Artichoke, herbal remedy

Cynara scolymus is the scientific name of the artichoke, the vegetable that we use for cooking. The artichoke belongs to the Composite family and it isn’t just a yummy ingredient but it may become also a herbal remedy. From its leaves, indeed, a mother tincture is obtained rich in phenol compounds such as cynarin, cinaropicrin and caffeic acid. Thanks to these substances the remedy has antioxidant and diuretic properties and is able to protect the liver and the cardiovascular system (Kurt et al, Case reports Hepatol, Sep 2014). The intake of artichoke’s leave extracts has been demonstrated, in fact, to be able to help regenerate the liver, it rebalances the transaminase in case of damages of the liver and fatty liver, acts by reducing blood sugar level, the triglycerides and the cholesterol (Sahebkar et al, Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2018). In particular, this remedy seems to act on two mechanisms that determine the values of cholesterol in blood. First of all, the artichoke mother tincture increases the production of the bile and thus the expulsion of bile acid and cholesterol through bile, secondly, it is able to lower the endogenous synthesis of cholesterol, namely its production by the body (Rangoboo et al, Int J Hepatol, May 2016). Thanks to these characteristics, the mother tincture of artichoke may be useful to treat digestive problems, poor digestion, bloating, heaviness, fatty liver, high cholesterol, cellulite, diabetes. For what concerns the dosage, you can take 30 drops in a little water from 1 to 3 times a day 15 minutes before the meals. Avoid during pregnancy and breastfeeding.