Artichoke Benefits and
Artichoke Nutrition This exquisite, healthy vegetable
offers many health benefits. The artichoke is bursting
with vitamins including several B vitamins - B1, B2, B3,
B4, B5 and B6. This vegetable also contains vitamin C,
vitamin E and vitamin K which are essential to our
health and vitality as they significantly encourage and
improve bodily functions. These important vitamins in
artichokes can energize the body, making us feel more
alert and energetic. The vitamin C content in artichokes
assist the immune system by strengthening it which in
turn helps us to ward off colds, flu, illness and major
health diseases. Artichoke is recognized for its
therapeutic and healing qualities and it can even reduce
blood pressure and cholesterol levels, aid the digestive
system by helping it to break down fat, and relieve
water retention. Another great benefit of artichokes is
that eating them can help to keep the liver protected.
The artichoke provides many nutrients including
beta-carotene, calcium, iron, potassium and zinc.
Facts
about Artichoke
- Health Benefits and Nutrition
Artichoke has benefits and
vitamins including B vitamins - B1, B2, B3,
B4, B5, B6
Artichoke is recognized for its
therapeutic and healing benefits and qualities
Eating
artichokes has health benefits and keeps the liver protected
Artichoke can
be stored for 2-3 days in the refrigerator to
maintain its freshness
Artichoke is
great served with a dip or sauce, such
as a vinaigrette dip or garlic butter dip
Artichoke Calories
Artichokes
are low in calories, they are full of goodness and
vitality! The amount of calories
in artichoke depends on the way that this vegetable is cooked, for example if the
artichoke is
baked, grilled, roasted, steamed or boiled. The
following calorie guide can be used to calculate the
amount of calories in artichokes:
What is Artichoke? - Health Benefits and Nutrition Artichoke is a large, healthy vegetable that is
either purple or green in color. Artichoke grows on
stalks and looks different, perhaps a little
unusual. The tight leaves form the shape of a globe.
The inner leaves are tightly wrapped around the
centre of the artichoke. The actual artichoke is the
unopened flower bud of a perennial plant. Each
individual artichoke bud consists of tough outer
leaves. The tips are hard and inedible. The base is
quite the opposite as it's tender and fleshy. The
leaves are wrapped tightly around the heart of the
artichoke. The heart is also known as the thistle or
choke as it is a part of the flower bud and it looks
like a cone of light colored leaves.
The
History of Artichoke
- Health Benefits and Nutrition
This is a unique and interesting
vegetable that originated in the Mediterranean. The artichoke
is sometimes confused with cardoons which are closely
related but are an uncultivated form of artichoke that
were commonly grown in Southern Europe. It is believed
that the artichoke first became popular in Italy. This
green, healthy vegetable is grown in many European
countries as well as other parts of the world. This
vegetable is widely grown in France in the area of
Brittany.
Picking and Storing
Artichoke - Health Benefits and Nutrition Eat artichokes as soon as possible
after buying them as the nutritional content will be at
its highest. Artichoke can be stored for 2-3 days in the
refrigerator if necessary. Try to pick lively and
vibrant looking artichokes that are as fresh as possible
with tight leaves.
Preparing
Artichoke for Cooking and Eating - Health Benefits and
Nutrition Remove the stalk by twisting it off.
Chop the bases flat and remove any little leaves from
the base. Spiky leaves can be trimmed slightly. Wash the
artichoke under cold running water.
Boiling Artichoke
Place the artichoke in a pan of water
and add the juice of half a lemon to the water. Cook
larger sized artichokes in simmering water for
approximately 30-40 minutes, or until tender. Smaller
varieties will take less time to boil. To check if the
artichoke is cooked properly, pull off an artichoke
leaf. If it's cooked properly, the leaf should pull away
easily and the base of it should be tender. Other
alternative cooking methods that are suitable for this
vegetable include steaming, baking and roasting.
Artichoke is great served with a dip or sauce, such as a vinaigrette dip or
garlic butter dip which are very suited to this
vegetable and compliment it lovely. There are many
artichoke recipes bursting with health benefits and
nutrition to try such as stuffed artichoke!
Health
experts and nutritionists believe that a well-balanced
diet that includes at least five portions of fruit and
vegetables per day will help to considerably improve our
lifestyles and ultimately extend our lives
