Health Benefits of Chicory
Chicory is a herb that can be used as a substitute for tea but more than that it has got lot of medicinal properties. The leaves are widely used in salad dressing while the roots are used for making coffee.
Roots are long and thick and it does not contain any caffeine. Chicory has a lot of vitamins and nutrients like vitamin A, C, potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, niacin, inulin etc.
Chicory contains inulin that can control the level of sugar in the blood. Hence it is highly beneficial for diabetes patients. It can also be used as a sweeter to substitute sugar. Along with decreasing the blood sugar chicory will also reduce the level of serum LDL cholesterol present in the blood.
Cleanliness
Chicory is ideal for fighting parasites and worms present in the intestine. The intybin and chicoriin present in chicory helps in stimulating the appetite and digesting the food. It aids in cleaning the colon. Chicory has powers to clean the blood, circulatory system and liver and will eliminate the toxins present in them.
The leaf juice of chicory is ideal for treating jaundice. To control the enlarging liver it is advisable to take chicory leaf juice mixed with water. It will also remove the stones present in liver and galls and will increase the flow of bile.
Nervous Disorders
Chicory consists of lactucoprin and lactucin which are the bitter in taste and will act on the central nervous system as a sedative. Thus any decoction of chicory roots is found to be beneficial for those who have central nervous system disorders. The vitamin A present in chicory juice will nourish the optic nerves and will retain the eye sight.
Inflammation
Chicory can be used for treating inflammations. You can apply bruised leaves of chicory over swellings. Chicory is also useful for treating headache and to get relief from the swelling and pain of arthritis.
Sore Breast
The juice extracted from chicory leaves are widely used for treating the sore breasts in breast feeding mothers.
