Theophrastus and the name of Artichoke.

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Artichoke Extract Health Benefits:1.Effects on the gastrointestinal system.

Artichoke leaf Extract INCI Name Cynara Scolymus Extract CAS 84012-14-6 EINECS ELINCS No 281-659-3 Artichoke thistle extract photo picture image The importance of effective liver function for overall health in general, and proper gastrointestinal function in particular, is rarely emphasized in health discussions in this country. One reason might be that there is neither laboratory evidence nor specific physical symptoms to reveal an overburdened liver in the beginning stages. The symptoms may be non-specific, such as general malaise, fatigue, headache, epigastric pain, bloating, nausea or constipation. Discomfort following meals and intolerance of fat are also notable indications of disturbances in the biliary system.

 It is estimated that at least 50% of patients with dyspeptic complaints have no verifiable disease. Because of the liver's essential role in detoxification, even minor impairment of liver function can have profound effects. It is therefore important to take such chronic complaints seriously. In Germany and France, for example, physicians frequently prescribe herbal liver remedies such as artichoke extract with good results, when presented with these chronic but nonspecific symptoms. We may have something to learn here.

 The proven basis for the beneficial effects of artichoke leaf extract on the gastrointestinal system is the promotion of bile flow. Bile is an extremely important substance that is produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. It is secreted into the small intestine, where it emulsifies fats and fat-soluble vitamins and improves their absorption. Good bile flow is also essential for detoxification, which is one of the major tasks of the liver. The liver is constantly bombarded with toxic chemicals from the environment: the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe.

 Bile serves as a carrier for these toxic substances, delivering them into the intestine for further elimination from the body. This is the major route for excretion of cholesterol. Yet another feature of the bile is helpful here: its promotion of intestinal peristalsis, which helps prevent constipation.

 When the excretion of bile is inhibited for various reasons (cholestasis), toxins, including cholesterol, stay in the liver longer with damaging effects. One of the causes of inhibited bile flow is obstruction of the bile ducts by the presence of gallstones. Other common reasons for impairment of the bile flow within the liver itself are, for example, alcohol ingestion, viral hepatitis and certain chemicals and drugs. In the initial stages of liver dysfunction, laboratory tests, such as serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, SGOT, LDH and GGTP, often remain normal, and it is not adequate to rely on such tests alone. Symptoms that may indicate reduced liver function are general malaise, fatigue, digestive disturbances and sometimes increasing allergies and chemical sensitivities.

 Excessive alcohol consumption is by far the most common cause of impaired liver function in the United States. It stimulates fat infiltration into the liver cells, causing the so-called fatty liver. Some livers are very sensitive to even minute amounts of alcohol; others are more tolerant. Recent research suggests that the fatty liver condition is more serious than previously believed, as it may develop to more advanced liver disease, such as inflammation, fibrosis and cirrhosis.

 Because of its long historical use for liver conditions it seemed reasonable to investigate the artichoke plant scientifically, and the first clinical studies were conducted in the 1930s with encouraging results. In the 1990s the interest has been intensified, and several excellent clinical studies have been conducted during the last few years:

 Realizing the importance of adequate bile flow for health, German researchers set out to confirm the earlier findings of bile promoting effect of the artichoke plant in a controlled double-blind study on healthy volunteers. (Kirchhoff et al., 1994). The participants were given a one-time dose of artichoke extract or placebo, and their bile secretion was measured with special techniques over the following hours. The bile secretion was found to be significantly higher in the group that received the artichoke extract.

 Another clinical study showed an improvement of symptoms in 50% of patients with dyspeptic syndrome after 14 days of treatment with artichoke leaf extract. The study involved 60 patients with non-specific symptoms such as upper abdominal pain, heartburn, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. In the placebo group, as a comparison, improvements of less distinct quality were noticed in 38% of the participants. (Kupke et al., 1991)

 Interesting results were also demonstrated in a large open label study of 417 participants with liver or bile duct disease. Most of these patients had had longstanding symptoms, some of them for many years. They suffered from upper abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, lack of appetite and nausea. These patients were treated with artichoke leaf extract for four weeks. After one week around 70% of the patients experienced improvement of their symptoms, and after four weeks the percentage was even higher (approx. 85%). (Held 1991)

 Even more remarkable improvement was shown in another recently completed open label study (Fintelmann, 1996), where 553 outpatients with non-specific dyspeptic complaints were treated with a standardized artichoke leaf extract. The subjective complaints declined significantly within 6 weeks of treatment. Improvements were found for vomiting (88%), nausea (83%), abdominal pain (76%), loss of appetite (72%), severe constipation (71%), flatulence (68%) and fat intolerance (59%). Ninety-eight percent of the patients judged the effect of the extract to be considerably better, somewhat better or equal to that achieved during previous treatment with other drugs. The dosage used in this study was 1-2 capsules three times daily of the preparation Hepar SL Forte. One capsule contained 320 mg of dry extract of artichoke leaves, standardized to provide 3% of caffeoylquinic acid.

 The study by Fintelmann not only confirmed the efficacy of the artichoke extract for dyspepsia, but also demonstrated a significant effect of the extract on fat (lipid) metabolism. The researchers found a significant decline in both the cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, which confirmed a discovery, made as early as in the 1930s.

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citations1.Theophrastus and the name of Artichoke.

last edit date:1st,July.2009.