Artichoke is a large thistle, and like other members in that family, has a great affinity for the liver, gallbladder and kidneys.  It is a mild herb with minimal to no chronic toxicity.  It is classified as nourishing, restoring, softening, dissolving, and decongesting...increases Kapha, lowers Pitta.

 

SPECIFIC INDICATIONS:

Energetics - sweet, bitter, cool and moist and a little salty

Meridians - Liver, Gallbladder, and Bladder

1. Enriches liver yin, nouriches the blood and relives fatigue, restores and protects the liver, helps to restore the thyroid and pancreas, helps to regulate metabolism and retards aging.

2. Stimulates digestion reduces liver congestion and promotes bile flow and bowel movement.

3. Promotes cleansing and resolves toxicosis, promotes urination, relieves edema. (Hey, It could help with chronic albumiuria)

 

Root is stronger than leaf. Can be taken as a decoction or a tincture.

 

In traditional and European medicine, artichoke is used to remove gallstones and jaundice, increase digestion of fatty meals, decrease unhealthy cholesterol buildup, and blood fats, reduce weight, decrease blood sugar levels, control arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure, calm the thyroid and clear calcium and uric acid through the kidneys.

 

GRAVES:

Julia Graves writes that Artichoke is a cooling, cholagogue of the first rank, moistening, a digestive bitter, and also contains quite a bit of inulin (in the edible bud). The leaves are nauseatingly bitter. The chokes are slightly to moderately bitter, slightly sweet, and release vata and pitta (dryness and heat) from the gallbladder. The chokes moisten the gallbladder, increasing the fluidity of the bile, and then help it release, along with any thickened bile, definitely cooling the gall bladder, removing heat."

 

CECH:

Richo Cech- "it is hepatoprotective and helps digest fats and increases the rate of sugar metabolism."

 

HILL:

John Hill, (1740)-"I have know it alone cure a jaundice."