Nutritional value of thistle

Nutritional value of thistle

The thistle (Cynara cardunculus L., 1753) is a perennial herbaceous species of the Asteraceae family.

Features –
Thistle is a herbaceous perennial in nature, annual in cultivation.
This plant has deep taproot roots; it is distinguished from the artichoke by the considerable development of the coasts, the much smaller flower head, and generally larger dimensions and development.
The caule is thick, streaked with thick veins and downy.
The leaves are pinnatosette, ashy green on the top, whitish below, very tomentose.
The inflorescence is a flower head with flowers are hermaphrodites; the fruit is an achene.
The thistle is rather hard and bitter in taste and is therefore subjected to blanching; that is, the plants are grown in the absence of light and some varieties are even buried, bending the plant sideways, downwards and covered with earth, thus remaining until the moment in which they are harvested.

Nutritional factsheet –
Thistle is a vegetable that has very few calories. 100 grams of thistle provide about 17 kcalories.
For every 100 grams of this food we have, on average:
– 94 g water;
– 1.6 g fibers;
– Sugars 3.9 g;
– Protein 0.7 g;
– Fat 0.1 g;
– Carbohydrates 4 g;
– Potassium 400 mg;
– Sodium 170 mg;
– Calcium 70 mg;
– Vitamin B2 0.004.

Property –
The thistle is a plant that is used, in the wild, for uses in phytotherapy, in extracts and herbal teas; the cultivated thistle is known for its purifying virtues, in particular as a tonic for the liver thanks to the presence of a substance known as silybin which helps to dispose of the toxins accumulated in the body.
The thistle also has laxative properties, being very rich in fiber. It also contains antioxidants, which help keep the body young, mineral salts and vitamins. The combination of these substances also gives the cardoon anti-cholesterol, digestive and useful properties for the disposal of fats.