Wildflowers for Repairing "Damaged Nerves"

Scientists at the University of Cologne have discovered that common wild Blessed Thistle (Cnicus benedictus) flowers contain a compound called knitsin, which helps restore nerve tissues. The journal Phytomedicine indicates that "Blessed Thistle flowers are widespread in warm climate regions and have long been used in folk medicine in the form of brewed tea to improve digestive function." During the experiments conducted on the compound "knitsin," researchers found that it accelerates the growth of nerve fibers. It was revealed that it promoted the growth of nerve fibers in animal models and human cells taken from the retina donated by patients. Administering a daily dose of it to mice and rats significantly alleviated paralysis and neuropathy. According to the researchers, this compound could easily be used in treatment in the form of tablets instead of intravenous injections. The scientific team plans to develop drugs based on this compound to treat damaged nerve tissues.