Artichoke

Artichokes are the flower buds of a Mediterranean thistle. Eat the fleshy leaf bases and tender heart – steamed, fried or preserved in jars all year round.

What is an artichoke? The prickly heart of a thistle

Botanically, the Mediterranean artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) isn't really a vegetable at all, but the huge, often plate-sized, prickly flower bud of a tough thistle – which protects it well from hungry animals in the wild. The ancient Romans and Greeks already ate the soft-cooked lower scales and the prized, butter-soft "artichoke heart" hidden deep inside at their lavish feasts. They served it alongside rich, fatty meat and plenty of wine.

A bitter vegetable with plenty of inulin

Beyond its flavour, the prickly heart has some interesting numbers:

• Calories: very few – though that depends a lot on the olive oil you dip it in (about 47 kcal per 100g of heart).
• Inulin: a large share of the artichoke's carbohydrate is inulin, a long-chain fructan our own enzymes can't break down. It reaches the large intestine intact, where bifidobacteria ferment it.
• Antioxidants (ORAC): among commonly measured vegetables (not counting exotic berries), the artichoke ranks near the very top for water-soluble antioxidants such as rutin and chlorogenic acid.

What studies have looked at: bile, liver and cholesterol

Cynarin and bile

The typical bitter, aperitif-like aftertaste of artichoke comes from a caffeoylquinic acid derivative called cynarin. In studies with artichoke extracts, researchers measured an increase in bile secretion from the liver and gallbladder. Bile emulsifies the fat from a meal (cheese or avocado, for example) into tiny droplets, so that lipase enzymes can break it down.

Liver and cholesterol

The liver processes alcohol and many other substances, and fatty liver is common in Western countries. Concentrated extracts from artichoke leaves have been studied for their antioxidant activity in liver tissue. In some studies, cynarin and the leaf extracts also went along with lower LDL cholesterol values; researchers think they affect how much cholesterol the body makes itself and how much is excreted with bile.

How to use it

If you don't have the patience to steam a fresh, hard thistle for up to 45 minutes: no problem. Look for marinated artichoke hearts in a jar instead, in a good organic shop or supermarket. Just check the label: choose hearts in cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil instead of sunflower oil, which many cheaper jars use. Fried artichoke hearts are lovely in a rocket salad and bring inulin to your plate.