Advise: whether to plant Jerusalem artichoke for health benefits

Weed or super vegetable

I read conflicting information about Jerusalem artichoke. Some write: a weed that spreads throughout the garden, you can't weed it. Others cultivate it. Breeders of new varieties are breeding. This means there is a demand.

Something I do not believe in the version, they say, is an ordinary weed. Weeds are not served in fine restaurants. And the cooks mastered Jerusalem artichoke.

To date, about 300 varieties of Jerusalem artichoke are known: fodder - for the sake of green mass, plus vegetable - for the sake of tubers.

In support of the weed version, the following facts are cited:

• Only with an ax can the green part be cut down in the fall, very strong
• Roots are gnarled, shallow, neither washed nor cleaned
• The roots are tasteless, neither in autumn nor in spring
• Roots are not stored

Although I saw a video where the author showed the roots of Jerusalem artichoke in January in excellent condition. That is, you can save, if you wish. She also talked about the large-tuber, not gnarled variety of Jerusalem artichoke, sorry, she did not say the name of the variety.

If you have other impressions of growing, please share in the comments.

Is it so useful

This is the main thing

Jerusalem artichoke is a source of cheap inulin, which is essential for normal bowel function, lowering bad cholesterol and for calcium absorption. But there are onions and garlic, they also contain the prebiotic inulin. Fresh Jerusalem artichoke roots contain up to 12% inulin, and up to 10% in garlic. So we are looking for the next benefit.

It is also good

Besides inulin, Jerusalem artichoke roots contain inulides - future fructose. We know a lot about fructose, so it's a good addition.

Harmful nitrates in Jerusalem artichoke are destroyed by spring (on the contrary, they accumulate in potatoes).

Protein nitrogen compounds are found in tubers. There are even more of them in Jerusalem artichoke leaves (2-3 times more in leaves than in tubers). There is about the same amount of protein in potato tubers.

There are vitamins and mineral salts in all vegetables.

Unique properties

But it seems that unique property. Jerusalem artichoke does not accumulate heavy metals, from the word at all. It supposedly could be grown and eaten right after the tragedy in Chernobyl.

Why did I write: it seems? Because there is an opposite statement. It accumulates, and it is very significant. Perhaps, during the experiments in Chernobyl, there was a very high concentration of heavy metal salts, so Jerusalem artichoke did not assimilate them.

Digestible silicon is another property. Here Jerusalem artichoke is already one of the leaders, 8% of silicon can be contained in dry matter.

What to do with him

• Leaf tea lowers blood pressure and improves vision
• Eating 100 g of root vegetables per day in any form is considered the prevention of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases
• Jerusalem artichoke lowers blood sugar in diabetes mellitus, with the constant use of unthinkable amounts of Jerusalem artichoke... Checked with a glucometer, normal consumption does not reduce sugar. Therefore, diabetics prefer Jerusalem artichoke tablets.
• Baths with decoction of stems and leaves relieve leg pain
• Root face masks rejuvenate

And the most interesting was the list of the merits of Jerusalem artichoke flowers. Valuable tea, it turns out.

• Cleans the body of toxins, including when overeating and drunkenness
• Improves blood circulation
• Relieves headaches
• Relieves abdominal cramps
• Reduces pressure
• Relieves Heartburn
• Helps with inflammation, wound healing

Leaves do the same, but tea is not tasty from them. And the flowers are quite decent, you can drink. For the sake of it. How do I know, after all I'm asking advice: should I plant Jerusalem artichoke or not? A friend is growing. He shared his impressions. Probably, the leaves should be fermented to make it tastier.

Another moment, they write that the root does not grow without flowers, well, not all the same to clean up for tea.

Now the floor is yours, who thinks about the advisability of growing Jerusalem artichoke?

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