An artichoke is the unopened flower bud of a thistle, a plant in the daisy family. Left to bloom, the buds turn coarse and barely edible. Genetic work suggests the crop was domesticated from the wild cardoon. Its likely center of origin is southern Italy, probably Sicily.
Eating one can change how your next sip tastes. In a 1972 report in Science, exposing the tongue to artichoke made water taste sweet. The authors named salts of chlorogenic acid and cynarin as the two main active components. They describe it as a temporary change in the tongue, not a sweet substance added by the artichoke.
One raw artichoke (128 g) has 60 calories and 4.2 g of protein. It also has 6.9 g of fiber, about a quarter of the Daily Value (the amount on US food labels). Cooking changes its chemistry: in lab tests, steaming raised its measured antioxidant capacity up to 15-fold.
Nearly all of the trials below tested leaf extract capsules or juice, not the heart on your plate.
Health benefits of artichoke
The top findings from 24 studies, strongest evidence first
What the stars mean
- Strong. Several randomized trials, pooled in a meta-analysis, point the same way, or regulators (FDA or EFSA) have approved the claim.
- Moderate. Good randomized trials support it, but there are fewer of them, or their results vary.
- Limited. Small, short or single trials, or mixed results. Promising, but it needs confirmation.
Population and lab studies get no stars: they show a link or a mechanism, not proof.
How we rate evidence →- ★★Lower “bad” LDL cholesterolArtichoke leaf extract and juice lowered LDL by about 17.5 mg/dL across 14 trials. In a trial of adults with very high cholesterol, 1,800 mg of extract a day cut LDL by 22.9%, against 6.3% on placebo.
- ★★Lower liver enzymes in fatty liverIn 8 trials of artichoke supplements, the liver enzymes AST and ALT fell, most clearly in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. A separate analysis of 5 trials of leaf extract in fatty liver found the same.
- ★★Less indigestion than with placeboIn 244 people with indigestion with no clear cause, a commercial leaf extract improved symptom scores more than placebo over 6 weeks (8.3 against 6.7). It tested an extract, not the vegetable.
- ★★Mixed results on blood sugar, from artichoke productsOne analysis of 9 trials of artichoke products found fasting blood sugar fell a little (5.3 mg/dL). A 2025 analysis of artichoke supplements found no change in fasting glucose or HbA1c (average blood sugar).
- ★★Mixed results on blood pressureIn 8 trials, supplements did not clearly change blood pressure overall (the top number moved only 0.77 mm Hg). A 2025 analysis found the top number fell by about 2.5 points (2.5 mm Hg systolic).
All 24 studies, strongest evidence first
Artichoke leaf extract and juice lowered LDL by about 17.5 mg/dL
This meta-analysis pooled 14 randomized trials (where chance decides who gets what) of artichoke leaf extract supplements and artichoke juice. It updates an earlier analysis. Total cholesterol and triglycerides fell too, while HDL (“good” cholesterol) did not clearly change. These were supplements and juice, not the vegetable, and earlier evidence had been mixed.
Artichoke extract lowered LDL by about 15 mg/dL in 9 trials
This meta-analysis pooled 9 randomized trials with 702 people. Total cholesterol fell 17.6 mg/dL and triglycerides 9.2 mg/dL, with no change in HDL. The LDL drop was larger in people who started with higher LDL. It covers extracts, not the vegetable, and the analysis above updates it.
Artichoke supplements lowered the liver enzymes AST and ALT in 8 trials
This meta-analysis pooled 8 clinical trials of artichoke supplements against placebo (a dummy pill). Both enzymes fell in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, where the effect was clearest, and ALT fell in overweight or obese people. The trials used extracts. Liver enzymes are a marker, not a measure of liver health on their own.
Leaf extract lowered ALT and AST in fatty liver in 5 trials
This meta-analysis pooled 5 randomized trials with 333 people who had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides fell as well. It is a small set of trials, all of an extract.
Artichoke supplements did not lower blood pressure overall in 8 trials
In this meta-analysis of 8 randomized trials, the top blood pressure number (systolic) changed by only 0.77 mm Hg. The bottom number (diastolic) changed by 0.11 mm Hg, and neither change was clear. In people with high blood pressure, systolic fell 3.19 mm Hg and diastolic 2.33 mm Hg. Diastolic fell after 12 weeks of use but not after 8, and subgroup findings like these are less certain.
Artichoke products lowered fasting blood sugar 5.3 mg/dL in 9 trials
This meta-analysis pooled 9 randomized trials of artichoke and artichoke products. Fasting insulin, HOMA-IR (a measure of insulin resistance) and HbA1c (long-term average blood sugar) did not clearly change. The authors ask for longer trials before drawing firm conclusions.
Artichoke supplements lowered systolic pressure 2.5 mm Hg, LDL 10 mg/dL
This 2025 meta-analysis pooled randomized trials in adults. Body mass index fell 0.51 and waist size 1.2 cm, and insulin and HOMA-IR fell too. Fasting glucose and HbA1c did not change, unlike in the 2020 analysis above. The authors call the improvements modest.
Artichoke leaf extract eased indigestion symptoms more than placebo
This double-blind randomized trial enrolled 247 people with functional dyspepsia, indigestion with no clear cause. Of the 244 analyzed, 129 took a commercial extract and 115 a placebo for 6 weeks. Symptom scores improved 8.3 against 6.7, and quality-of-life scores improved more with the extract. It tested a commercial extract, not the vegetable.
1,800 mg extract daily cut total cholesterol 18.5%, against 8.6% on placebo
This double-blind randomized trial treated 143 adults for 6 weeks. Their total cholesterol was above 7.3 mmol/L (280 mg/dL). LDL fell 22.9% on the extract and 6.3% on placebo. The placebo group also improved, so the true gap is about 10 points, and the trial used a commercial tablet.
1,280 mg leaf extract daily lowered total cholesterol 4.2%, not LDL
This placebo-controlled trial ran for 12 weeks in 75 adults with mildly high total cholesterol, 6.0 to 8.0 mmol/L. Cholesterol rose 1.9% on placebo. LDL, HDL and triglycerides did not differ between groups, and well-being improved about equally in both.
600 mg leaf extract daily lowered ALT and AST in fatty liver
This pilot trial ran for 2 months in 100 people with fatty liver diagnosed by ultrasound. Of the 90 who finished, 49 took the extract and 41 a placebo. Liver ultrasound measures improved, and total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides fell, but HDL fell too. No side effects were reported, but it was small and short.
1,800 mg of leaf extract daily lowered oxidized LDL in metabolic syndrome
This placebo-controlled trial ran for 12 weeks in 80 people with metabolic syndrome (68 finished). Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of heart risks, such as belly fat, high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Other antioxidant markers did not change: malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity and two antioxidant enzymes showed no change in either group.
Artichoke juice daily raised blood vessel dilation from 3.3 to 4.5%
This small study gave 20 mL a day of frozen artichoke juice for 6 weeks to 18 people with moderately high blood fats. They were compared with 10 matched people who did not drink it, whose vessel dilation did not clearly change. LDL fell from 174 to 160 mg/dL, but it fell in the comparison group too. Triglycerides rose slightly with the juice.
Concentrated artichoke leaf juice lowered blood pressure in mild hypertension
This randomized placebo-controlled trial ran for 12 weeks, with a placebo group and two groups taking 50 or 100 mg of juice concentrate. Systolic pressure fell from baseline in both juice groups, and diastolic pressure was lower than with placebo. The abstract does not give group sizes or the size of the drop.
Artichoke inulin raised gut bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, and caused more bloating
In this double-blind crossover trial, 32 healthy adults took 10 g a day of globe artichoke inulin for 3 weeks. In another period they took maltodextrin, a starch product, for comparison. Short-chain fatty acid levels did not change, and the only gut side effect was more mild and moderate bloating. Inulin is a fiber found in artichoke, and this was a purified extract, not the vegetable.
After eating cooked artichoke, caffeic and ferulic acid compounds appeared in blood
This pilot study used the cooked edible heads of the Violetto di Provenza variety. Chlorogenic acid peaked at 6.4 ng/mL after 1 hour and was gone by 2 hours. Total caffeic acid peaked at 19.5 ng/mL, and no luteolin or apigenin appeared. It measured blood levels, not health effects.
Artichoke extract did not prevent hangover symptoms after heavy drinking
This randomized double-blind crossover trial included 15 healthy volunteers. They took extract or placebo capsules around an average of about 10 units of alcohol. None of the outcome measures differed between the two. The trial was small, and the authors call for larger studies.
Artichoke leaf extract did not normalize liver enzymes in chronic hepatitis C
This small pilot study gave 17 patients 3,200 mg of extract a day for 12 weeks. No one reached a normal ALT, and enzymes and viral load did not change. Fatigue and joint problems improved at 4 weeks but not at 12, and no severe side effects occurred.
Artichoke leaf powder improved body mass index in people taking captopril
This placebo-controlled trial gave 40 patients with high blood pressure, who were taking the drug captopril, 500 mg twice a day for 8 weeks. The abstract reports a clear BMI improvement and does not report a clear blood pressure result. The authors say more trials are needed.
Exposing the tongue to artichoke made water taste sweet
This short report describes tongue experiments. The authors name salts of chlorogenic acid and cynarin as the two main active components. They suggest the effect works by briefly changing the tongue, not by adding a sweet substance. It is a taste effect, not a health outcome, and the abstract gives no sample size.
Spanish towns that grew more artichokes had lower cardiovascular death rates
This ecological study compared 8 towns in Castellón, Spain, from 1991 to 2011, using artichoke and vegetable production as a stand-in for eating. The standardized cardiovascular death ratio fell 0.42 per hectare per 1,000 residents, and stroke deaths also fell. Heart disease deaths were not linked, and the cardiovascular link disappeared with a second method. It compares towns, not people, and cannot show cause.
Steaming artichoke raised its measured antioxidant capacity up to 15-fold
This lab analysis tested boiled, steamed and fried artichoke, and boiling raised antioxidant capacity up to 8-fold. Dicaffeoylquinic acids rose with cooking, more with steaming and frying than boiling, while all cooking, frying most, lowered flavonoids. The authors credit softer tissue that releases its compounds more easily. It is lab chemistry, not a study in people.
In animal livers, extract raised antioxidant enzymes, lowered an oxidative damage marker
This systematic review (a structured search of the published studies) covered 39 articles: 2 human, 23 animal and 14 cell studies. Its meta-analysis pooled the animal studies, in animals with induced disease. The two human trials showed no change or a slight improvement in antioxidant status. Results in animals fed extract may not carry over to people eating the vegetable.
Globe artichoke heads ranked among the richest dietary polyphenol sources
This food database analysis used Phenol-Explorer, which covered 502 polyphenols (plant compounds) in 452 foods. Olives and globe artichoke heads were among the vegetables in the top 100. It measures what is in the food, not what happens in the body. The abstract gives no figure for artichoke.
Who should be careful with artichoke
Most people can eat artichoke freely. Take a little care if one of these applies:
- Allergy to daisy-family plants. Artichoke belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae). The European Medicines Agency lists an allergy to these plants as a reason not to use artichoke leaf medicines. Skin allergy has been reported in people who handle many artichokes, such as farmers and packers, but it is rare.
- Irritable bowel syndrome or a gassy gut. Monash University lists artichoke among the vegetables rich in fructans, a FODMAP (a type of fermentable carb that can trigger gut symptoms). In a trial, 10 g a day of artichoke inulin caused more mild and moderate bloating. Start with a small portion.
- Gallstones, bile duct or liver disease, and pregnancy. This is about leaf extract capsules and teas, not eating the vegetable. The European Medicines Agency lists bile duct obstruction, gallstones and liver disease as reasons to get medical advice first. It does not recommend leaf medicines in pregnancy or breastfeeding, because data are lacking.
How to choose, store and eat artichoke
- Steamed or boiled: both take about 25 to 40 minutes for a whole artichoke. In lab tests, steaming raised antioxidant capacity up to 15-fold and boiling up to 8-fold.
- Fried: frying lowered flavonoids the most in the same lab tests, though its dicaffeoylquinic acids stayed higher than after boiling.
- The heart and the leaf bases: you eat the heart and scrape the soft flesh from the base of each leaf. The fuzzy choke is scooped out. After people ate cooked heads, caffeic and ferulic acid compounds showed up in their blood within 1 hour.
Choose firm artichokes that feel heavy for their size, with compact center leaves and an even green color. Keep them unwashed in an airtight bag in the fridge and cook them within 7 days. Cut artichokes brown quickly, so dip trimmed ones in lemon water.
Sources
- How do you prepare artichokes, they’re in season University of Illinois Extension. 2016.
- Artichoke. Eat Fresh, Illinois Extension and SNAP-Ed.
- European Union herbal monograph on Cynara cardunculus L. (syn. Cynara scolymus L.), folium. European Medicines Agency, EMA/HMPC/194014/2017. 2018.
- High and low FODMAP foods. Monash University.
- Deydier N, Gourier G, Crépy MN, et al. Occupational contact dermatitis caused by artichokes. Dermatitis. 2023.
- Costabile A, Kolida S, Klinder A, et al. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study to establish the bifidogenic effect of a very-long-chain inulin extracted from globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) in healthy human subjects. Br J Nutr. 2010.
- Ferracane R, Pellegrini N, Visconti A, et al. Effects of different cooking methods on antioxidant profile, antioxidant capacity, and physical characteristics of artichoke. J Agric Food Chem. 2008.
- Azzini E, Bugianesi R, Romano F, et al. Absorption and metabolism of bioactive molecules after oral consumption of cooked edible heads of Cynara scolymus L. (cultivar Violetto di Provenza) in human subjects: a pilot study. Br J Nutr. 2007.
History of artichoke
The artichoke is a domesticated form of the wild cardoon, Cynara cardunculus, a thistle native to the Mediterranean. A genetic study of wild cardoon, artichoke and cultivated cardoon found signs of two separate domestications. One was for the artichoke and one for the leafy cardoon. The study proposed that the artichoke most likely began in southern Italy, probably Sicily.
Ancient writers are hard to read here. The Greek writer Theophrastus, in the 4th century BC, may describe the plant under the name kaktos, but its identity is uncertain. Pliny the Elder mentions carduus being grown in Carthage and Cordoba. Scholars still debate whether Greeks and Romans ate the artichoke or only the wild cardoon.
The English word came in the 16th century from northern Italian articiocco. That word came from Spanish alcarchofa or straight from medieval Andalusi Arabic al-kharshūfa. That Arabic name comes from a word meaning “scale”. A 12th-century farming guide written in Seville already mentions the plant.
From there it traveled north. The artichoke reached Florence in 1466, Venice around 1480 and Avignon by 1532. The Dutch brought it to England, where it grew in Henry VIII’s garden at Newhall in 1530. From the mid-17th century it was fashionable at European courts.
French immigrants brought artichokes to Louisiana and Spanish immigrants to California in the 19th century. California now grows nearly all of the commercial artichokes in the United States, on about 4,300 acres in 2023. Worldwide, production was about 1.7 million tonnes in 2024, led by Egypt and then Italy.
Sources
- Gatto A, De Paola D, Bagnoli F, et al. Population structure of Cynara cardunculus complex and the origin of the conspecific crops artichoke and cardoon. Ann Bot. 2013.
- Bartoshuk LM, Lee CH, Scarpellino R. Sweet taste of water induced by artichoke (Cynara scolymus). Science. 1972.
- Artichoke. Wikipedia.
- Cynara cardunculus. Wikipedia.
- Crop profile for artichokes in California. Regional IPM Centers, 2025 update.
Frequently asked questions about artichoke
Is artichoke good for you?
For most people, yes. One raw artichoke (128 g) has 6.9 g of fiber and gives 22% of the Daily Value for folate and 33% for copper. Leaf extract lowered LDL cholesterol by about 17.5 mg/dL in a meta-analysis of 14 studies. But that is a supplement result, and no finding here reaches strong evidence.
Do artichokes lower cholesterol?
The extract probably does, a little, but eating artichokes has not been tested the same way. A meta-analysis of 9 trials with 702 people found LDL fell about 15 mg/dL on extract. A 12-week trial of 1,280 mg a day in 75 adults lowered total cholesterol by 4.2%, but not LDL.
In a small study, 20 mL a day of juice lowered LDL, but it fell in the comparison group too.
Is artichoke good for your liver?
Extract may lower liver enzymes in fatty liver, but the evidence is limited and it is not about the vegetable. A meta-analysis of 5 trials with 333 patients found ALT and AST fell. But 17 people with hepatitis C saw no change in their enzymes after 12 weeks. If you have liver disease, ask your doctor before taking extracts.
How many calories, carbs and fiber does an artichoke have?
One raw artichoke (128 g) has 60 calories, 13.5 g of carbs and 6.9 g of fiber. That leaves about 6.5 g of net carbs (carbs minus fiber). Per 100 g it has 47 calories and 5.4 g of fiber. One artichoke covers about 25% of the Daily Value for fiber.
Is artichoke high in protein?
For a vegetable, yes. Raw artichoke has 3.27 g of protein per 100 g, or 4.2 g in one artichoke, which supplies about 28% of its calories. It is a useful extra in a meal, not a main source.
Which part of an artichoke can you eat?
You eat the heart and the soft flesh at the base of each leaf, which you scrape off with your teeth. The sharp leaf tips are trimmed off and the fuzzy choke is scooped out, so neither is eaten. If you keep the stem, it is a tender continuation of the heart.
Why does water taste sweet after eating artichoke?
Artichoke seems to change your tongue for a short time, so plain water tastes sweet. A 1972 report in Science named salts of chlorogenic acid and cynarin as the two main active components. The authors say the sweetness comes from that temporary change, not from a sweet substance in the artichoke.
Do artichokes cause gas?
They can, especially in people with a sensitive gut. Monash University lists artichoke among the vegetables rich in fructans, a type of FODMAP. In a trial of 32 adults, 10 g a day of inulin from globe artichoke caused more mild and moderate bloating. If artichoke bothers you, try a small portion first.