Artichoke
Latin name:
Cynara scolymus L.
Common name:
Artichoke
Family:
Asteraceae
Origin:
Mediterranean area
Part of the plant used:
Leaf
Description
Unknown in the wild, the artichoke is probably the result of selection and improvement of the cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.). The artichoke leaf contains at least 0.8% chlorogenic acid. The components responsible for the plant's activity are acid-alcohols and acid-phenol esters (caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, cynarin).
Used for several centuries, the artichoke is a so-called choleretic plant: the active ingredients of the plant promote the secretion of bile by the gallbladder, thus facilitating the digestion of fats.
The benefits
- Choleretic effects;
- Double action: cholesterol-lowering (decrease of the cholesterol level in the blood) and triglyceride-lowering (decrease of the blood triglycerides);
- Hepato-protective effects.
