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Artichoke

When purchasing artichokes, choose heavy, deep-green ones with tightly packed leaves.

The artichoke is a member of the thistle family; the edible portion is basically a large flower bud with tough, petal-shaped leaves, and an inedible, prickly flower center. Its elusive, mysterious heart, beneath the prickles, has been hailed as a tonic, as well as a pleasant addition to antipasto plates.

Varieties

The familiar globe artichoke is the only true artichoke (Jerusalem artichokes are unrelated). Artichokes may range in color from dark violet to pale green, and in size from a golf ball to a softball. Baby artichokes are a bit more tender than globe and do not need to be trimmed.

Buying and storing tips

Artichokes can be found in most health food stores, specialty markets, and supermarkets. Look for heavy, deep-green artichokes with tightly packed leaves, avoiding those with heavy browning (a few brown spots are normal, generally indicating frost damage, and won’t affect the flavor). Store unwashed artichokes in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to four days. Artichoke hearts are also available in cans and jars, and as a frozen vegetable.

Availability

Artichokes are available all year long, and are at their peak from March through May.

Preparation, uses, and tips

Wash artichokes just before cooking. Cut off the tips of spikier outside leaves. To cook, place whole artichokes in a large pot, cover with cold water, and add one tablespoon (15ml) of olive oil. Place a plate or pan lid on top to keep them completely immersed. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for about 25 to 30 minutes. To eat a whole cooked artichoke, pull off the leaves one by one, dip each leaf in melted butter, vinaigrette, or other dipping sauce, and scrape off the pulp from the thick end between your teeth. Discard the remainder of the leaf. Once you’ve eaten most of the outer leaves, pull the remaining inner leaves off to expose the inedible prickly choke. Using a sharp knife, cut around the edge beneath the prickles, or gently scrape the prickles off with a spoon to arrive at the tender heart, which can then be cut into pieces and eaten.

Nutritional Highlights

Artichoke (raw), 1 medium
Calories: 60
Protein: 4.2g
Carbohydrate: 13.4g
Total Fat: 0.19g
Fiber: 6.9g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin C (15mg), and Folate (87mcg)
*Good source of: Magnesium (76.8mg), and Potassium (474mg)

*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value. Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries. Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specific nutritional values and the recommended daily guidelines.

Health benefits and concerns

Asthma

Vitamin C, an antioxidant present in fruits and vegetables, is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. This anti-inflammatory activity may influence the development of asthma symptoms. A large preliminary study has shown that young children with asthma experience significantly less wheezing if they eat a diet high in fruits rich in vitamin C.

Bruising

Many Americans eat insufficient amounts of foods containing vitamin C; the disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, scurvy, causes easy bruising. While very few people actually have scurvy, even minor deficiencies of vitamin C can increase the incidence of bruising. People who experience easy bruising may want to try eating more fruits and vegetables—common dietary sources of vitamin C.

Capillary fragility

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables provides more of the nutrients that support the structure of capillaries.

High homocysteine

A controlled trial showed that eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables containing folic acid, beta-carotene, and vitamin C effectively lowered homocysteine levels. Healthy people were assigned to either a diet containing a pound of fruits and vegetables per day, or to a diet containing 3 1/2 ounces (99g) of fruits and vegetables per day. After four weeks, those eating the higher amount of fruits and vegetables had an 11 percent lower homocysteine level compared to those eating the lower amount of fruits and vegetables.

Kidney stones

Potassium reduces urinary calcium excretion, and people who eat high amounts of dietary potassium appear to be at low risk of forming kidney stones. The best way to increase potassium is to eat fruits and vegetables. The level of potassium in food is much higher than the small amounts found in supplements.

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

In one survey, researchers gathered information from nearly 400 people (half with MS) over three years. They found that consumption of vegetable protein, fruit juice, and foods rich in vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, and potassium correlated with a decreased MS risk.

Stroke

Researchers have found an association between diets low in potassium and increased risk of stroke. However, the association of increasing dietary potassium intake and decreasing stroke mortality only occurred in black men and hypertensive men in one study. Others have found an association between increased risk of stroke and the combination of low dietary potassium plus high salt intake. Increasing dietary potassium has lowered blood pressure in humans, which by itself should reduce the risk of stroke; however, some of the protective effect of potassium appears to extend beyond its ability to lower blood pressure. Maintaining a high potassium intake is best achieved by eating fruits and vegetables.

Health benefits and concerns for vegetables
Many health benefits and concerns associated with this food are applicable to other vegetables. Read about health benefits and concerns for vegetables for a full description.