Artichokes and Liver Health

Eat your artichokes! From MotherNature.com again:
“If you like artichokes, you are in luck. While few American doctors
consider artichoke a medical herb, European doctors regularly prescribe
artichoke extracts to patients with liver problems. In fact, they have been
using artichoke to treat jaundice and other liver complaints since as far
back as the eighteenth century. Artichokes protect the liver from damage and
help it regenerate-and yes, eating them for dinner counts. However, before
you make up your shopping list, be aware that most commercial artichokes are
highly sprayed, and if you are trying to heal your liver, pesticides are
among the last things you want to eat.
It was not until the 1930s that German and French researchers began to study
artichokes in their laboratories. Later, Italian researchers joined them to
produce a substantial amount of research. In one study, dozens of Polish
workers who were exposed to the toxic chemical fumes of carbon disulfide
were given an artichoke extract for two years. The results of this study

were presented in 1960 at the Symposium on Drugs Affecting Lipid Metabolism
in Milan, Italy. Because of the artichoke, the workers did not experience
the changes in their blood that would normally occur from inhaling this
pollutant. The researchers found that artichoke is also useful in treating
hepatitis because it helps reduce bile levels in the liver, thus decreasing
congestion in the liver and the consequent risk of damage. ”
Aikya

2 Responses to “Artichokes and Liver Health”

  1. loren1000 Says:

    In a message dated 11/06/1999 7:32:28 PM Eastern Standard Time,
    aikya@… writes:
    Which artichoke are we referring to here, the globe artichoke (a big thistle
    bud) — or the Jerusalem artichoke, which really isn’t an artichoke at all?
    I have seen the latter suggested as a cleanser.
    Betsy

  2. beulah18 Says:

    Yum! Artichokes! They’re my 6 yo’s favourite veggie.

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