Artichoke Normalizes the Blood Cholesterol with No Side Effects in Human Studies

By Kyle J. Norton



Cholesterol produced by the liver is needed for the cell to build strong membrane, to produce steroid hormone, bile acids, and vitamin D and aid the digestive functioning.

Most people with high blood cholesterol at the early do not experience any symptoms, however, as the levels of blood cholesterol continue to grow, at some points, patients may experience heart-related symptoms, including chest pain or angina, pain while walking caused by reduced blood flow to the legs.

In serious cases, elevated blood cholesterol can also induce symptoms of stroke and heart attack.

Epidemiological studies suggested that a high level of blood cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Besides high-fat diet, certain risk factors such as the family history of high cholesterol, being overweight or obese,  physical inactivity, excessive alcohol intake, smoking and some health conditions including diabetes, kidney disease, and liver disease have been found to increase the risk of high blood cholesterol.

There are 2 types of blood cholesterol
* Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) also is known as “bad cholesterol”. Bad cholesterol is a major cause of plaque build up in the arteries if it presents at a high level.

*High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is known as “good cholesterol”. HDL  helps remove LDL cholesterol from your arteries back to the liver.

The healthy ratio of blood cholesterol is 4 LDL)/ 1HLD


Artichoke is a perennial thistle of Cynara cardunculus species of the Cynara genus, belonging to the family Carduoideae native to Southern Europe around the Mediterranean.

The herbal plant has been used in traditional medicine as a liver protective and detoxified agent, and to treat digestive disorders, abdominal pain gas and bloating, etc.

Searching the list of combined nutraceuticals for the treatment of high blood cholesterol, researchers examined the effects of a combination of nutraceuticals based on artichoke, red yeast rice, banana, and coenzyme Q10.

The double bind, cross-over designed trial versus placebo included 30 adults with LDL cholesterol suboptimal in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

After a period of 3 weeks of dietary habits correction, patients began a period of 6 weeks of treatment with nutraceutical or placebo, followed by 2 weeks of washout and finally 6 weeks in cross-over.

The combination showed a significant improvement in total cholesterol (-13.6 %), LDL-C (-18.2 %), non-HDL-C (-15 %).

Levels of markers associated with liver damage and protein associated with liver inflammation also reduced by the injection of a dietary supplement, compared to placebo.

Dr. Cicero AF said, "The tested combination of nutraceuticals has shown clinical efficacy in the reduction of total cholesterol, non-HDL, LDL and triglycerides while improving the level of liver transaminases and high sensitivity C-reactive protein".

In order to reveal more information about artichoke anti-high blood cholesterol activity, researchers review selected studies according to the standard guideline and criteria by searching the databases of medical literature.

The review of the meta-analysis of data from 9 trials including 702 subjects suggested that artichoke has a strong effect in decreasing plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Application of artichoke has no effect on high-density lipoprotein concentration.

In other words, artichoke extract only had a significant reduction in both total and LDL-C, and triglycerides.

Taken altogether, artichoke may be considered a functional and herbal remedy for the treatment of high blood cholesterol with no side effects, pending to the confirmation of larger sample sized and multicenter human study.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

How To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters 
Contrary To Professionals Prediction, Floaters Can Be Cured Naturally 

Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

Back to Kyle J. Norton Homepage http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca


Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

References
(1) Effects of a Combined Nutraceutical on Lipid Pattern, Glucose Metabolism and Inflammatory Parameters in Moderately Hypercholesterolemic Subjects: A Double-blind, Cross-over, Randomized Clinical Trial by Cicero AF1,2, Colletti A3, Fogacci F3, Bove M3, Rosticci M3, Borghi C. (PubMed)
(2) Lipid-lowering activity of artichoke extracts: A systematic review and meta-analysis by Sahebkar A1, Pirro M2, Banach M3,4, Mikhailidis DP5, Atkin SL6, Cicero AFG. (PubMed)