Artichoke - useful properties and contraindications

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Artichoke is a healthy vegetable that has many valuable properties. It is used not only as a nutritious product, but also as a remedy for the treatment of various ailments. The artichoke acquired its beneficial properties due to its composition.

What is an artichoke and what does it look like

This vegetable is appreciated by nutritionists who use it in a healthy diet. Also, the product is used to create medical and cosmetic products.

Vegetable crops like the sun, they grow in arid climates, so there are practically no plants in Russia. It is found in hot countries. The artichoke is grown in some European countries. Culture is found in Ukraine.

The fruit looks like fleshy scales, like hop cones, with a diameter of 11 cm.

Leaves with roots and stems in Vietnam are used to make tea, and baskets are used as food. They are eaten fresh or boiled. Also, the vegetable is pickled.

Composition and calorie content

The artichoke gained its useful properties due to its unique composition. The product contains:

• vitamin C;
• tannins;
• carotene;
• fatty acid;
• essential oils.

There are also vitamins - B, C, E, K, A. The product is rich in polysaccharides, protein, fiber, carbohydrates. The plant also contains copper, selenium, zinc and many other components. The leaves contain various acids - coffee, glyceric, chlorogenic.

The plant is rich in folic acid, which is vital for the human body.

100 g of product contains only 28 kcal. Even after cooking, the product has a calorie content of no more than 53 kcal. Therefore, it is great for those who want to lose weight. The plant allows you to lose weight without harm to health, as it saturates the body with valuable components.

Useful properties of artichoke

In ancient times, the Egyptians and Greeks used the artichoke in healing. The great benefits of culture were known 5 thousand years ago. The plant was used in the treatment of scurvy, rheumatism, heart ailments, liver diseases, edema.

Another product was recommended to eat for jaundice, gout. Modern doctors also confirm the uniqueness of the plant. The culture has many valuable properties, including a diuretic effect, the ability to excrete bile.

The artichoke is held in high esteem by traditional healers. Because of inulin, the vegetable is advised to be consumed with diabetes.

The product has a beneficial effect on the digestive system. It is recommended to eat it after poisoning with drugs, alcohol, food. Decoctions and tinctures are enriched with sodium and potassium, therefore, they lower acidity in gastritis.

The culture is advised to use for diseases of the liver, kidneys. Medicines made from artichokes are prescribed for hepatitis, nephritis, cholecystitis. These remedies help you recover from antibiotic treatment.

The leaves are used to prepare decoctions. With their help, they lower cholesterol, remove uric acid. In ancient times, decoctions were used to eliminate the smell of sweat, to treat hair loss. Vegetable teas have a beneficial effect on the digestive tract.

The irreplaceable properties of artichoke help in the treatment of allergies, urolithiasis. The extract eliminates the toxic effects of drugs on the body.

Benefits during pregnancy and breastfeeding

The beneficial properties of artichoke for pregnant women are known. Women at this time need a lot of vitamins and minerals. The product contains valuable substances, helps to fight toxicosis.

Folic acid is involved in the formation of the fetus - there is a lot of this substance in the artichoke. Thanks to the use, the normal development of the child is ensured.

The artichoke is prohibited during lactation. Although the product has many positive properties, it negatively affects milk production. Therefore, it is better not to take risks, but rather refuse the vegetable when breastfeeding.

Can you eat artichoke while losing weight?

This culture is indispensable for losing weight. The product contains fiber, which accelerates fat burning. The plant is better than others for losing weight.

The artichoke provides cleansing, fluid removal and fat processing. The vegetable is not capable of destroying them completely, but it can modify for quick elimination.

Although artichoke helps you lose weight, this does not mean that you need to consume only it during the diet. The vegetable is used only as an additive.

Artichoke in medicine - for what diseases it is recommended

Dishes based on this vegetable are recommended for patients with diabetes mellitus. Since it contains substances that replace sucrose, it is indispensable for the nutrition of such patients. Artichoke lowers acidity, cholesterol, eliminates spasms.

The artichoke should not be consumed in case of exacerbation of pancreatitis. Although the product is low in calories, it has a negative impact on health. In addition, the pancreas can become inflamed.

The artichoke is useful for gastritis, but not during an exacerbation. It is advisable to talk to your doctor who will set the dose. With gastritis, it is better not to eat canned food, but to cook it in the form of puree.

Juice is recommended to drink for constipation. This drink provides an acceleration of metabolism, so its consumption eliminates digestive problems.

Since the plant removes harmful substances, it is used for gout. With it, salt deposits are removed from the body.

The artichoke is useful for liver diseases. The plant heals the cells of the organ, restores its work, and reduces the amount of bile. The vegetable is used for hepatitis, jaundice.

Culture is irreplaceable for cholecystitis. The artichoke has a choleretic effect, eliminates nausea. Eating a vegetable can relieve discomfort and heaviness.

Traditional medicine recipes with artichoke

Various compounds are made from the plant, which are used in traditional medicine.

The infusion is useful for strengthening the immune system and healing the body as a whole. How to cook:

1. You will need to grind 2 tsp. inflorescences, which are poured with boiling water (250 ml).
2. The container must be covered with a lid and insulated.
3. After cooling, the product should be filtered.

The infusion can be taken 30 minutes before meals for ½ cup. Drink it 2-3 times a day.

The plant is also suitable for making a decoction. Tear off the leaves of the plant (40 g), pour boiling water over it, put on low heat. After boiling, the product is cooked for 10 minutes. Then it should be infused. It remains to strain. The broth is used for external use.

A healthy and delicious tea can be made from artichoke. The plant (leaves, stems) needs to be crushed - it will take only 2 tsp. Pour the pieces with boiling water, cover with a lid. After infusion, add sugar.

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Harm and contraindications

In order not to endanger your body, you should familiarize yourself with the contraindications of this culture in advance. In some cases, artichokes are best avoided. The product is contraindicated in the following conditions:

• low acidity;
• hypotension;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• kidney failure;
• individual intolerance;
• allergies;
• diseases of the gallbladder;
• stones in the organs.

Otherwise, the product is not prohibited. At the same time, there should be a measure in everything. Eating a lot of vegetables can lead to eating disorders.

How to choose and store

It is necessary to choose dense buds. You shouldn't buy sluggish and dry plants. The fresh vegetable has an even color. There should be no brown spots on the surface. It is enough to press a little on the product to learn about its freshness. If it squeaks, you can buy.

The size of the vegetable does not matter, but it is advisable to choose medium-sized fruits. Vegetables become smaller after peeling.

Store the artichoke in a cool, dry place. So it lasts for a week without loss of properties. Leave raw vegetables in the refrigerator. The boiled product is frozen in the freezer.

Outcomes

1. Artichoke is a plant that has many beneficial properties.
2. The product is used in food and folk medicine.
3. The vegetable is useful for losing weight, as it promotes rapid weight loss.
4. The product should be eaten during pregnancy, and it is contraindicated during lactation.