Composition
The ingredients are water, fructose, artichoke leaf extract (Cynara scolymus L.), fennel fruit extract (Foeniculum vulgare M.), glucose, the preservative sodium benzoate, peppermint leaf extract (Mentha piperita L.), barley malt, the acid citric acid, and the emulsifier mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (a substance that keeps the liquid evenly mixed).
| Ingredient | Per daily amount (90 ml) | % NRV |
|---|---|---|
| Artichoke leaf extract | 480 mg | — |
| equivalent to dried artichoke | about 4 g | — |
| equivalent to fresh artichoke | about 20 g | — |
NRV (nutrient reference value): a reference daily amount of a vitamin or mineral, set in EU law for food labels;[4] % NRV shows what share of it the daily dose provides;[5][4] a dash means no NRV is set for the substance.
Ingredients
Artichoke leaf is traditionally used to relieve digestive complaints such as indigestion with a feeling of fullness, bloating and flatulence. This use rests on long experience: small, short clinical studies suggested that the leaf may ease indigestion, but because of weaknesses in their design they do not allow firm conclusions.[1]
Sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) fruit is traditionally used for mild, cramp-like digestive complaints such as bloating and flatulence, and to help bring up mucus in a cough with a cold.[2] Health Canada lists both uses for bitter fennel, the plant's other variety.[6]
Peppermint leaf has a similar traditional use, for indigestion and flatulence;[3] Health Canada lists it too, as an aid to digestion.[7] For both plants the basis is long use: many herbal medicines of this kind have not been fully studied with current scientific methods,[2] and for peppermint leaf the evidence from clinical trials is insufficient.[3] The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health adds that very little research has been done on peppermint leaf, so it cannot be said for certain whether it helps any health condition.[8]
These uses describe herbal medicines made from the plants, not proven effects of this supplement.
How to use
- Dose: 2 tablespoons (1 tablespoon = 15 ml) 3 times a day, before meals; that is 90 ml a day.
- How: shake the bottle well before use; pour the liquid into a spoon. Do not drink directly from the bottle, as this contaminates the contents.
- Do not: exceed the recommended daily amount, or use the supplement as a substitute for a healthy diet.
- Storage: after opening, keep the bottle upright in the refrigerator (at most +5 °C) and use it within 2 weeks; keep it out of the reach of small children.
Precautions
People who are pregnant or breastfeeding should talk to a health care provider before starting the supplement. The same applies to anyone on medication. Children should be given the supplement with caution, except when a health care provider has recommended this product.[9]
- The supplement contains barley malt. Barley is one of the three cereals, with wheat and rye, that contain gluten, the protein that people with coeliac disease react to.[10]
- It also contains fructose and glucose.
- Artichoke leaf preparations are not for people allergic to plants of the daisy family (Asteraceae) or with certain liver and bile duct disorders.[1]
- Peppermint leaf can worsen reflux of stomach acid and heartburn, and people with gallstones or other bile problems should be cautious with it.[3] Health Canada also advises asking a doctor before using peppermint in anaemia.[7]
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 European Medicines Agency, Cynarae folium: herbal medicinal product. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 European Medicines Agency, Foeniculi dulcis fructus: herbal medicinal product. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 European Medicines Agency, Menthae piperitae folium: herbal medicinal product. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 European Parliament and Council of the European Union, Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, Annex XIII, Part A; Article 53(2).
- ↑ European Parliament and Council of the European Union, Directive 2002/46/EC of 10 June 2002 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to food supplements, Article 8(2) and (3).
- ↑ Health Canada, Bitter Fennel – Foeniculum vulgare. Natural Health Product monograph, 29 November 2024.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Health Canada, Peppermint – Mentha x piperita. Natural Health Product monograph, 27 February 2026.
- ↑ National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Peppermint Oil. Last updated May 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2026.
- ↑ Office of Dietary Supplements, Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know. Page updated 4 January 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
- ↑ NHS, Coeliac disease. Retrieved 8 November 2026.