Artichoke's use as a herb was first documented in the 4th century BC. The herb belongs to the plant family Asteraceae, which includes milk thistle. Also known as globe artichoke, the plant produces large purple and green flower heads and is distinct from Jerusalem Artichoke, the edible root vegetable.

Traditionally, artichoke has been used to help ease the discomfort in the upper abdomen or lower chest experienced by some people after eating. Modern research has led to practitioners extending its use to patients experiencing disrupted bowel health, and for those with impaired fat digestion.

It is the leaves of the artichoke plant that contain the active compounds, the most important one being cynarin. Lamberts® Artichoke is a high potency artichoke extract standardised upon 5% cynarin, to give a relevant level of 16mg cynarin per tablet.