Artichoke vs asparagus: strong trials, but on the extract

The strongest numbers on this page belong to artichoke, and they come from capsules. A meta-analysis of 9 randomized trials with 702 people found that artichoke extract supplements lowered LDL cholesterol by 14.9 mg/dL (95% CI 9.5 to 20.4), with a bigger drop in people who started higher. An updated analysis of 14 trials of leaf extract or juice put the fall at 17.5 mg/dL (95% CI 9.5 to 25.4). We found no trial that tested the cooked vegetable itself. Across 8 trials the same supplements did not move blood pressure overall, and in a subgroup analysis of people with hypertension systolic pressure fell by about 3 mmHg. On the plate the two vegetables differ in plainer ways. Per 100 g raw, UK tables give asparagus 175 micrograms of folate and 12 mg of vitamin C against 68 micrograms and 2 mg for globe artichoke, which has more potassium, 360 against 260 mg. The artichoke entry counts only the fleshy leaf bases and heart.

How much is actually in it

• Per 100 g raw, UK tables give asparagus 175 micrograms folate and 12 mg vitamin C against 68 micrograms and 2 mg for globe artichoke, which has more potassium (360 vs 260 mg). — CoFID 13-153 Artichoke, globe, raw; CoFID 13-157 Asparagus, raw (n = -) Evidence C source
  Folate 175 vs 68 ug, vitamin C 12 vs 2 mg, potassium 260 vs 360 mg, energy 25 vs 18 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g) (asparagus vs artichoke)
• Raw green asparagus in USDA Foundation Foods averaged 182.5 micrograms folate per 3.5 oz (100 g), ranging 143 to 207 across 8 samples, and vitamin C varied more, 5.4 to 12.4 mg. — Asparagus, green, raw (8 samples) (n = 8) Evidence C source
  Folate 182.5 ug (143.0-206.6), vitamin C 9.15 mg (5.38-12.4, spread 77%), potassium 277.5 mg (254-301) per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• UK tables list steamed asparagus at 102 micrograms folate and 8 mg vitamin C per 3.5 oz (100 g), below the 175 micrograms and 12 mg listed for raw asparagus. — CoFID 13-157 Asparagus, raw vs 13-638 Asparagus, steamed (n = -) Evidence C source
  Folate 175 to 102 ug, vitamin C 12 to 8 mg, potassium 260 to 283 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• In the US dietary survey database a whole artichoke counts as 125 g and one heart as 30 g, while one asparagus spear is 16 g and a cup 135 g. — FNDDS 75100750 Artichoke (fdc_id 2709766); FNDDS 75100800 Asparagus, raw (fdc_id 2709767) (n = -) Evidence C source
  Artichoke: 1 whole 125 g, 1 heart 30 g, 1 cup 150 g; asparagus: 1 spear 16 g, 1 cup 135 g, unspecified 68 g

What your body absorbs

• In 10 volunteers taking artichoke extract, its caffeic acid esters were absorbed and excreted in urine as ferulic, isoferulic, dihydroferulic and vanillic acids. — 10 healthy non-smoking volunteers (5 female, 5 male), three 320 mg artichoke extract capsules (n = 10) Evidence C source
  Parent polyphenols not detected in urine; methylated phenolic acid metabolites increased

What cooking and storage change

• By the USDA retention table for Vegetables and Vegetable Products, steaming keeps 85 percent of folate and vitamin C and all of the potassium. — USDA R6 group factor, Vegetables and Vegetable Products, VEG,OTHER,STEAMED (code 3784) (n = -) Evidence C source
  Vitamin C 85%, folate 85%, thiamin 90%, B6 90%, riboflavin/niacin 95%, potassium/calcium/iron/magnesium 100% retained
• Two atopic patients reacted to fresh asparagus while preparing it, yet ate cooked asparagus without symptoms, and skin tests were negative with cooked asparagus. — Two atopic patients with symptoms while handling fresh asparagus (n = 2) Evidence D source
  Skin-prick strongly positive to native green and white asparagus, negative to cooked

What it does to your health

• A meta-analysis of 9 trials with 702 people found artichoke extract supplements lowered LDL cholesterol by 14.9 mg/dL. — 9 RCTs, 702 subjects taking artichoke extract supplements (n = 702) Evidence A source
  LDL-C -14.9 mg/dL (95% CI -20.4 to -9.5), total cholesterol -17.6 mg/dL, triglycerides -9.2 mg/dL, HDL no change
• An updated dose-response meta-analysis of 14 randomized trials found artichoke leaf extract or juice lowered LDL cholesterol by 17.5 mg/dL. — 14 RCTs (15 effect sizes) of artichoke leaf extract or artichoke juice (n = 14 trials) Evidence A source
  LDL-C -17.48 mg/dL (95% CI -25.44 to -9.53), TC -17.01 mg/dL, HDL no change
• In a 12-week double-blind trial of 20 resistance-trained men, 30 mg a day of asparagus-derived 20-hydroxyecdysone reduced arm fat more than placebo. — 20 healthy males doing supervised resistance training, 30 mg/d 20E (n=10) or placebo (n=10) for 12 weeks (n = 20) Evidence B source
  Greater arm fat reduction vs placebo (p<0.05); fat oxidation higher only at 40% VO2peak
• In 177,148 UK Biobank participants, people who said they liked asparagus had 31 percent lower all-cause mortality over 3.4 years. — 177,148 UK Biobank participants with a food preference questionnaire, mean follow-up 3.4 years (n = 177148) Evidence C source
  HR 0.69 (95% CI 0.62 to 0.77) for high vs low preference for asparagus

Safety, limits and interactions

• Cryptosporidium was found in 29 percent of fresh asparagus bundles sampled in northwest Mexico, more often in open-air market and sub-standard produce than in export lots. — 150 asparagus bundles (export, sub-standard, open-air market) in Caborca, Sonora (n = 150) Evidence C source
  Cryptosporidium 29%, Giardia 5%, Cyclospora 3%
• Artichoke or asparagus extracts sold as dietary supplements in the US fall under DSHEA (1994), so the FDA does not approve them for safety or effectiveness before they are sold. — Dietary supplements sold in the United States Evidence E source
  No FDA premarket approval of safety, effectiveness or labeling

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU did not authorize claims that globe artichoke drains the body or enhances renal elimination of water. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7003 (n = -) Evidence E source
  Non-authorized
• The EU likewise did not authorize the claim that asparagus supports kidney excretion or urinary flow. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6652 (n = -) Evidence E source
  Non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• Across 8 randomized trials artichoke supplements did not change blood pressure overall, but in people with hypertension systolic pressure fell by about 3 mmHg. — 8 RCTs of artichoke supplementation vs placebo; subgroup of hypertensive patients (n = 8 trials) Evidence A source
  Overall SBP -0.77 mmHg (-2.76 to 1.22); hypertensive SBP -3.19 mmHg (-3.32 to -3.06), DBP -2.33 mmHg

The bottom line

Asparagus is the folate vegetable of the pair, and its number moves. Eight USDA samples of raw green asparagus averaged 182.5 micrograms of folate per 3.5 oz (100 g), ranging from 143 to 207, while vitamin C swung from 5.4 to 12.4 mg. There are no such samples for artichoke, so its spread is unknown. A spear weighs about 16 g in the US survey database and a cup 135 g. A whole artichoke counts as 125 g there, and the database does not say how much of that is edible. Steaming costs some folate. The USDA retention table for vegetables, a group factor from 1975, keeps 85 percent of folate and vitamin C and all of the potassium. UK tables list steamed asparagus at 102 micrograms of folate against 175 raw, a bigger loss, though these are two separate entries and never one batch measured twice. The asparagus science is thin. In 20 resistance-trained men, 30 mg a day of 20-hydroxyecdysone from an asparagus root extract cut arm fat more than placebo over 12 weeks, a tiny trial of a compound far removed from a plate of spears. We have no card on the safety of 20-hydroxyecdysone or on any upper dose. In 177,148 UK Biobank participants, people who said they liked asparagus had 31 percent lower all-cause mortality over 3.4 years (hazard ratio 0.69, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.77). That is an association with taste preference over a short follow-up, and it says nothing about what anyone ate. Artichoke extract is at least absorbed: in 10 volunteers on capsules its caffeic acid esters left in urine as ferulic, vanillic and related acids, with no measure of how much got through. The old kidney folklore did not survive review. The EU refused the claims that artichoke drains the body or helps the kidneys shed water, and it refused the matching urinary flow claim for asparagus. Two atopic patients reacted to fresh asparagus while preparing it and ate cooked asparagus without symptoms. That is two case reports, the weakest evidence on the page. In northwest Mexico Cryptosporidium turned up on 29 percent of 150 fresh asparagus bundles, more often in market and sub-standard lots than in export produce, measured on raw spears before any washing or cooking. That is a hazard of raw asparagus, and we have no card yet on who is most at risk from it or on how much washing or cooking removes it. We have no card on pregnancy, children or drug interactions for either vegetable, and none on the safety of artichoke extract supplements themselves, the form behind the cholesterol numbers. In the US, supplements do not go through FDA approval the way medicines do, so anyone who takes medication, is pregnant or has a chronic illness should talk to a doctor before taking an artichoke extract.

Sources

1. artasp-daily-r1-01 · composition dataset
   CoFID 2021 13-153 Artichoke, globe, raw: Energy (kcal) 18; Protein (g) 2.8; Potassium (mg) 360; Folate (µg) 68; Vitamin C (mg) 2; 13-157 Asparagus, raw: Energy (kcal) 25; Protein (g) 2.9; Potassium (mg) 260; Folate (µg) 175; Vitamin C (mg) 12
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, codes 13-153 and 13-157, OGL v3.0 · checked 2026-09-29
2. artasp-daily-r1-02 · composition dataset
   Asparagus, green, raw (USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30): Folate, total 182.5 UG, range 143.0-206.6 (median 188.5), samples 8, spread 35%; Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid 9.153 MG, range 5.38-12.4 (median 9.52), samples 8, spread 77%; Potassium, K 277.5 MG, range 254.0-301.0 (median 276.5), samples 8
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 (Asparagus, green, raw) · checked 2026-09-29
3. artasp-daily-r1-04 · composition dataset
   CoFID 2021 13-157 Asparagus, raw: Folate (µg) 175; Vitamin C (mg) 12; Potassium (mg) 260; 13-638 Asparagus, steamed: Folate (µg) 102; Vitamin C (mg) 8; Potassium (mg) 283
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, codes 13-157 and 13-638, OGL v3.0 · checked 2026-09-29
4. artasp-daily-r1-05 · portion dataset
   FNDDS 75100750 Artichoke (fdc_id 2709766): 1 cup 150 g, 1 heart 30 g, 1 whole 125 g, Quantity not specified 75 g; FNDDS 75100800 Asparagus, raw (fdc_id 2709767): 1 piece 4 g, 1 spear 16 g, 1 cup 135 g, Quantity not specified 68 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food codes 75100750 and 75100800 · checked 2026-09-29
5. artasp-daily-r1-11 · clinical trial, non-randomized
   Thus, the caffeic acid esters found in the artichoke extract capsule are absorbed, metabolised and excreted as methylated phenolic acids such as ferulic, isoferulic, dihydroferulic and vanillic acid.
   Free Radic Res, 2001 · checked 2026-09-29
6. artasp-daily-r1-03 · retention dataset
   USDA-RETN-R6:3784 VEG,OTHER,STEAMED, group Vegetables and Vegetable Products: vitamin_c_mg 85% retained, folate_total_ug 85%, thiamin_mg 90%, vitamin_b6_mg 90%, riboflavin_mg 95%, niacin_mg 95%, potassium_mg 100%, calcium_mg 100%, iron_mg 100%, magnesium_mg 100%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007), code 3784 · checked 2026-09-29
7. artasp-daily-r1-12 · case series
   Skin-prick tests with native green and white asparagus were strongly positive, but negative with cooked asparagus.
   Clin Exp Allergy, 1996 · checked 2026-09-29
8. artasp-daily-r1-06 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   Meta-analysis of data from 9 trials including 702 subjects suggested a significant decrease in plasma concentrations of total cholesterol (WMD: -17.6 mg/dL, 95%CI: -22.0, -13.3, p < 0.001), Low Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (LDL-C; WMD: -14.9 mg/dL, 95%CI: -20.4, -9.5, p = 0.011) and triglycerides (WMD: -9.2 mg/dL, 95%CI: -16.2, -2.1, p = 0.011).
   Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
9. artasp-daily-r1-07 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   Combining 15 effect sizes from 14 studies based on the random-effects analysis, we found that artichoke significantly reduced TG (weighed mean difference [WMD]: -17.01 mg/dl, 95% CI: -23.88, -10.13, p = .011), TC (WMD: -17.01 mg/dl, 95% CI: -23.88, -10.13, p < .001), and LDL-C (WMD: -17.48 mg/dl, 95%CI: -25.44, -9.53, p < .001).
   Phytother Res, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
10. artasp-daily-r1-09 · randomized controlled trial in humans
    Twenty healthy males were randomly assigned in a double-blind design to receive either a placebo (PLA; n=10) or 30 mg/d of 20E (n=10) for 12 wk, during which all participants performed supervised RT three times per week. ... The 20E group showed significant reductions in arm (p<0.01), leg (p<0.05), and abdominal fat (p<0.05), with arm fat reduction significantly greater than in the PLA group (p<0.05).
    J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
11. artasp-daily-r1-10 · prospective cohort study
    Higher preference for asparagus (hazard ratio (95% confidence interval)): 0.69 (0.62, 0.77)), aubergine (0.79 (0.72, 0.87)), black pepper (0.72 (0.64, 0.81)), broccoli (0.69 (0.61, 0.79)), butternut squash (0.75 (0.68, 0.83)), and extra virgin olive oil (0.67 (0.58, 0.78)) was linked to lower all-cause mortality, whereas higher preference for regular fizzy drinks (1.38 (1.24, 1.54)) was linked to higher mortality across all analyses.
    Sci Rep, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
12. artasp-daily-r1-13 · cross-sectional study
    The pathogens Cryptosporidium spp. (29%) G. intestinalis (5%) and Cyclospora spp. (3%) were found in the asparagus sold in the region.
    Trop Biomed, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
13. sf-dshea-1 · agency advice
    The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was amended in 1994 by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, often referred to as DSHEA, which defined “dietary supplement” and set out the FDA’s authority regarding such products....The FDA does NOT have the authority to approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness, or to approve their labeling, before the supplements are sold to the public.
    FDA, FDA 101: Dietary Supplements · checked 2026-10-08
14. artasp-daily-r1-14 · EU health claim decision
    POL-HC-7003 Cynara scolymus - common name : artichoke, globe artichoke Used to enhance the renal elimination of water / "Used to facilitate the elimination functions of the organism" / "Used for the drainage of the organism" / "Stimulates the elimination function of the organism" / "Contributes to the functionary of the urinary tract" Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7003, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
15. artasp-daily-r1-15 · EU health claim decision
    POL-HC-6652 Asparagus officinalis Supports the excretory function of the kidneys /contributes to urinary flow Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6652, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
16. artasp-daily-r1-08 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    Pooled analysis of eight randomized controlled trials revealed that artichoke supplementation did not have an effect on systolic blood pressure (SBP), (WMD: -0.77 mmHg, 95 % CI: -2.76 to 1.22) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (WMD: -0.11 mmHg, 95 % CI: -1.72 to 1.50) when compared to the placebo group. However, subgroup analyses based on health status suggested that artichoke administration among hypertensive patients may significantly reduce SBP (WMD: -3.19 mmHg, 95 % CI: -3.32 to -3.06) and DBP (WMD: -2.33 mmHg, 95 % CI: -2.23 to -2.43), but no such reduction was found in NAFLD patients.
    Complement Ther Med, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29