Here Are The Reasons Experts Advise That You Drink More Artichoke Tea

Artichokes are traditionally enjoyed after being dissected to reveal the heart which is then cooked. Artichoke tea is the water left over from boiling artichokes. To prepare, pour 5 cups of water into a pot, add 2 medium artichokes and cook them until tender, around 45 to 60 minutes. The leftover liquid is left infused with the flavor and nutrients from the artichokes.

Some of the benefits of drinking artichoke tea are:

• 1. It can help protect against cancer

Artichoke leaves contain powerful phytonutrients like cynarin, silymarin, quercetin, rutin, and gallic acid, which can help protect against cancer as well as other debilitating diseases like liver disease, and heart disease.

• 2. It can help you lose weight

Artichokes are known to be naturally-occurring diuretics that can prevent water retention and so help you shed some water weight. Also, the flesh of the artichoke is a good source of fiber that can also act as a natural laxative, aid digestion, and remove additional waste and toxins.

• 3. It can help promote good liver health

The cynarin in artichokes helps stimulate bile production and is beneficial for your liver. Silymarin is also a very good liver protectant so artichoke tea and broth are excellent for helping you detox.

• 4. It is a rich source of vitamins

Artichokes are rich in vitamin C, K, folate, magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese, much of which ends up in the water when you cook the artichoke.

Artichoke Tea can be enjoyed cold, hot or even used as a broth or soup base for other recipes. Two other creative ways we love to enjoy the health benefits of the artichoke include consuming its leaves and stalks. Unlike common worldwide practice, Italians are popularly known for putting articles to thoroughly good use. To prepare artichokes for cooking, they first remove the tough outside leaves, when you reach the tender inner leaves, you'll find that they start to squeak.

Then cut off the top of the leaf, leaving what would be the artichoke “heart.” Next, peel off the tough shell of the stalk and voila, they're ready to cook.

Next, try out these two creative recipes!

1. Cream of Artichoke Soup with Pistachio

You'll need:

• Artichoke stalks or hearts
• Potatoes, peeled and cubed
• Water
• Salt
• Olive oil
• Ground pistachios
• Chopped pistachios for garnish

Saute the chopped artichokes and potatoes into small pieces and saute in extra virgin olive oil. Lightly salt the artichokes and cover with several cups of water. Let them cook until soft and then blend into a thick puree; add a few tablespoons of ground pistacchio to flavor the soup. Serve.

2. Roasted Artichoke Leaves 

Looking for how to make your nachos healthier? Try roasting artichoke leaves and using them as the nacho chips. To prepare, spread the artichoke leaves on a tray after boiling. Sprinkle some cheese and other toppings of your choice over the leaves and place them in the oven for enough minutes to  soften the cheese.

Eating healthy couldn't be more fun!