Artichoke: properties, benefits and tricks to cook them

What is the artichoke and what is it for?

artichoke, inflorescence of the artichoke (Cynara scolymus), is a very valuable food and well known for its cleansing properties and benefits for the liver. Not only does it provide a good amount of vitamins and minerals with hardly any fat, but also a fiber, inulin, which has a prebiotic effectand numerous therapeutic effects are attributed to it.

The artichoke season It goes from autumn to spring, as it has two blooms: one from October to December and another from February or March to April. In Spain, artichokes are widely cultivated in tudela (Navarre), Benicarlo (Alicante), where they have a protected designation of origin, and The Prat (Barcelona).

The leaves of the artichoke plant are also used for medicinal purposes.

Artichoke properties

Artichokes are a excellent diureticvery useful to promote the emission of urine and relieve urinary disorders such as bladder and urethral infections, kidney stones, excess uric acid and urea or edema.

They are also a food with alkalizing power thanks to its richness in minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, fiber and B vitamins.

But it stands out above all for a series of substances that are found in very small quantities, but that have notable physiological effects. Among them are:

The cynarinthat helps protect the liver.The inulina fiber that reduces the concentration of sugar in the blood after meals and that favors the balance of the intestinal flora.

It is therefore a cleansing food to take into account.

Nutritional value

A 200 gram portion of artichoke provides a 33% of the phosphorus that the body needs per day, a 18% of potassiuma 15% of magnesium and a 13% of the calcium.

It also contributes group B vitaminsespecially vitamin B1, vitamin B6 and folic acid, as well as some vitamin C.

This concentration of nutrients is accompanied by very few calories: it provides only 47 calories per 100 grams.

Health benefits

The properties of the artichoke make it indicated to prevent or improve different health problems. These are its main indications and health benefits:

for the liver

With an exquisite flavor, between sweet and bitter, the artichoke, consumed regularly, increases bile secretion and blood supply to the liver, which helps to digest better.

Thanks to cynaropicrin and cynarin, two of its active principles, it favors the liver cell regeneration and lessens the impact that alcohol and other toxic substances have on them.

It also improves slow digestions, that cause the sensation of being full and it is also a remedy in the convalescence of hepatitis and against dropsy (swelling of the abdomen due to fluid accumulation).

for the kidney

Artichoke increases diuresis and urea excretiona toxic substance that is produced in the body as a result of protein metabolism and must be excreted in the urine.

When kidney function is impaired, the urea level in the blood increases and can cause painful gout attacks.

It is also useful against fluid retention with oliguria (scarce urine production).

for cholesterol

The artichoke decreases the tendency of cholesterol to be deposited on the walls of the arteries, thus exerting a preventive effect of arteriosclerosis.

To lower the sugar

the artichoke is hypoglycemic and rich in inulina carbohydrate easy to assimilate by diabetics.

For the skin

Many dermatitis disappear or improve after stimulating the processes of liver detox. Regular consumption of artichokes can thus help to improve some chronic skin conditions.

How to cook artichokes

The artichoke is a vegetable with multiple therapeutic and culinary uses. When preparing it, some things must be taken into account to avoid deterioration: avoid prolonged boils, as overcooking affects its flavor and texture. And, once cooked, it should not be stored either, because it is colonized by a greyish fungus called bremia that could be harmful to health.

In general, the artichoke is a vegetable that requires some work in the kitchen: You have to cut off part of the base and the hard tips, tear off the most fibrous outer leaves and, sometimes, remove the fuzz from the inside.

Its delicate flavor and unique culinary properties make it an ingredient ideal for creating festive and succulent dishes. Artichoke hearts or bottoms are an example, and can be prepared with an endless number of different fillings.

to cook the Baked artichokeAll you have to do is cut the trunk, remove some outer leaves and season them with garlic, salt or a few drops of lemon or tamari, which are introduced inside by opening them slightly. So that they do not dry out, add a little water or broth and a splash of olive oil.

He cooking time it’s hard to pin down. To find out if they are ready, an outer sheet is torn off: if it comes off easily, they can be removed from the oven.