How Alcachofa Benefits You

Recently, there has been an increasing trend in alcachofa supplements. The primary ingredient in alcachofa supplements is artichoke extract (alcachofa is the Spanish word for artichoke). But how exactly does alcachofa really help us? What are the health benefits of alcachofa?

We've learned that antioxidants are an important part of human health. Because artichokes are one of the highest source of antioxidants in vegetables, alcachofa products are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants help our bodies prevent and combat free radicals, which is extremely important because those free radicals can damage cells and thus lead to cancer. So because alcachofa is packed with antioxidants, it helps protect our bodies and reduce the chances of cancer.

The artichoke extract in alcachofa has also been proven to help the body create more bile, which is beneficial to the digestive system in many ways. The body uses bile to help break down fats in the foods you eat. By increasing the amount of bile our body produces, alcachofa helps prevent all kinds of digestive problems, including upset stomach, gas, bloating, and indigestion. However, people with gallstones should avoid alcachofa because the increase in bile and contractions of the gall bladder might encourage gallstones to pass.

A lesser known benefit of alcachofa is that it helps reduce cholesterol, which is a very prominent health issue in the United States today. Cholesterol is a fatty substance made by the liver that will stick to the inner walls of arteries, making it more difficult for blood to pass through. Having high cholesterol increases the chances of cardiovascular diseases and strokes. The typical diet in the US generally contains too much cholesterol and saturated fat so in order to combat cholesterol without changing diet, we must adjust our lifestyles in other ways, like exercise and taking alcachofa supplements.

Another common health problem in the United States is high blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is another problem that can cause cardiovascular disease. Hypertension is caused by excess salts in the body. Alcachofa can promote the reduction of high blood pressure by helping our bodies remove the excess sodium from the body, and thus keeping our cardiovascular system in tip top shape.

By far the most common function of alcachofa supplements is weight loss. Artichoke extract is shown to have diuretic properties, which means it helps flushes water out of the body. Our bodies have a tendency to retain water and bloat, thus causing us to appear larger than we would otherwise. Because alcachofa fights water retention and bloating by flushing excess water from the body, our bodies then become slimmer.

Alcachofa can be found in many forms of dietary supplements. Although they are usually primarily marketed as weight loss supplements, the presence of artichoke extract means that any supplement with alcachofa in it provides the health benefits listed above. Ampolletas de alcachofa are vials that contain a liquid supplement, however these supplements are known to taste badly, so instead of taking alcachofa ampolletas, many people opt to take alcachofa capsules.

As with any type of dietary supplement, make sure to contact your doctor or health care physician before using alcachofa extract. Some people who should not use alcachofa extract are the people who are allergic to the asteraceae family which includes sunflower seeds and chrysanthemum flower.