Can I cook or fry with this milk thistle oil?

This oil should not be used for frying, sautéing, or any cooking that involves heat. Cold-pressed oils like this one retain heat-sensitive bioactive compounds — tocopherols, phytosterols, polyphenols, and the flavonolignan complex silymarin — precisely because they are extracted without heat. When you expose the oil to high temperatures, these compounds break down, and you lose the antioxidant properties that are the main reason for choosing milk thistle oil in the first place.

Instead, use it as a finishing oil: drizzle it over salads, stir it into cooked porridge or soup after removing from heat, mix it into smoothies, or add a spoonful to cottage cheese or yogurt. Some people take a tablespoon on an empty stomach in the morning. The oil has a mild, slightly nutty flavor that works well in cold dishes. If you need an oil for cooking, choose a refined oil with a high smoke point, and save the milk thistle oil for raw applications where its bioactive content remains intact.