Do you know what artichoke is? Artichoke is a European plant (Cynara scolymus) of the daisy family cultivated for its large thistlelike flower heads. Artichokes can be produced from seeds or from vegetative means such as root cuttings, division or micropropagation.
Since ancient times, the artichoke has been used for liver and gallbladder conditions, ‘cleaning’ the blood, as well as the bladder. The Egyptians highly prized it as a health and diet food and Plinius described it as the ‘food for the rich’ because of the health problems contributed to a ‘rich’ life style – excessive in rich foods, fats and wine that led to liver illnesses (such as cirrhosis), gout and a general run down condition.
The artichoke is very high in fiber, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus and other trace elements important for a balanced system. It is known to positively help poor liver function as well as lower the blood sugar, improve the appetite and digestion, is diuretic and may help some migraine conditions (most especially those caused by toxins in the blood). As it helps the body rid itself of excess water and moves toxins it also has the added side effect of improved skin luminosity.
Artichoke has chemicals that can reduce nausea and vomiting, spasms and intestinal gas. These chemicals have also been shown to lower cholesterol.
Some people use artichoke for treating snakebites, lowering blood pressure, preventing gallstones, increase urine flow and as a tonic or stimulant.
How to Use Artichoke ?
The suggested adult amount of the standardized leaf extract is 300-640 mg three times daily for a minimum of six weeks. Alternatively, if a standardized extract is not available, the amount of the crude, dried leaves is 1-4 grams, three times a day.
How to Eat an Artichoke
- Cut off the sharp leaf tips with an artichoke knife or scissors. This is optional, but it makes eating the artichoke much easier later on.
- Boil the artichoke in salted water or steam them for 20-45 minutes, until tender. Don’t cover the pot if boiling, or else acids in the artichoke will not be able to escape and they will turn the artichokes brown. You can also microwave them, individually wrapped in plastic, for 8-15 minutes, or put them in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes. You know it is done when you pull at a leaf and it comes away with little resistance.
- Drain them upside down.
- Take the outer leaves off one by one and hold like a potato chip. Take a look at it – you should be able to see the edible part pretty clearly. It’s lighter in color and down at the base of the leaf, where it was attached to the heart.
- Coat the tip (the part that was attached to the heart of the choke) in whatever dip has been offered.
- Gently nibble or scrape off the tender bits of the bottom of the leaf by putting the leaf in your mouth, closing your teeth on it, and pulling the leaf outwards. The “good part” will detach from the more woody, fibrous part of the leaf easily and leave the tasty bit for you to savor.
- Discard the leftover leaves in a container or in a pile on your plate
- Continue until you get to the smaller center leaves that don’t have much meatiness to them. These leaves look a bit different than the outer leaves and often have a translucent quality with a bit of purple on them.
- Pull off the center leaves. Depending on how well-cooked the artichoke is, you can sometimes lift off the smaller inner leaves all together for one last dip in the sauces and bite the ends off delicately (but don’t eat the sharp tips). They cover a finer, almost hairy growth just on top of the heart of the artichoke. Some people call this part the “choke,” which is what you will do if you eat it, as it is very prickly.
- Remove the choke using gentle strokes with a fork or the toothed edge of a kitchen knife until you are down to the heart. This is a very important step and often where people go wrong without proper instruction.
- Eat your heart out. The heart of the artichoke is the most prized portion and often the only part restaurant chefs use in their recipes, but at home you can savor the whole artichoke experience. Enjoy
Source :- Evitamins.com
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