GradedHealth

Can Artichoke Leaf Ease Indigestion and Lower Cholesterol?

One placebo-controlled trial found artichoke leaf extract eased indigestion, and pooled trials show a modest LDL cholesterol drop. The evidence is limited.

Published October 2026

Short answer

Early, limited evidence: artichoke leaf extract eased indigestion in one trial and trimmed LDL cholesterol modestly in pooled small trials. Evidence grade C (Limited). One placebo-controlled trial for indigestion and meta-analyses of small trials for cholesterol; downgraded for small samples, conflicting trials and a surrogate marker.

Key takeaways

  • In one placebo-controlled trial of 244 people with indigestion, artichoke leaf extract eased symptoms more than placebo over six weeks [1].
  • Pooled trials found LDL cholesterol about 10 to 15 mg/dL lower than comparison groups [2][3].
  • Not every trial agreed: a 12-week trial of 75 people found no difference in LDL cholesterol between extract and placebo [4].
  • Several cholesterol trials used artichoke in combination products, so the artichoke effect cannot be separated out [5][6].

The short version

Artichoke leaf extract may ease indigestion, and it lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol modestly in pooled trials. The evidence is early and limited. In one placebo-controlled trial of 244 people with ongoing indigestion, symptoms improved more with artichoke leaf extract than with placebo over six weeks [1]. Pooled trials found LDL cholesterol about 10 to 15 mg/dL lower than comparison groups [2][3].

What the studies show

The strongest trial for indigestion enrolled 247 people with functional dyspepsia, and 244 were analysed. Over six weeks, symptom scores improved more with the extract than with placebo, and quality-of-life scores improved more too [1]. An uncontrolled study of 454 people also saw symptoms fall, but without a placebo group it cannot show the extract was the cause [7].

For cholesterol, two meta-analyses pool the small trials. A 2018 review of nine trials with 702 people found LDL about 15 mg/dL lower and total cholesterol about 18 mg/dL lower [2]. A 2025 review found similar drops in LDL and total cholesterol, about 10 and 12 mg/dL [3]. Not every trial agreed: a 12-week trial of 75 people found no difference in LDL between extract and placebo, though total cholesterol fell more with the extract [4]. For HDL, the "good" cholesterol, one 92-person trial reported a rise [8], while the 2018 review found no change [2].

Several trials that reported LDL drops used artichoke in combination products with red yeast rice or policosanol, so those results cannot be credited to artichoke alone [5][9][10]. A 2025 trial of a combination with bergamot, plant sterols and artichoke found no LDL change [6].

The nuances

Preparation matters. The trials tested standardised extracts in capsule or tablet form, not tea or fresh artichoke [1][11].

The trials were small and mostly short. Most cholesterol trials enrolled fewer than 100 people and ran for 4 to 16 weeks [4][8][6][5].

Safety: in a two-month trial of 100 people with fatty liver disease, no side effects were reported [12]. A combination trial found no change in liver or kidney blood markers [5]. We found no trial data on pregnancy, breastfeeding, upper safe doses, or interactions with blood thinners, diabetes or blood pressure medicines, so those remain unknown.

What this means for you

Both uses rest on early, limited evidence. Artichoke leaf extract is not a replacement for care for indigestion or for cholesterol medicines. Before trying it, talk to a doctor or pharmacist, especially if you take regular medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have liver or kidney disease. The artichoke leaf page has the full safety section.

Go deeper

  • Artichoke Leaf — Artichoke leaf extract eased indigestion more than placebo in one 244-person trial, and pooled trials show a modest LDL cholesterol drop.

References

  1. Efficacy of artichoke leaf extract in the treatment of patients with functional dyspepsia: a six-week placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicentre trial.. Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 2003.
  2. Lipid-lowering activity of artichoke extracts: A systematic review and meta-analysis.. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2018.
  3. Artichoke and cardiometabolic health: A systematic and meta-analytic synthesis of current evidence.. Diabetes Metab Syndr, 2025.
  4. Artichoke leaf extract (Cynara scolymus) reduces plasma cholesterol in otherwise healthy hypercholesterolemic adults: a randomized, double blind placebo controlled trial.. Phytomedicine, 2008.
  5. A combined natural supplement lowers LDL cholesterol in subjects with moderate untreated hypercholesterolemia: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.. Int J Food Sci Nutr, 2013.
  6. The effects of a novel nutraceutical combination on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and other markers of cardiometabolic health in adults with hypercholesterolaemia: A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial.. Atherosclerosis, 2025.
  7. Artichoke leaf extract reduces mild dyspepsia in an open study.. Phytomedicine, 2002.
  8. Beneficial effects of artichoke leaf extract supplementation on increasing HDL-cholesterol in subjects with primary mild hypercholesterolaemia: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.. Int J Food Sci Nutr, 2013.
  9. LDL-cholesterol-lowering effect of a dietary supplement with plant extracts in subjects with moderate hypercholesterolemia.. Eur J Nutr, 2013.
  10. Effect on LDL-cholesterol of a large dose of a dietary supplement with plant extracts in subjects with untreated moderate hypercholesterolaemia: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.. Eur J Nutr, 2013.
  11. The influence of supplementation with artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) extract on selected redox parameters in rowers.. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2008.
  12. Efficacy of artichoke leaf extract in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A pilot double-blind randomized controlled trial.. Phytother Res, 2018.