Artichokes

Artichokes make my Healthy Foods Shopping List for many reasons:

Their strong tie to preventing serious conditions, such as heart disease and cancer, their nourishing effect on the liver and digestive tract, ability to reduce dangerous body wide inflammation, and of course their great taste and versatility in recipes too.

While artichoke hearts are often the most widely available and consumed part of the artichoke, don’t go discarding the artichoke leafs quite so quickly — the leaves are actually where many of the most powerful nutrients in the artichoke are stored.

In fact, artichoke extract supplements, which have become more popular over recent years due to their various heart health-promoting benefits, are largely derived from antioxidants and phytonutrients found in the leaves of the vegetable.

Benefits of Artichokes

Artichokes are absolutely packed with a number of vital antioxidants and phytonutrients, such as quercetin, rutin, gallic acid and cynarin. Artichokes make my list due to their high ORAC score (oxygen radical absorption capacity), which tests the power of a plant to absorb and eliminate free radicals.

One of the most crucial benefits of a food containing a high amount of antioxidants is its ability to ward off various types of cancer, since cancer cells can grow partially due to oxidation and “free radical” buildup within the body when they’re left uncontrolled.

Antioxidants are exactly what our bodies require in order to combat free radicals and to slow the onset on diseases that are often seen in aging populations. Antioxidants present in artichokes — specifically rutin, quercetin and gallic acid — have been shown in studies to reduce the growth of cancerous cells and therefore to prevent cancerous tumors from proliferating.

Artichokes have displayed their cancer-fighting food abilities on two cancers in particular, breast cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Research published in both the Journal of Cellular Physiology and Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity found that polyphenolic extracts from the edible parts of artichokes “induce apoptosis and decrease the invasive potential of the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB231.”

Artichoke polyphenols induce apoptosis and decrease the invasive potential of the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB231, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22170094, July 2012

Another study conducted by the National Research Centre’s Medicinal Chemistry Department in Dokki Giza, Egypt, looked at the protective effects of fish oil and artichokes on hepatocellular carcinoma in rats. The researchers concluded after dividing the rats into eight groups that “the results pointed that 10% fish oil and 1 g% leaves of artichoke succeeded to protect from hepatocellular carcinoma to a certain degree. In addition, they may be considered as protective foods against angiogenesis.”

 Fight Cardiovascular Disease

Consuming artichokes and artichoke extract has been correlated with reducing unhealthy cholesterol levels, calming inflammation in the body and improving blood flow.

People with higher levels of cholesterol are more at risk for developing heart disease and experiencing cardiac arrest or stroke, but luckily the powerful substance cynarin found in artichokes is one of the best natural remedies for bringing cholesterol back to a healthy level.

The lipidic and glycemic-reducing action of artichokes also help them prevent coronary heart disease and metabolic disorders.

 Detox the Liver and Digestive System

Because of their ability to boost the production of digestive bile and to detox the body, artichokes are included on the GAPS diet which is a diet that was specifically created to nourish the digestive tract and restore proper gut health.

Eating GAPS diet-approved foods like artichokes is correlated with improving gut flora, reducing symptoms related to digestive disease and boosting immunity as well — since much of the immune system is actually held within the gut. Artichokes contain a powerful antioxidant flavonoid silymarin, which is an effective liver protectant.

A specific substance in artichokes called cynarin has been shown to positively stimulate the production of bile, which is produced by the liver and ultimately responsible for enabling digestion and helping with the absorption of nutrients. Without proper bile production, a good diet cannot be used to foster health because many of the essential nutrients and fatty acids are not properly absorbed.

Studies have also shown that artichoke leaf extract can be very helpful in relieving symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), one of the leading digestive disorders in the world. IBS is a condition that often causes painful symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, bloating, an upset stomach and more.

It’s believed that the artichoke benefits IBS and other digestive disorders because of its high fiber content, ability to reduce inflammation, and artichoke’s nourishing effect on the gut lining and liver.

Excellent Source of Fiber, which Can Help with Weight Loss

Artichokes are very high in fiber, which is crucial for numerous functions in the body. Fiber keeps the digestive system running smoothly and relieves conditions like constipation and diarrhea.

It has the important role of helping the body to detox itself of waste, extra cholesterol, sugar and toxins, plus fiber acts to facilitate liver function and make us feel full after eating.

Studies have shown that consuming plenty of soluble fiber, like the kind found in artichokes, is a great way to keep off dangerous visceral fat — the kind that accumulates around your organs and can lead to various diseases.

A diet high in fiber is correlated with maintaining a healthy weight and also reducing the risk for serious conditions, including colon cancer, heart disease and more.

Fiber is technically the part of any plant-food that cannot be digested, therefore it must make its way through your digestive system and then out of your body. So essentially fiber is the substance that pulls food through your intestines, and without it you may suffer from issues like feeling overly hungry, constipation, energy spikes and dips, mood swings, weight gain, and bloating.

There’s also concern that artichokes could possibly worsen bile duct obstruction by increasing bile flow, which is the liquid naturally released by the liver. If you have this condition, don’t use artichoke extract or consume artichokes without first discussing your decision with your doctor. By increasing the bile flow in the body, gallstones may become worse, so if you suffer from gallstones, use precaution when consuming artichokes.

When selecting artichokes, the heaviest and firmest artichokes are best. If you press the leaves against themselves, it will create a slight squeaking sound, and this is a good indicator of an artichoke being fresh.

A medium-sized artichoke is about the size of a tennis ball, and a small one is the size of a golf ball. In order to keep your artichoke fresh, it needs to be stored properly. Keep the artichoke in an air-tight plastic bag, and cut off the edge of the stem to keep it from spoiling while it’s being stored. It’s best to cook the artichoke within a week of buying it if possible.

Your thoughts………?

Medical Disclaimer

The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional Medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensue discussion or debate.