Artichoke (Cynara Scolymus) Leaf Extract
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From: Mediterranean
Form: Extract
Food source: Artichoke
Benefits of Artichoke
- Gut health
- Relieves bloating
- Digestion
What is Artichoke?
A famously tedious food item to prepare, Artichokes are a staple in Mediterranean cuisines and have been used for centuries in traditional medicine. Artichokes can support your intestinal and digestive tract as well as provide a beneficial effect on blood lipid and cholesterol levels. So it’s absolutely worth going through all that effort of getting rid of those coarse leaves!
The common assumption is that Artichokes are a vegetable - they aren’t, they’re a thistle. This is important because Artichokes, along with other thistles such as milk thistle, can provide us with a range of health benefits. These thistles contain the substances 'cynarin' and 'silymarin', both of which help to regenerate liver cells. Cynarin is a compound which supports the liver in producing bile. Bile is essential to the detoxification process because it carries toxins out of the liver and into the gut for elimination. Silymarin is a substance that provides protection to the liver cells and encourages detoxification. Silymarin is also acclaimed for helping protect the liver from the effects of alcohol, and increasing the rate of alcohol detoxification. You may also be interested in reading ‘5 signs your liver needs a detox’.
Artichokes are also a good prebiotic. This means they contain certain fibres, specifically Inulin (link) which are food for the millions of micro-organisms that live in our gut. The ‘gut microbiome’ is not only important for our digestive system but also for our whole body. These bacteria and fungi have a whole range of roles in our health and they need to be provided with energy, and prebiotics like Artichoke are a great source of energy.
