Thistle plant (Terrestris Tribulus) is a small leafy plant, which grows in parts of Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and has recently been widely used in the preparation of supplements that increase testosterone (male hormone), and in this article we will learn in detail about The benefits of this plant.

The benefits of thistle plant

This plant was commonly used in the past for diuresis, relieving pain and opening appetite. Here are some of the benefits this plant provides, including:

1. Enhance sexual desire

At the outset, it should be noted that there are few scientific studies that confirm the ability of this plant to increase sexual desire, including a clinical trial conducted in 2018 on the ability of this plant to increase sexual desire and excitement, and reach orgasm for women in the pre-menopausal stage, but this experiment It included 40 participants, so more research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of this plant.

2. The benefits of thistle plant for men

For men, a clinical trial published in 2017 demonstrated the ability of this plant to treat erectile dysfunction and decreased sexual desire compared to other placebos.

3. Improve the performance of athletes

Supplements of this plant are commonly used among athletes, to believe in its ability to increase the hormones androgen and testosterone, but there is a clinical study conducted in 2021 on some athletes revealed that taking this plant supplements did not affect the performance of athletes, nor did it affect the composition of their bodies. This study warrants further research in this regard.

Another study published in 2017 confirmed the lack of effect of taking this plant supplement on increasing testosterone secretion or increasing muscle mass.

4. Lowering blood pressure

Scientific studies on animals have confirmed that this plant may help lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels, but there is a need for more scientific studies that confirm its ability to lower blood pressure for humans.

5. Fragmentation of kidney stones

This plant is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine in the ability to treat kidney stones, due to its ability to generate urine, but at the present time there are no scientific studies conducted on humans confirming this, but all studies were conducted on animals.

How to use thistle

All parts of this plant were used in the past for treatment, and nowadays there are many options for taking this plant, whether in the form of capsules, powder or tea extracted from it. And the leaves, and before buying this product, it is necessary to carefully read its contents of other substances and their effect on health, and the absence of these components on the function of this plant.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER; We stress that you should consult your doctor before taking any of these supplements, tea, or any product containing thistle, especially if you have a medical problem.

Thistle damage

There are some side effects that may occur when using this plant, including:

• Excessive consumption of this plant leads to abdominal pain, cramps and diarrhea, and damages the heart, liver and kidneys.
• Sometimes banned substances are mixed with this plant supplement that athletes take, so check with your fitness trainer for a type that doesn’t cause any health problems.
• Some reports have indicated that eating the fruit of this plant covered with thistle may cause lung health problems.
• Pregnant women should not eat this plant, which negatively affects the development of the fetus.
• It is cautioned to take it before performing surgeries, because it affects the level of pressure and sugar in the blood.
• Symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, gastritis and irregular menstruation.

Thistle interaction with other medicines

Precautions should be taken when using this plant with some other medicines such as:

1. Interaction with lithium medicine

Eating this plant reduces the body’s ability to get rid of lithium, which causes an increase in lithium in the body and the emergence of strong side effects, and lithium medicine is a psychotherapy drug, so it is necessary to consult a specialist about the possibility of taking this plant with lithium medicine.

2. Interaction with diabetes and blood pressure medications

As we mentioned, this plant may lower blood sugar and pressure, so when taken with other diabetes or pressure medications, this may cause a sharp drop in blood sugar and pressure.

After getting to know the thistle plant, caution should be exercised when consuming this plant in the form of a fruit or in the form of supplements, due to the need for more scientific studies that confirm its many benefits.