Jerusalem Artichoke: Nutrition, Inulin and FODMAP

Q: Is a Jerusalem artichoke the same as an artichoke?

No. The Jerusalem artichoke is the tuber of a North American sunflower species, eaten like a root vegetable. The globe artichoke is the flower bud of a thistle. Both belong to the daisy family and contain fructans, but they look, taste and cook differently.

Q: Why do Jerusalem artichokes cause gas?

They are rich in inulin, which is poorly absorbed in the small bowel and is fermented by gut bacteria in the large bowel, producing gas. Effects grow with the amount: start with a small portion. People with IBS often react strongly, and the NHS low-FODMAP sheet lists Jerusalem artichoke among foods to avoid.

Q: Can you eat Jerusalem artichokes raw?

Yes. Raw, they are crisp and mildly sweet and work thinly sliced or grated in salads. Roasting or simmering makes them soft and nutty. Raw or cooked, they still contain inulin, so portion size matters if gas is a problem for you.

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By the Nutriveda editorial team · Updated 5 November 2026

The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) is the knobbly tuber of a sunflower species native to North America, also sold as sunchoke, and a different plant from the globe artichoke. 100 g of raw Jerusalem artichoke has 73 kcal, 17.4 g of carbohydrate, 3.4 mg of iron and 429 mg of potassium. Much of its carbohydrate is inulin, a fibre made of fructose chains: studies report 17-20.5% of the tuber’s fresh weight, which makes it one of the richest inulin foods you can cook at home. The same inulin is the reason it has a reputation for causing gas, and it is high in FODMAPs.

Jerusalem artichoke nutrition per 100 g and per cup

Nutrient	Raw, 100 g	1 cup sliced (150 g)
Energy	73 kcal	110 kcal
Protein	2.0 g	3.0 g
Fat	<0.1 g	<0.1 g
Carbohydrate	17.4 g	26.1 g
of which sugars	9.6 g	14.4 g
Fibre (as listed by USDA)	1.6 g	2.4 g
Iron	3.4 mg	5.1 mg
Potassium	429 mg	644 mg
Thiamin (vitamin B1)	0.20 mg	0.30 mg
Niacin (vitamin B3)	1.3 mg	2.0 mg
Phosphorus	78 mg	117 mg
Copper	0.14 mg	0.21 mg
Magnesium	17 mg	26 mg
Vitamin C	4 mg	6 mg
Folate	13 µg	20 µg

Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: “Jerusalem-artichokes, raw” (FDC 169236), checked 5 November 2026. The record gives 1 cup of slices = 150 g; that column is calculated. Values rounded.

The 1.6 g of fibre in the USDA record does not reflect the inulin. The classic laboratory method for dietary fibre does not measure most fructans, because they dissolve in the ethanol used in the test (ANZFA, Application A277), and the record does not say which method was used. Treat the 17-20.5% inulin figure from research and the USDA fibre value as two different measurements.

Glycemic index

Jerusalem artichoke is not listed in the international GI tables (Atkinson 2008), so there is no measured value to quote. More on the topic in What is the glycemic index.

Jerusalem artichoke vs globe artichoke

Despite the name, the Jerusalem artichoke is not from Jerusalem and is not an artichoke. It is the underground tuber of a sunflower (Helianthus, the same genus as the garden sunflower), while the globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) is a thistle whose immature flower head is eaten. Britannica notes that the Jerusalem artichoke “does not resemble the artichoke”. Both belong to the daisy family, and both contain fructans. On the plate they are very different: per 100 g raw, USDA lists 73 kcal, 17.4 g of carbohydrate and 9.6 g of sugars for the Jerusalem artichoke, against 47 kcal, 10.5 g and 1 g for the globe artichoke (FDC 169205), which in turn has more fibre in the USDA record (5.4 g).

Health benefits: what the evidence says

A rich source of inulin. Inulin is a prebiotic fibre: the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) defines prebiotics as “substrates that are selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit” and lists Jerusalem artichokes among food sources. It is poorly absorbed in the small bowel and fermented by bacteria in the large bowel. Our prebiotic foods list compares it with other sources. The EU’s authorised bowel-function claim is for native inulin from chicory at 12 g a day, not for Jerusalem artichoke, so it cannot be used for this vegetable.
Iron. 3.4 mg per 100 g is 24% of the EU nutrient reference value of 14 mg, a lot for a vegetable. NIH explains that plant foods contain only non-heme iron, which is absorbed less well than iron from meat, and that vitamin C improves its absorption. Pairing Jerusalem artichoke with vitamin C-rich foods such as peppers, parsley or a squeeze of lemon helps.
Potassium and thiamin. 100 g gives 429 mg of potassium (21% of the 2,000 mg reference value) and 0.2 mg of thiamin (18% of 1.1 mg). Under EU labelling rules, 15% of the reference value per 100 g counts as a significant amount.
Almost no fat. The USDA record lists 0.01 g of fat per 100 g; nearly all the energy comes from carbohydrate.

How to eat Jerusalem artichoke

Prepare: scrub well with a brush, the knobbly tubers hold soil. The skin is thin, so peeling is optional. Cut pieces brown in the air; drop them into water with a little lemon juice if you are not cooking them straight away.
Roasted: halve or slice, toss with olive oil, salt and thyme and roast until golden and soft inside, like other root vegetables.
Soup: simmer with leeks or onions and potato, then blend; the result is smooth and slightly nutty. Britannica notes the tuber is popular in Europe as a cooked vegetable.
Raw: slice very thinly or grate into salads for crunch.
Start small: if you are new to it, begin with a few slices as a side rather than a full bowl of soup, and see how your gut responds.
Storage: keep in a bag in the fridge; the thin skin lets them dry out and soften faster than potatoes.

Who should be careful

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). FODMAPs are carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small bowel and fermented in the large bowel, which can cause wind, bloating and abdominal pain. The low-FODMAP sheet of Cambridge University Hospitals (NHS) lists globe and Jerusalem artichoke among the vegetables to avoid during the initial four to six weeks of the diet.
Anyone sensitive to gas. In a controlled trial with healthy adults, chicory inulin, the same type of fibre, increased flatulence and bloating with the dose, although up to 10 g a day was well tolerated (Bonnema 2010). At 17-20.5% inulin, a 150 g portion of Jerusalem artichoke holds roughly 25-30 g of inulin (calculated).

Traditional view (Ayurveda)

In Usha and Vasant Lad’s food guidelines, Jerusalem artichoke is favourable for Pitta and Kapha, and for Vata in moderation. This is a traditional view, not a clinical finding.

FAQ

Is a Jerusalem artichoke the same as an artichoke?

No. The Jerusalem artichoke is the tuber of a North American sunflower species, eaten like a root vegetable. The globe artichoke is the flower bud of a thistle. Both belong to the daisy family and contain fructans, but they look, taste and cook differently.

Why do Jerusalem artichokes cause gas?

They are rich in inulin, which is poorly absorbed in the small bowel and is fermented by gut bacteria in the large bowel, producing gas. Effects grow with the amount: start with a small portion. People with IBS often react strongly, and the NHS low-FODMAP sheet lists Jerusalem artichoke among foods to avoid.

Can you eat Jerusalem artichokes raw?

Yes. Raw, they are crisp and mildly sweet and work thinly sliced or grated in salads. Roasting or simmering makes them soft and nutty. Raw or cooked, they still contain inulin, so portion size matters if gas is a problem for you.

Sources

USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Jerusalem-artichokes, raw (FDC 169236). fdc.nal.usda.gov
USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Artichokes, (globe or french), raw (FDC 169205). fdc.nal.usda.gov
Encyclopaedia Britannica: Jerusalem artichoke. britannica.com
Encyclopaedia Britannica: Artichoke. britannica.com
Costabile A, Kolida S, Klinder A, et al. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study to establish the bifidogenic effect of a very-long-chain inulin extracted from globe artichoke in healthy human subjects. British Journal of Nutrition 2010;104:1007-1017. cambridge.org
Australia New Zealand Food Authority. Full Assessment Report, Application A277: Inulin and fructooligosaccharides as dietary fibre. foodstandards.gov.au
International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP): Prebiotics. isappscience.org
Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/2314 of 7 December 2015 (health claim on native chicory inulin; amends Regulation (EU) No 432/2012), Annex. legislation.gov.uk
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron, Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. ods.od.nih.gov
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII – nutrient reference values. legislation.gov.uk
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Low FODMAP diet – reducing fermentable carbohydrates in your diet. cuh.nhs.uk
Bonnema AL, Kolberg LW, Thomas W, Slavin JL. Gastrointestinal tolerance of chicory inulin products. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2010;110(6):865-868. doi.org
Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008. Diabetes Care 2008;31(12):2281-2283. PMC
Lad U, Lad V. Food Guidelines for Basic Constitutional Types, from Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing, 2nd ed. The Ayurvedic Institute. ayurveda.com

This page is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice.

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