Sloth MD - Full Globe Artichoke

Product Notes:

Why is it Called "Full Globe" Artichoke?

Artichoke can be a bit of an acquired taste (it's prone to bitterness), and takes a fair bit of skill to prepare as a vegetable. This kind we're most familiar with in North America, which is also sometimes called French artichoke (which is quite distinct from the type known as Jerusalem artichokes), appears to be from a cultivated variety that Italian immigrants brought to California in the 1920s that was called ‘Green Globe’ (likely due to both the colour and shape of the round heads before their tough outer 'leaves' open up and the thin white 'choke' threads keep growing out to emerge as a purple flower, at which point it becomes a largely inedible thistle).

Although North Americans tend to only consume the two parts with a more palatable taste, texture, and mouth feel – the hearts at the centre bottom of the young flower buds, and the fleshy bottoms of the outer leaves surrounding those (and often only after they're pickled; otherwise, smothered in garlic butter) – it's actually the thorn-tipped large outer leaves (or 'bracts') which have the highest concentration of protective antioxidants and bioactive compounds like cynarin and luteolin which promote bile production and improve digestion. Consequently, those are the parts that Sloth MD is using to produce the powder in these capsules, rather than the more succulent bits (which have comparatively little medicinal value), and to get their full potential, they use the entire leaves to get their full range of active compounds and cofactors to enhance absorption, rather than only extracting some components.

Medicinal Benefits of Globe Artichokes

Apart from being an actual food, Globe Artichoke has several main sets of important health benefits. Some are due to its ability to stimulate the production and secretion of bile in the liver. This helps us metabolize fats and combats indigestion, which is why some people take artichoke supplements routinely as a digestive aid, especially with a heavy meal. Others are due its potent antioxidant properties, which appear to be able to help protect the liver and even help it to regenerate after experiencing damage. Artichokes also contain fibre, specifically inulin, which serves as prebiotic to the growth some of the friendlier strains of bacteria in our GI tracts: particularly those in the Bifidobacterium genus, which help ward off infections and digest fiber, while also creating short chain fatty acids like butyric acid as a byproduct (which can help break down fats). A number of studies have also found that artichoke can help reduce both total cholesterol levels and the "bad" type in particular (LDL, or low-density lipoprotein) in those with high cholesterol.