Artichoke

Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) is a plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is cultivated in Italy and other Mediterranean countries as food and for curative purposes. It is an herbaceous perennial plant that can sometimes reach up to a meter and a half in height. While its stems are rather short, their flower stalk is sturdy, cylindrical and fleshy. The ends of the leaves can be thorny in some varieties. The immature flowers and a part of their stem are the edible part. Artichoke has many healing properties: it helps digestive and liver function, eliminates intestinal gas, detoxifies, improves lipid metabolism, and is antioxidant.