How Artichoke Benefits You
Recently, there has been a growing trend in artichoke supplements. The main ingredient in artichoke supplements is artichoke extract (artichoke is the Spanish word for artichoke). But how does artichoke really help us? What are the health benefits of artichoke?
We have learned that antioxidants are an important part of human health. Because artichokes are one of the largest sources of antioxidants in vegetables, artichoke products are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help our bodies prevent and fight free radicals, which is extremely important because those free radicals can damage cells and therefore lead to cancer. So, because the artichoke is packed with antioxidants, it helps protect our body and reduces the chances of cancer.
The artichoke extract in artichoke has also been shown to help the body create more bile, which is beneficial to the digestive system in many ways. The body uses bile to help break down fats in the food you eat. By increasing the amount of bile our body produces, artichoke helps prevent all kinds of digestive problems, such as an upset stomach, gas, bloating, and indigestion. However, people with gallstones should avoid artichoke because increased bile and gallbladder contractions can stimulate removal of gallstones.
A lesser-known benefit of artichoke is that it helps lower cholesterol, which is a very important health problem in the United States today. Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced by the liver that sticks to the inner walls of the arteries, making it difficult for blood to pass. Having high cholesterol increases your chances of cardiovascular disease and stroke. The typical diet in the US generally contains too much cholesterol and saturated fat, so to combat cholesterol without changing our diet, we must adjust our lifestyle in other ways, such as exercising and taking artichoke supplements.
Another common health problem in the United States is high blood pressure. High blood pressure or hypertension is another problem that can cause cardiovascular disease. Hypertension is caused by an excess of salts in the body. Artichoke can promote the reduction of high blood pressure by helping our bodies remove excess sodium from the body and thus keeping our cardiovascular system in tip-top shape.
By far the most common function of artichoke supplements is weight loss. Artichoke extract has been shown to have diuretic properties, which means that it helps remove water from the body. Our bodies have a tendency to retain water and swell, which makes us appear larger than we would otherwise be. Because artichoke fights water retention and bloating by removing excess water from the body, our bodies become leaner.
Artichoke can be found in many forms of dietary supplements. Although they are generally marketed primarily as weight loss supplements, the presence of artichoke extract means that any supplement that contains artichoke provides the health benefits listed above. Artichoke vials are vials that contain a liquid supplement, however these supplements are known to taste bad, so instead of taking artichoke vials, many people choose to take artichoke capsules.