In this article we will talk about a tasty and healthy root crop called Jerusalem artichoke. The homeland of Jerusalem artichoke is North America, where it is very popular to this day. This unique plant came to Europe in the distant 1605, but to Russia only in the XVIII century. Unfortunately, Jerusalem artichoke, whose properties are very useful, has not become popular in our country. In Russia, this root crop is more often called an earthen pear or wild sunflower. He got the last name not at all by chance, the fact is that Jerusalem artichoke really looks like a very high (up to two meters) sunflower. Jerusalem artichoke is a perennial plant with a highly developed root system, thanks to which it is not afraid of any drought.
Jerusalem artichoke - useful properties
It is very sad that not many people know about the useful properties of a unique plant with the little-known name Jerusalem artichoke. Its benefits are obvious, because it is rich in carbohydrates, 77% of which is inulin. And this substance during storage has the property of being converted to fructose, which, as you know, is very important for people with diabetes. In addition to carbohydrates, Jerusalem artichoke contains a huge amount of useful fiber, vitamins and various trace elements. Vitamin C, iron, potassium - all this contains Jerusalem artichoke. Useful properties do not end there, only the basic qualities of this unique root crop are given here.
The use of Jerusalem artichoke for medicinal purposes
As already mentioned, root crops have excellent taste, but knowledgeable people not only grow Jerusalem artichoke for this. Useful properties of this root crop are used in the treatment and prevention of certain diseases. Due to the fact that Jerusalem artichoke juice is able to reduce acidity in the stomach, it helps with heartburn. As well as Jerusalem artichoke juice, it helps with constipation and pain in the stomach of various kinds.
If you suffer from tachycardia, atherosclerosis and hypertension, it is highly recommended to eat Jerusalem artichoke root vegetables, as they can significantly reduce the effect of these diseases on the body. The root crops of this plant are excellent for people with non-insulin diabetes, as they contain a large amount of fructose. Well, and therefore, Jerusalem artichoke helps with the deposition of salts, obesity and anemia.
People living in big cities should pay particular attention to this root crop, as it is able to remove radionuclides, salts of heavy metals and various toxins from the body. Elderly people need to use the juice of Jerusalem artichoke to reduce blood cholesterol.
The only negative property of Jerusalem artichoke is its ability to increase gas formation in the intestine. Therefore, people suffering from flatulence should not abuse this therapeutic root crop. But you must admit, this shortcoming fades against the background of obvious advantages.
The use of Jerusalem artichoke in cosmetology
Jerusalem artichoke root crops are also actively used in cosmetology. Jerusalem artichoke extract is part of many creams for smoothing wrinkles. But it is not necessary to buy expensive cosmetics, since each woman will be able to independently make masks from Jerusalem artichoke. To prepare the mask, it is necessary to skip the root vegetables through a meat grinder and add a little olive oil to the resulting mass. Apply this mask once every three days. Within a month, you can notice how small wrinkles disappear, the skin is smoothed and becomes soft and pleasant to the touch.
As you can see Jerusalem artichoke, whose useful properties are obvious, is simply necessary in our life. Knowledgeable people have been using Jerusalem artichoke for a long time, the sad thing is that there are very few such people.