[Effects of Artichoke] Western Herb of Eternity? 3 Benefits of Artichoke

Hello, I am Jinny, a pharmacist.

I do not recommend consuming natural foods for health management purposes, but I also do not believe that foods that have been consumed for medicinal purposes for a long time around the world are not effective. When consumed as a natural food, it is just difficult to quantify the active ingredients, so there is a risk of under- or over-consumption, and other ingredients contained in the food are also consumed, so it is not recommended.

However, when looking at all the ingredients contained, there are foods that are recommended to be consumed sufficiently as natural foods, and a representative such food is artichoke. Artichoke, known as the herb of eternity in the West and loved in Korea as well, is a low-calorie food with about 50 kcal per 100g, has a low sugar content, and contains 10 types of vitamins and 8 types of minerals[1], making it close to a natural multivitamin.

In addition, artichokes are rich in dietary fiber and also contain bioactive substances such as chlorogenic acid, cynarin, and apigenin[2], making it a superfood. Furthermore, in Europe and Australia, artichoke in tablet or capsule form is used as an adjuvant treatment for digestive disorders, biliary tract diseases, and improvement of lipid metabolism [3].

Today, we will take a look at the results of academic research on the benefits of consuming artichokes, to see what research results have shown and why they are used for medicinal purposes beyond health foods.

[1] USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 1 April, 2018, Full Report (All Nutrients) 11007, Artichokes, (globe or french), Raw

[2] Wang, M., Simon, J. E., Aviles, I. F., He, K., Zheng, Q. Y., & Tadmor, Y. (2003). Analysis of antioxidative phenolic compounds in artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.). Journal of agricultural and Food Chemistry, 51(3), 601-608.

[3] Mahboubi, M. (2018). Cynara scolymus (artichoke) and its efficacy in management of obesity. Bulletin of faculty of pharmacy, Cairo University, 56(2), 115-120.

Artichokes are generally known to help digestion by stimulating the secretion of bile. In European countries, where artichokes are said to have been consumed medicinally since the 4th century BC, artichokes are still used in the form of capsules or tablets to treat indigestion. It is widely used, and its scope of use includes typical symptoms of indigestion such as fullness, nausea, and flatulence.

These benefits of artichokes have already been verified in a scientifically designed, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 2003. Holtmann and researchers reported that in a human application test targeting 244 patients with functional dyspepsia (indigestion that occurs without any special abnormalities in the digestive system), improvement in satiety and bloating and quality of life were confirmed due to the consumption of artichoke. I'm doing it.

I mentioned earlier that artichoke promotes bile secretion. Bile is synthesized from cholesterol in the liver and secreted into the small intestine through the bile duct. It not only helps with the absorption and decomposition of fat, but also stimulates insulin secretion to promote metabolism. However, if bile secretion is not smooth, bile accumulates within the liver cells, threatening liver health.

For this reason, there was tentative speculation in academia that artichokes may also be helpful for liver health. To verify this hypothesis, Rangboo and researchers (2016) conducted a human application test on 60 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The results of the test showed that consumption artichokes improved liver enzymes, reduced blood triglycerides, and improved cholesterol levels.

As explained in the beginning, artichokes are rich in vitamins and minerals, bioactive phenolic compounds such as chlorogenic acid, cynarin, and apigenin, and dietary fiber. It has been inferred that each of these ingredients may be widely helpful in antioxidants as well as liver protection, suppression of blood sugar levels, and prevention of metabolic syndrome.

Academic research is now turning to whether artichokes may also help improve blood pressure. In 2021, Moradi and researchers reported to the academic world the results of a comprehensive analysis of a total of 8 human trials involving 552 subjects. In this study, artichoke supplementation improved systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with hypertension. This suggests that this has been confirmed.

Today, we reviewed academic research results on the superfood artichoke, which can be consumed as a natural food or in quantified capsule or tablet form. Considering the nutrients contained in artichoke and the research results, I think it is a food that has significant benefits when consumed by people at high risk for adult diseases or metabolic syndrome.

However, in human application tests, artichoke improved satiety (early satiety) and bloating, but had no particular effect on upper abdominal pain or nausea. Also, although it was helpful in improving blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure, it did not improve blood pressure in patients with fatty liver disease. Therefore, I recommend that you use it according to your health condition.

I hope you have a healthy day both physically and mentally. This was Jinny.