The artichoke is a plant of Mediterranean origin, belonging to the Asteraceae family, characterized by a robust stem, of which the edible part is a flower still in bud.

The artichoke is often included in the nutritional advice both for the mineral salts (calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium) and for the vitamins (A, B1, B2, C, PP) it contains. In addition, the active ingredient of cynarine has healing effects on the liver and reduces excessive lipid and cholesterol levels.

To preserve all the nutrient that would otherwise be lost during cooking, it would be ideal to eat raw artichokes in salads. They are also excellent steamed, roasted or stuffed as an ingredient for tasty quiches. And don’t throw away the stem! It’s great for preparing soups or salads.

Artichokes have few calories, about 22 per 100 grams of edible portion, and many fibers. For this reason, the artichoke is often included in slimming diets, thanks to its ability to satiate and eliminate liquids. For this purpose, you can drink herbal tea based on artichoke, which are widely used in natural medicine.