, non-addictive alternative to opium.^[11]

Milk thistle has a very long European folk-medicine tradition, documented since antiquity, as a liver tonic, and its seed extract, standardised to the flavonolignan complex silymarin, is one of the most extensively studied herbal hepatoprotectants. Modern research supports antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and liver-protective activity, with growing interest in metabolic/blood-sugar effects.^{[12, 13]}

Preparations

Infusion^[11]

Dried aerial parts infused in hot water as a traditional calming, sleep-supporting tea.

Lactucarium (historical)^[12]

Dried milky latex, the classic historical preparation, used cautiously given its overdose toxicity.

Standardised extract (capsule/tablet)^{[12, 13]}

Standardised to silymarin content (typically 70-80%), the clinically studied commercial form.

Dosage

Infusion^[12]

Because of documented overdose toxicity (rapid heartbeat, heavy sedation, breathing difficulty), only conservative traditional herbal doses should be used and this herb should not be self-dosed at concentrated or extract strength without professional guidance. Educational reference only, not a prescription.

Standardised extract^{[12, 13]}

Clinical trials have most often used standardised extract providing 200-450 mg/day of silymarin, divided into 2-3 doses. Educational reference only, not a prescription.

References

REF-0854, REF-0855, REF-0856, REF-0622, REF-2059, REF-2060, REF-2061, REF-2062, REF-2063, REF-2064

REF-1896, REF-1897, REF-1898, REF-1899, REF-1900, REF-1901, REF-1902, REF-1903, REF-1904, REF-1905, REF-1906

Drug Class Interactions

Safety note^{[13, 14]}Caution

Drug Class: sedatives-cns-depressants

Mechanism: Wild lettuce is traditionally used as a calming, sedative herb; taken with sedatives, sleeping tablets or other central-nervous-system depressants (including alcohol) it may add to drowsiness and slowed reactions.