They can help reduce the risk of many kinds of heart disease, cancer and birth defects.Artichoke Trivia:??? Artichokes are a member of the flowering thistle family. ??? In 1949, Marilyn Monroe was crowned the Artichoke Queen of California. ??? The word artichoke was taken from the Italian word articiocco which means pinecone. ??? The Roman goddess Cynara, was said to have been turned into an art