Jerusalem Artichoke 400mg | 60 Capsules | Swanson

Jerusalem Artichoke by Swanson

The Jerusalem artichoke, also known as sunchoke or earth apple, is a tuber that, despite its name, has nothing to do with common artichokes. Jerusalem artichoke by Swanson delivers 400mg of dried tuber per capsule, from the plant Helianthus tuberosus. This is a practical form for those who wish to supplement with this tuber, naturally rich in inulin, separately.

What a Jerusalem artichoke is

The name is misleading: the Jerusalem artichoke does not come from Jerusalem, nor is it an artichoke. It is the tuber of a sunflower species, Helianthus tuberosus, which is native to North America. In the kitchen, the tuber is cooked or roasted and has a slightly nutty, sweet taste. What makes the sunchoke special is that it naturally contains a lot of inulin, a type of fiber that the plant uses to store energy instead of starch. Swanson dries and grinds the tuber into a powder and puts it into a capsule, ensuring a consistent dose of 400mg per unit. The plant was already consumed by the indigenous peoples of North America and later came to Europe, where the tuber was a valued vegetable in times of scarcity. Above ground, the plant strongly resembles a small sunflower, with yellow flowers, while the edible tubers are underground.

Inulin, the characteristic of the tuber

Inulin is a soluble fiber that is not digested in your small intestine but continues further into the gut like many other fibers. It occurs naturally in several plants, and the sunchoke is among the species with the highest content. This is where the Jerusalem artichoke comes in: the tuber is a plant-based source of this fiber. This product provides the dried tuber as a whole, including the inulin naturally present in it, and not as a separate, isolated fiber powder. Each capsule provides 400mg of dried tuber.

From tuber to capsule

What many people don't know: fresh sunchokes are lumpy and difficult to clean, and they don't store as long as, for example, potatoes. In dried, ground form, this drawback is eliminated. The tuber goes into the capsule along with only rice flour and two anti-caking agents. The capsule itself is made of gelatin, so this product is not vegetarian. That is a point of attention, because the tuber itself is plant-based while the casing is not. This way, you have the plant in a compact form at hand.

How to take Jerusalem artichoke

A frequently asked question: how much should you take per day? Swanson recommends one capsule, once or twice a day, with water. With 60 capsules per bottle, one capsule a day provides approximately two months' supply. Because inulin is a fiber that is broken down further in the intestine, a high intake can lead to bloating or flatulence in sensitive individuals; in that case, gradually increase the intake. In short: the Jerusalem artichoke is the sunchoke, a tuber naturally rich in inulin, here as a dried tuber in a capsule with 400mg per unit.