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The artichoke has been used as food and as a medicinal herb for its diuretic and digestive properties. Artichoke leaves are used by many in connection with gastrointestinal complaints stemming from bile deficiency, as well as to stimulate appetite.
The leaf of the Artichoke stimulates digestive juices like saliva and bile to help you break down food. Bile secretion also inhibits the production of cholesterol and speeds its elimination from your body.
The plant chemical called cynarin, found in artichoke leaves, is what stimulates bile secretion. Doctors used synthetic cynarin preparations to treat high cholesterol from the 1950s to the 1980s (until more advanced drugs like
statins were developed).
The plant also contains luteolin, an antioxidant that may play a role in lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels.
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Artichokes are low in calories, with only 60 calories for one medium cooked globe. They are naturally fat-free.
The artichoke is a natural diuretic, a digestive aid, and provides nutrition to health-promoting bacteria in the intestinal tract.
Some studies suggest that fresh artichokes help control blood-sugars in diabetics and lower cholesterol levels thus warding off arteriosclerosis.
Although artichokes have a high amount of natural sodium, they are still lower than most processed foods, and are also good sources of fiber, potassium and magnesium.
The French have long advocated artichoke juice for its use as a liver tonic, and scientists from Japan to Switzerland have noted the herb's abilities to break down fat and improve bile flow. Extracts of the leaves and root are said to be helpful in preventing arteriosclerosis. Artichoke has also been used for jaundice, dyspepsia, liver insufficiency, chronic albuminuria, and postoperative anemia. In some countries, the artichoke is considered an aphrodisiac.
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