JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE /TOPINAMBUR, EARTH APPLE/

Jerusalem artichoke is an attractive sunflower that works well in perennial borders and naturalistic gardens. It is a little rangy and awkward, and perhaps not well suited to tidy or formal gardens. Most gardeners relegate them to a back corner of the vegetable garden. The flowers are very attractive to butterflies and the seeds are eaten by finches and other songbirds. The consumption of earth apple regulates blood pressure and acts beneficial to the digestive system. TopInambur is a very suitable means of increasing the immune system in infections and a weak organism. Since inulin in the earth apple promotes the absorption of calcium and magnesium with which it is received, the plant is also recommended as a preventative measure against osteoporosis.
The earth apple is very common as a means of lowering blood glucose levels and reducing the insulin dose required in people suffering from type I diabetes. Unlike potatoes in which starch is degraded to glucose and thus elevates blood glucose, inulin in the apple breaks down to fructose and does not dramatically affect blood sugar levels.
Last but not least, the earth apple tubers can serve as a means of purifying the blood and are useful for the liver and kidneys. The plant is capable of removing various contaminants and heavy metals from the body.