Artichoke Archives - Amazing Health Benefits

It’s a lovely day to discover the health benefits of artichoke. Artichoke is a common vegetable that’s common to most people. But some of its other names are Globe Artichoke, Cynara Cardunculus, French Artichoke, and Green Artichoke. This is my list of the health benefits of artichoke. 1. Artichoke Is A Good Source Of Vitamins And Minerals For starters, artichoke is a source of carbohydrates, fiber, and protein. It’s a good source of vitamin B9 or folate and vitamin K. But you can also get vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, C, and E. For your daily minerals, you should get calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc. 2. Helps Boost Your Metabolism You can find magnesium and manganese in artichoke. Magnesium is part of protein synthesis in your body. While manganese has an impact on metabolic rates of amino acids, carbohydrates, and cholesterol. 3. Artichoke May Help Improve Digestive Health The fiber in artichoke makes it good for digestion. It helps prevent and relieve digestive disorders like bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, and gas. This vegetable also contains inulin that acts as a prebiotic. This means that it promotes the growth of good bacteria in your gut. 4. May Improve Brain Functions Because artichoke helps with better blood circulation, it promotes good delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the brain. Furthermore, this vegetable contains phosphorus and there’s a correlation between phosphorus in the brain. You can check this article (Studies On The Phosphorus Compounds Of Brain) for more information on this. 5. Artichoke May Improve Cholesterol Levels Artichoke leaf extracts have been found to have a positive effect in reducing bad cholesterol levels. One (Lipid-lowering activity of artichoke extracts) of these studies tells you that this vegetable has lipid-lowering effects. It may also simultaneously increase your good cholesterol levels. In this study (Beneficial effects of artichoke leaf extract supplementation on increasing HDL-cholesterol), artichoke leaf extracts helped increase HDL cholesterol levels. 6. Is Rich In Antioxidants Artichoke is filled with phytonutrients that have antioxidant benefits. Antioxidants help fight harmful free radicals that can cause damage to your cells or organs. The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition even ranks artichoke higher than dark chocolate in terms of antioxidant contents. 7. Artichoke May Help Lower Blood Sugar Levels Although more studies should still be done, artichoke has been mentioned together with other vegetables to help reduce blood sugar levels. In this study (Appetite control and glycaemia reduction) it has positive effects in managing blood sugar levels when consumed with kidney beans. Another study showed artichoke extracts to slow down the activity of the enzyme that breaks down starch into glucose. This could have an impact on blood sugar. 8. Helps Improve Skin Health Eating artichoke can do good things for your skin. Vitamins C and E that are present in this vegetable are needed in the production of collagen which is needed for your skin’s tissues. Furthermore, the antioxidants can help delay signs of skin aging like dark spots and wrinkles. Have you heard about arjuna? It’s also good for your skin. You can check my article about arjuna’s health benefits here. 9. Artichoke May Help Regulate Blood Pressure Levels Artichoke has been seen to improve blood pressure levels. Based on this study (Artichoke leaf juice contains antihypertensive effect), consuming artichoke leaf juice for 12 weeks reduced both diastolic and systolic blood pressure. A possible reason for this effect could be that it can promote eNOS enzymes that can widen blood vessels. Another possible reason is that it’s a source of potassium. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure. 10. Helps Improve Heart Health Artichoke may be called a heart-friendly food. Since it may help manage your cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels, it may help prevent heart problems and improve its health. These 2 are essential in keeping your heart healthy. 11. Artichoke May Help Protect Your Liver Artichoke leaf extracts may protect your liver by promoting the growth of new tissue. It can also increase bile production that may help remove toxins from your liver according to this study (Artichoke leaf extract - Recent findings reflecting effects on lipid metabolism, liver and gastrointestinal tracts). Researchers think that the antioxidants cynarine and silymarin may partly be the reason for how artichoke protects the liver. 12. Helps Increase Bone Mineral Density The minerals present in artichoke help improve bone mineral density. The vegetable is a source of magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus that are needed for better bone health. This can help reduce the risk of bone health issues like osteoporosis. Conclusion These are some of the health benefits of artichoke that you may want to know more about. I like it that it’s very high in antioxidants and fiber. This is the best health benefit of artichoke for me. What’s yours? Although artichoke is a common vegetable, you should still first ask your doctor or health professional if it’s safe for you to consume it. And please share this article if you think it’s valuable. Thank you!