Artichoke leaves (Cynara scolymus), the part the extract is made from
Forest et Kim Starr · CC BY 3.0 US
How we rate
“Strong” = several concordant meta-analyses or systematic reviews. “Moderate” = one synthesis, or several controlled trials. “Limited” = early trials only. The rating is about the quality of the studies, not about how useful the supplement is.
Artichoke (leaf)
Artichoke leaf extract: slightly less cholesterol and triglycerides, more comfortable digestion in case of dyspepsia, better fatty liver enzymes. Often small trials.
Benefits
- Cholesterol: across 9 trials and 702 people, 17.6 mg/dL less total cholesterol, 14.9 mg/dL less LDL, and 9.2 mg/dL less triglycerides; HDL does not budge.
- High cholesterol: in 143 adults, 1800 mg of extract per day for 6 weeks lowered LDL by 22.9%, compared to 6.3% under placebo.
- Digestion: in 247 people suffering from functional dyspepsia, 6 weeks of extract relieved symptoms and improved quality of life more than placebo.
- Fatty liver: across 5 trials and 333 patients, significantly lower liver enzymes (ALT and AST); in a trial of 100 patients, 600 mg per day for 2 months also reduced liver size on ultrasound.
- Blood glucose: across 9 trials, 5.28 mg/dL less fasting blood glucose; in 55 overweight people with borderline blood glucose, 600 mg per day for 8 weeks lowered it by 9.6%.
Precautions
Tolerance: no extract-related adverse effects in 143 patients for 6 weeks, nor in 100 fatty liver patients for 2 months. Limitations: small effect on cholesterol: in a trial of 75 adults, 1280 mg per day for 12 weeks lowered total cholesterol by only 4.2%, with no change in LDL, HDL, or triglycerides. Blood glucose: across 9 trials, neither insulin, the HOMA index, nor glycated hemoglobin budged; in 80 people with metabolic syndrome, insulin dropped only in those with a specific genotype. Blood pressure: in 40 treated hypertensive subjects, 500 mg twice a day for 8 weeks significantly lowered only BMI; the effect on pressure remains to be confirmed according to the authors. Antioxidant: in 80 people with metabolic syndrome, only oxidized LDL decreased; other oxidative stress markers did not change. Quality of evidence: the 40% drop in dyspepsia symptoms in 516 people comes from an open-label, non-placebo study; many trials have fewer than 100 participants.
Recommended dosage
600 to 1800 mg of dry leaf extract per day in most trials, for 6 to 12 weeks.
How to take it
- For whom: the trials involve adults with high cholesterol, borderline blood glucose, fatty liver, metabolic syndrome, or suffering from dyspepsia; none involve sport.
- Cholesterol: 1280 to 1800 mg of extract per day for 6 to 12 weeks.
- Digestion: 320 mg two tablets three times a day for 6 weeks in the placebo-controlled trial.
- Fatty liver and blood glucose: 600 mg per day for 2 months or 8 weeks.
- Form: a standardized dry leaf extract; the trials do not test the artichoke you eat.
- What does not work: against hangovers, the extract did not perform better than placebo in 15 volunteers.
Did you know?
Artichoke extract is sold against hangovers, but in the only trial that tested it, in 15 volunteers who had chosen for themselves what they needed to drink to get one, it did not perform better than placebo.
What the studies say
This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized evidence from randomized clinical trials concerning artichoke leaf extract (ALE) in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The analysis of five studies (333 patients) showed that ALE led to a significant reduction in alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, as well as total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. This review supports the use of ALE as a hepatoprotective agent in patients with NAFLD.
Kamel AM, Farag MA. — Journal of medicinal food (2022) — View the source study
Pairs well with
For information only: not a substitute for medical advice. Dietary supplements are not a replacement for a varied, balanced diet. Learn more