Have you ever heard of the chicory before? Did you know what this is? Well, actually, chicory is an herbaceous, woody plant, which does a lot of wonders to the overall health. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of health benefits of chicory. These include its ability to reduce the risk of heart conditions, boost the immunity, prevent any bacterial infection, detoxify the gallbladder and liver, reduce arthritis pain, prevent heartburn, as well as ease the digestive problems. Furthermore, it is also beneficial as a sedative, which can fight kidney stones, as well as promote weight loss. In general, chicory herb is a powerful addition to whatever diet you have.
Chicory: What is this?
The chicory is a Mediterranean plant or herb, which is cultivated mainly for its use in the field of culinary. They usually use it in preparing salads and some other medical applications. Furthermore, it grows in various conditions and is typically present along the roadsides in Europe. It is also where this herb originated. Nevertheless, in today’s day and time, it has now naturalized into the Americas and you can find it there extensively.
Moreover, the leaves, the buds, as well as the roots of the chicory have specific beneficial qualities, and its leaves are used in the same way as the spinach in various cultures. Moreover, the chicory root is often ground into powder form and used as a substitute for coffee. Additionally, people have been using this herb for hundreds and hundreds of years now. They use it as a herbal treatment for various conditions and still continue to prove its own worth even up to this day.
The chicory herb usually grows in various parts of the world, with the largest producers in South Africa and France, and now in the United States, specifically in Nebraska. The chicory root is grown and harvested, just like the sugar beets. Furthermore, they pull the roots from the ground with an equipment, cut, dried, roasted, ground, and then packed.
The chicory herb has now been thought to possess some medicinal properties for more than 5000 years. What follows is a listing of various reputed health benefits of chicory. We will be discussing these further later in this article.
Nutritional Value of Chicory
The chicory is a great source of essential vitamins and minerals, including potassium, folic acid, iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, and zinc. Not just that, it also has vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin E, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. These are the major agents behind all of the health benefits, which come from the chicory. Please refer to the table below to learn more about the nutritional content of chicory.
| Principle | Amount | % Daily Value |
| Energy | 72 Kcal | 3.5% |
| Carbohydrates | 17.51 grams | 14% |
| Protein | 1.40 grams | 3% |
| Total Fat | 0.20 grams | <1% |
| Cholesterol | 0 milligrams | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.5 grams | 4% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 23 micrograms | 6% |
| Niacin | 0.400 milligrams | 2.5% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.241 milligrams | 18% |
| Riboflavin | 0.030 milligrams | 2% |
| Thiamin | 0.040 milligrams | 3% |
| Vitamin A | 6 International Unit | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 5 milligrams | 8% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 50 milligrams | 3% |
| Potassium | 290 milligrams | 6% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 36 milligrams | 3.5% |
| Iron | 0.80 milligrams | 10% |
| Magnesium | 22 milligrams | 5.5% |
| Manganese | 0.233 milligrams | 10% |
| Phosphorus | 61 milligrams | 9% |
| Selenium | 0.7 micrograms | 1% |
| Zinc | 0.33 milligrams | 3% |
Health Benefits of Chicory
Here are some of the most tantalizing health benefits of chicory:
- Helps in treating kidney conditions. The extract from the chicory rot is essential as a diuretic that helps in increasing the urine volume. Remember, the frequent urination is beneficial in eliminating the toxins, which the body stores in the kidneys and the liver. Therefore, it is essential in prevention any chronic conditions, which may occur when the toxins stay in the body.
- Helps in reducing anxiety. The chicory possesses sedative properties, which may be beneficial in reducing anxiety, as well as soothe the mind, thus relieving the stress and the dangerous effects it may cause the body.
- Helps in boosting the immune system. The chicory is beneficial in adding a boost in the immunity. It actually has antibacterial properties, which is essential for the immune system health, specifically.
- Helps in treating constipation. The fiber content of the chicory is essential in bulking up the bowel movement, as well as promote the peristaltic motions and the gastric juices secretion. This just means that the digestion overall gets an enhancement, and there’ll be a reduction in constipation.
- Helps in preventing cancer. The extracts from the chicory are beneficial in the tumor growth reduction in some cancer studies. Reports also show that this is because of the fructans in the herb that has antioxidant and anti-tumor properties. This is one of the best health benefits of chicory.
- Helps in improving heart The inulin in the chicory is not just beneficial for the digestive health, it also has an effect in the reduction of bad cholesterol in the body. This is specifically beneficial for the betterment of heart health.
