The artichoke is a very good vegetable for health, thanks to its incredible nutritional, healing and medicinal properties and qualities. Find out what artichokes are good for.
Did you know that there are more than 20,000 species, although in reality there are few species of artichokes that are originally cultivated in the world? The reason is obvious: they need a warm climate and calcareous terrain, which is not possible to find in many places. However, from a historical point of view there is evidence that both the Greeks and the Romans already ate it, while it was not until the arrival of King Henry VII (January 28, 1457 – April 21, 1509) that it was officially introduced In England.
Since then, the artichoke has become a highly appreciated food, not only from a culinary or gastronomic point of view (due to its bitter taste and texture when cooked), but from a medicinal point of view due to its incredible benefits and properties. In fact, as we will discuss later, it becomes one of the most interesting foods when it comes to caring for the liver, acting as an excellent protector and liver cleanser.
Suitable for fighting diabetes.
Different studies have been able to verify that the artichoke is capable of reducing blood sugar levels, in such a way that it is constituted as an indispensable and indisputable food in the diet of the diabetic, by helping to fight diabetes from a nutritional point of view.
It is a food that does not increase blood glucose levels abruptly. In fact, not only does it help to keep it stable, but it is even capable of helping to reduce it in a totally natural way.
Excellent digestive.
The artichoke is rich in cynarin, an acidic substance capable of increasing the secretion of bile. Due to this quality, it becomes an ideal food both for the digestive system and to help the proper functioning of both the liver and the bile.
In the particular case of cynarin, it acts to increase the production of bile, so necessary and essential for the digestion of fats. Hence, it is an ideal food to facilitate heavy and difficult digestions.
Ideal to eliminate toxins.
Precisely because of its cynarin content, the artichoke is also a suitable food to eliminate toxins accumulated in our body, a well-recognized benefit that has ultimately given it that popularity as well-known as a cleanser.
To care for and purify the liver.
The artichoke is also especially useful for purifying the liver, helping to regenerate liver cells in a completely natural way. For this reason it also helps to fight toxic substances, being a recommended food in case of fatty liver (a disorder consisting of the accumulation of fat in the liver, which if not treated can evolve to more serious stages, such as cirrhosis or Liver cancer).
Due to the presence of cynarin, the artichoke is also recommended in case of jaundice, lazy liver and poor digestion of fats.
In case of high cholesterol and triglycerides.
Since the artichoke is a bitter-tasting food, it favors liver function, it helps us digest fats much better, it is rich in cynarin, and it acts as an excellent cleanser and diuretic, it is also useful in reducing cholesterol. High and triglycerides.
In the particular case of high cholesterol and high triglycerides, a regular consumption of cooked artichokes (without accompanying them with fat) helps to lower the levels of both total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol, in turn acting positively on the HDL (good) cholesterol.