Artichoke Benefits

Artichokes were originally found around the Mediterranean Sea, and were used to help fight the digestive issues of ancient Rome. They finally started making artichokes into appetizers, and after a while food was made into Italian cuisine and it's been that way ever since.

Over the years artichokes have also been referred to by several different names such as the Globe, or French artichoke. There is another type of artichoke that grows in America and is called the "Jerusalem Artichoke". Jerusalem artichokes or (sunchokes) can be eaten raw or cooked, and are very fluffy and hard to peel if you want.

We can get all the vitamin C needed today (that's 20 percent) by eating just one medium-sized artichoke. They are also a good vegetable for getting magnesium, and potassium is important for supporting our heart to stay healthy. Another increase in Artichoke is only 60 calories, and it is loaded with antioxidants that fight the disease.

Artichokes are a great vegetable to help us with foods that kill stomach fat, just as it keeps us in good health in some way, just as it helps us with our digestive processes. They also help our heart make bile essential for good digestion. We will suffer from stomach ache and indigestion if the liver does not produce enough bile.

We may experience indigestion (bad digestion) if we feel pain in your stomach, stomach ache, or feel too full after eating a meal that is normal for you. Scientific studies have shown significant improvement when patients with dispepsia are given artichoke extracts. If you prefer to eat whole artichokes, you will also benefit from helping your appetite.

Help with heart disease

In addition to helping digest our food, bile also helps us with the fat we eat by breaking down cholesterol. If our body doesn't produce enough bile, our cholesterol levels will rise. If you have liver problems, and you eat a low fat diet, you can still have high cholesterol. The good news is that this is where artichokes will play. Because they help us bile, by eating artichokes, we may be able to help our cholesterol. In Germany they conducted a study showing that taking extracts from artichokes for 6 weeks resulted in a bad cholesterol (LDL), which dropped by more than 20%. Studies have also shown that artichokes can also maintain other cholesterol from being created in our liver.

Help with our blood sugar

In addition to breaking down high-fat foods, our liver also stores glucose, also known as sugar, in the form of glycogen. It eventually converts glycogen back into glucose when our body needs it. Because some people suffer from these problems, their liver tends to work constantly delivering glucose so their blood cannot be used. This excess of glucose will eventually lead one to develop high sugar and other problems.

Researchers have found that ingredients in artichokes prevent people from making glucose. Scientists think that artichokes might one day be useful for noninsulin-dependent diabetic patients. People may use plants like artichokes to help their diabetes stay elsewhere in the future.

Artichokes are part of a long list of foods that kill belly fat, but are also good vegetables that help with heart disease, help with our blood sugar, and digestive problems. We really can't afford to lose this important vegetable from our diet.

Artichoke pointers

When choosing artichoke, choose one of the same colors, with a small heavy head. Stay away from those who look dry and withered and who look pale.

Large artichokes can be made inside or for filling in fillings or dishes, smaller ones make good appetizers.

When preparing your artichokes, you need to cut about an inch from the top, then cut a quarter inch on the leaf tips as they are inedible.

If you have never had an artichoke to eat before it can confuse the part you can eat. The leaves on the artichoke are bitter and hard, the leaves are however soft and can be pulled from the heart of the artichoke to be eaten by pulling the leaves through your teeth.

After all the leaves are pulled from the artichoke, the only thing left is the artichoke heart. The heart of the artichoke is a sweet, sweet taste that is all edible, but first you need to remove the outer fuzz preferably with a spoon before eating.

You can stimulate the artichoke in a steamer or just boil it in some water. In about 30 minutes they should be tender and ready to eat. Artichokes can also be microwaved. To do this, you must first rinse it to add moisture, wrap each in plastic wrap, and cook on high heat for 10-15 minutes for 4 artichokes. To check if artichokes are done the artichoke meat should be soft.

You can eat artichokes as hot or cold as you like. You can also serve it with dipping sauce, but if you watch what you eat, try to get a low-calorie dip, or try a yoghurt-based dip.

------------------