Mother nature has given us so many plants for curing everything,the only thing we have to learn is how to identify the right ones for certain diseases or affections and how to use them. Often not all the parts of a plant are used but only the flower, the leaves, the seeds or the root. Sometimes one part of a plant might be good for medicine while other part of the same plant is poisonous.
One of these amazing plants given to us is the Chicory (also called blue daisy, blue dandelion, blue sailors or blue weed). This plant has been cultivated in the ancient Egypt for its medicinal proprieties. This is a plant from the family of dandelions and it has a beautiful blue color (image.).
Like I said, in most cases, not all the parts of the plant are used as medicine but only a few ones. In the case of chicory people mostly use its root andol leaves for medicine and in the kitchen . Chicory is one of the 38 plants used to prepare Bach flower remedies.
What is chicory root?
Chicory root is the root of the plant called chicory and it is used in kitchen and medicine. The root contains inulin which acts as energy for the plant, (this is what makes the plant grow the next year) while for humans it acts a dietary fiber.
Where does Chicory mainly grow?
Chicory is grown a lot in the North Western Europe but its roots tolerate the soil and temperatures from all over the United States.
If you want to start growing chicory for using it to diversify your diet or to use it for treating certain affections or health problems, here are some of the many varieties of chicory you could plant in your garden:
Brussels Witloof – this is one of the tastiest winter vegetables, it’s very easy to grow and it has an amazing taste so give it a try, it will definately leave you wanting more. Magdeburg – this variety of chicory can be harvest 100 days after the first leaves appear, this is one of the chicory roots used for making coffee (it’s used as a substitute for coffee beans). Witloof Zoom – this chicory is very popular in the Northern area of France and Poland, you can eat it cooked or you can add it to salad in its raw form and you can also bake or steam it.
What are the health benefits of chicory root?
Inulin has been generally recognised as safe to consume in the United States.
The inulin in the chicory root doesn’t only serve as a replacement for fat in foods but it also adds fiber, this way contributing to a healthy digestion.
Scientists have proven that the inulin in chicory root delays the onset of early diabetes and it can even prevent it. More, it improves the regularity of bowel movements.
Another study has shown that the juice made from chicory root was able to prevent cancer and tumors of certain parts of the female reproctive system like the uterus.
Eating chicory root might even improve blood sugar control there have been studies made on a group of women with type 2 diabete who took 10 grams of inulin found in chicory root every day for 2 months. The sugar level in their blood had significantly dropped and not only, the level hemoglobin A1c did drop too.
People have been using chicory for treating inflammations and swelling. A study has show that taking chicory supplements can help people deal with osteoarthritis.
Chicory root is an amazing substitute for oat and it can kill the parasites inside the bovines when it’s included in their diet.
Some side effects of eating too much chicory root can be:
Increased menstrual flow, abdominal pain, intestinal sounds, loating miscarriage (in case you have any alergy to daisies, marigold or ragweed)
You can boil the celery root abd eat it with butter, treat it like the other vegetables and cook it the way you like, it can as well been eaten raw like salad or cooked like potatoes.
Use chicory root wisely and with measure. The indicated quantity of chicory root per day is 3 to 5 grams.
