Artichoke (Cynara scolymus)

Native to the Mediterranean, Globe Artichoke is a well known vegetable with its distinctive sweet, nutty taste, but this plant is also a valued herbal medicine whose leaves are traditionally used to support digestive, liver, and cardiovascular health.

Cultivated by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, the Roman scholar Pliny recording that Artichoke was more valued than any other garden herb. Its known use in England dates to the 16th century when it was planted in Henry VIII’s garden at New Hall in Essex.

Medicinal use

The main active chemical in artichoke - ‘cynarin’, is found in all parts of the plant, making globe artichokes a useful therapeutic food, however by far the highest concentrations are in the bitter leaves.

Artichoke leaf improves appetite and digestion, its bitter taste stimulating taste receptors on the tongue which increases secretion of digestive juices and enzymes, which is especially useful for elderly people and convalescents. Studies have confirmed that artichoke leaf also reduces nausea, abdominal fullness, pain, gas, constipation, and fat intolerance in patients with indigestion and IBS.

This herb is also esteemed for its benefits on the liver for protecting and regenerating liver cells (much like Milk Thistle), making it a useful protection against liver damage, most likely due to the antioxidant properties of cynarin.  Its bitter properties also stimulate bile production and release, which improves fat digestion, bowel elimination, as well as detoxification processes in skin conditions such as eczema.

It is also a ‘go to’ herb in treatments for high cholesterol, blood pressure and atherosclerosis, with studies showing that it reduces cholesterol and triglycerides, and improves the ratio of high-density lipoproteins (HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol), to low-density lipoproteins (LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol).  This effect is thought to be due to Artichoke’s liver supporting effects, the organ responsible for cholesterol metabolism.

Artichoke leaves also act on the kidneys, promoting urine output (diuretic effect) thus reducing fluid retention and some types of blood pressure, and by increasing acid waste elimination supporting treatments for arthritis, rheumatism, and gout.

Harvesting and use

Artichoke leaves are harvested on a dry day in early summer and then hung in a well-ventilated room for 1-2 weeks until dry. The normal dose is around 1g of dried leaf infused for 10 minutes in just boiled water, repeated 3 times daily before meals. The tea is bitter, so best combined with sweeter herbs such as Fennel seeds. Alternatively, it can be taken in tincture form at a dose of around 20 drops in water 3 times daily.

Safety

Artichoke leaf is safe for everyone except for pregnant or breast-feeding women, although there are no risks associated with eating artichoke globes. Because of its effects on cholesterol, patients should seek professional advice if they are already taking cardiovascular medications.

Growing Artichoke

Artichoke is easy to grow in the garden, and as a perennial plant will crop year after year. It is happy in most soil types but prefers well-drained soil and needs a sunny position (think Mediterranean). Bear in mind this is a big plant growing up to 2 metres high and spreading 1 metre in diameter during the summer months, so can easily outcompete smaller plants.

Artichoke has large, elegant, pale grey green leaves and produces around 5 - 7 globes (unopened flower buds) for the table from the second or third year onwards. In August any un-harvested globes mature into enormous and magnificent purple flowers up to 15cm in diameter, making this a very rewarding plant to cultivate, at once a food, a medicine, and a sculptural garden plant.

Cooking fresh Artichoke

Wash the Artichoke globe under cold running water then stand it upright in a saucepan containing 10 cm of lightly salted boiling water, cover and cook for 20 - 30 minutes, then allow to cool off. Eating fresh artichoke is a fiddly but rewarding: first, remove the leaflets one by one and enjoy the fleshy bases dipped in melted butter or virgin olive oil.  Second, remove and discard the inedible fuzzy ‘choke’ (so called because this is exactly what would happen if you tried to eat it) to reveal the succulent base of the flower), known as the ‘heart’ and dig in. Jars of Italian Artichoke hearts in olive oil are available (and possibly not very healthy!), but nothing beats the hands-on culinary experience of working through a fresh artichoke.

Most Artichokes in the shops are imported from southern Europe but English artichokes are increasingly available, sometimes slightly smaller than their Mediterranean cousins, but equal in taste.

Cardoons are a closely related Mediterranean species, but their flower heads are spiky, much smaller, and far too bitter to eat. Instead, it is the stems which are peeled and prepared for the table.

Jerusalem Artichoke

Native to the Americas, Helianthus tuberosus is unrelated to Cynara scolymus. It grows up to 3 metres tall and produces large yellow flowers that are so similar to sunflower that it is sometimes called ‘sunroot’. The name Jerusalem may well derive from a mispronunciation of the French ‘Girasole’ meaning sunflower.

The part used is the carbohydrate rich roots, that have a sweet and nutty taste reminiscent of globe artichoke, and which are cooked and prepared like potatoes.

Jerusalem artichokes are a beneficial food for people with Type II diabetes, because they contain a substance called ‘inulin’ (nothing to do with insulin), a type of fructose which is broken down slowly in the digestive system so doesn’t cause the rapid blood sugar rises associated with other starchy vegetables and grains.