Surely each of us, passing along a rural road, noticed bluish modest flowers-stars on tall gray-green twigs, but few people know that this herb is chicory, which is widely used both in alternative medicine and in cooking. This article is dedicated to those who want to get the most out of this extraordinary plant.
What does common chicory look like
Chicory (petrov whip, blue flower, shcherbak) was presented to man by the Astrov family: this is a wild perennial or, if cultivated on the site, a biennial plant, which many know as a weed. The grass is easy to recognize not only by high erect stems with a rough surface, sometimes reaching a height of one and a half meters, but also by small inflorescences-baskets (single or in a group), most often of a bluish-gray hue, opening their petals exclusively in the cool morning hours and in cloudy weather. It should be noted that there are species with white and pink flowers... As for the description of the leaves, in chicory they are lanceolate-ovoid and seem to "hug" the stems. The underground part also deserves attention - the root of the scherbak is very fleshy and large, having made an incision, you can see the bitter milky juice of the plant.
At the end of the growing season, roadside grass, as chicory is also called, bears fruit - three- or pentahedral light brown oblong achenes.
Places of distribution of chicory
For a resident of Russia, chicory is an indispensable attribute of the countryside. Indeed, this herb is widespread throughout almost the entire territory of Eurasia, in particular, in the Caucasus and Siberia, it grows in northern Africa, Australia and even New Zealand. A modest plant settles along roads and ditches, in fields, meadows and forest edges, sometimes forming thickets of impressive size. In some cases, Petrov's whip can be seen in the mountains (up to the middle belt).
Active ingredients of chicory
In folk recipes, the stems, leaves, flowers and root of the plant are used. The fact is that they contain a significant proportion of inulin, a polysaccharide that helps in the fight against diabetes and metabolic problems in the body. Other nutrients include proteins, choline, intibin, glycosides, tannins, and B vitamins such as riboflavin and thiamine. In addition, the leaves contain ascorbic acid, potassium and carotene; the juice extracted from the root contains bitter lactucin, lactucopicrin, taraxasterol, etc. Fatty oils can make up up to 30% in blue flower seeds.
Photo gallery
When to collect common chicory (video)
Medicinal and beneficial properties of the root, herbs and seeds of common chicory
Due to the chemical composition saturated with useful substances, roadside grass has a whole list of healing properties. The main ones are stimulation of digestive processes, slowing down of rapid heart rate and a calming effect on the central nervous system. Also, the shcherbak will have a beneficial effect on the excretion of urine and bile, stop diarrhea, increase appetite, reduce fever and relieve severe pain of various kinds. Due to such a wide spectrum of action, this herb has been valued by healers as a versatile medicine since ancient times, when herbalism was prominent in official medicine.
According to the effects produced by chicory extract on the body, the herb can be used in the fight against diseases such as diabetes, hepatitis, cholecystitis, cholangitis, gastritis, enterocolitis, stomatitis, conjunctivitis, gout, sciatica and many others. In addition, decoctions from the root of roadside grass are recommended for patients bitten by snakes, scorpions and lizards during the recovery period after a critical condition and the introduction of an antidote.
Traditional medicine recipes often include Petrov whip in the composition of fees that help with loss of strength, incontinence, nephritis and even some skin diseases (boils, carbuncles, eczema, acne). Today, this plant is recognized even in the circles of professional doctors.d: preparations with chicory are prescribed as wound-healing and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Growing common chicory
Having learned about the benefits that unpretentious chicory can bring to health, not a single site owner will refuse to plant it in his flower bed. Despite the fact that this is a half weed plant that does not require special conditions, in order to obtain a large and high-quality harvest of healing herbs, you need to remember a few simple rules.
Planting chicory on the site
The technology of planting common chicory involves several stages. Firstly, rotten manure is applied to loamy, loose and neutral soil in the fall, which is dug up after 14 days to a depth of about 0.3 m.Secondly, in the spring, a complex of mineral fertilizers and ash is applied (and again dug up to 25-30 cm. ). Thirdly, in March-April, acquire seedlings, which are then planted in open ground in May. Alternatively, you can try sowing chicory with seeds, but in this case you need to remember about 3-4 months - the time necessary for the formation of a good one. Seeds are sown in rows (row spacing - 20 cm), double-row tapes or thickened planting 20x20 cm. Seedlings must be planted to a depth of no more than 2 cm. At the end of sowing, the plot is rolled in.
Medicinal features of chicory (video)
Chicory care
The main procedures for caring for chicory are regular but moderate watering with warm water, deep loosening of row spacings after irrigation and precipitation, frequent weeding (especially you need to be careful, sow thistle and flushing) and fertilizing with a mineral complex if necessary.
Collecting and harvesting chicory
For decoctions and tinctures, the root is used. It needs to be harvested in the fall: dig it up, rinse with cold water, dry it, cut it into pieces and put it away to dry. The root can be dried both outdoors and in a drying chamber. The harvested raw materials are stored for no more than two years.
The tops are harvested in summer, during the flowering of the roadside grass. The upper 30 cm of the stem, together with the inflorescences, are cut and dried in the same way as the roots; it should be remembered that their shelf life is much shorter - only 1 year.
Scope of chicory
For most people, chicory is a coffee substitute, but its properties have made it possible to use the herb both in traditional medicine and in modern cosmetology.
Chicory in traditional medicine
- A decoction of the root vegetable. In ½ liter of boiling water, 1 tablespoon of raw materials is brewed, and then boiled for 30 minutes. The cooled broth is filtered and taken in a spoon three times a day before meals. The tool is extremely effective for improving appetite and the condition of the gastrointestinal tract in general.
- Infusion from the rhizome. 1 tbsp pour 500 ml of boiling water, insist under a lid for 3-4 hours and filter, squeezing out the remnants of the root. Dosage - half a glass, use before each meal. The drug is prescribed for the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract, bladder and skin diseases.
- Fresh chicory juice with skin diseases and anemia. Young shoots are cut off during the period of bud formation, scalded and passed through a meat grinder. The resulting mixture is squeezed through cheesecloth, and the squeezed juice is boiled for 2-3 minutes. Consume 1 teaspoon with honey 4 times a day.
- Root lotions. We need equal parts of the root and the aerial part: 4 tbsp. spoons of raw materials boil for half an hour in a glass of water, wring out and cool. The remedy is taken in the form of baths or douches for three or more days.
Chicory in cosmetology
Due to its beneficial properties, blue flower extract is a frequent component in many hair care products (rinses, shampoos, balms). This herb heals not only hair, but also the skin, fighting inflammation, acne, eczema and furunculosis, so it is also included in masks and gels for washing.
Preparation and benefits of chicory powder drink
Today chicory powder can be found in stores, and
/ 25 Feb 2018 at 15:50
Hello! We continue to introduce you to medicinal plants! In this material - wild chicory. Treatment with wild chicory at home, useful and medicinal properties, contraindications, important tips, recipes and secrets of use. So, let's begin.
What you will learn from this material:
Chicory wild description
The scientific name of the flower is common chicory. There are several other popular names among the people that are more common than the official one. The grass is called so: roadside grass, scherbak, petrov's batogs, blue flower. The fact is that wild chicory is very common and grows like a weed - it is often found in vegetable gardens and orchards, and is also not uncommon in fields and meadows.
Wild chicory is a very hardy plant, therefore it survives in various climatic conditions and multiplies without problems. The optimal conditions are a tropical and temperate climate, in Russia it is found throughout the European part, also in the mountains, not higher than the middle mountain belt. Wild chicory has spread to almost all continents - today it is quite common in Australia, South and North America, even in New Zealand.
In addition to being found in the wild, chicory is also grown in large quantities for industry. The cultivated variety differs from the wild one only in that it has a two-year development cycle, and the wild one has a perennial one. Chicory is used in the food industry to make aromatic drinks, and pharmaceuticals use the root, herb and flowers of the plant to make homeopathic and herbal medicines and supplements.
What does wild chicory look like?
Common chicory, or wild, is a typical representative of the Chicory genus, which is part of the Astrov family. Therefore, the plant has similar botanical characteristics. However, the genus of chicory is quite numerous and in order not to be confused, it is important to know exactly what this particular variety looks like. Consider a detailed botanical description of wild chicory.
- The rhizome is pivotal, burns to have several branches and short filamentous or cord-like processes.
- The peculiarity of wild chicory is the presence of lactariuses, which are located in all parts of the plant.
- The stalks of chicory are rod-shaped, erect, have branches. The surface of the stem is a greenish-gray shade, rough.
- The maximum plant height is about 1.5 meters, and the minimum is from 50 cm.
- Branches are thin, thickened at the apical part, deviating and almost leafless. On the branches there are very small leaves, up to 1-2 cm in length.
- Basal leaves are large, pinnately divided, long, with a serrated edge; closer to the root gradually, smoothly taper and turn into a short petiole.
- The flowering of chicory is profuse. Inflorescences-baskets from 3 to 5 cm in diameter, consist of long reed petals. The shade in which the flowers are painted can differ - from milky white to sky-blue. There is a wild-growing chicory with mauve flowers.
- Fruiting is no less abundant. After the end of the flowering phase, triangular or pentahedral achenes are formed, the length of which is about 3 mm.
Wild chicory - medicinal properties
Wild chicory contains several dozen active components that act on the human body. It is the content and chemical composition of the plant that provide the medicinal properties that are actively used in traditional and folk medicine.
What substances does wild chicory contain? The highest concentration contains organic acids, glycosides, flavonoids, bitter and tannins, as well as vitamins: C, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin. The seeds are rich in fatty oils and acids that have beneficial effects on the nervous system and mental health. The foliage contains many compounds of potassium, which strengthens the heart, normalizes the electrolyte and water-salt balance in the human body. So, how all these substances affect the human body and what medicinal properties wild chicory has. We look.
These are the main medicinal properties of common chicory, however, in addition, it is used as a general tonic and simply as an addition to the diet - it improves metabolism, well-being, and activates the immune system.
Contraindications
Based on the fact that wild chicory has a lot of beneficial properties, many people are taken for treatment with this plant, however, not everyone gets a positive effect. This is because the plant has a number of contraindications. In order to protect yourself and not harm your own health, you need to know in which cases the use of chicory is contraindicated. Let's look at a list of contraindications to the use of common chicory.
- In no case should you consume drinks and products with chicory for those people who have been diagnosed with chronic bronchitis or bronchial asthma.
- It is forbidden to use chicory in the presence of varicose veins and other vascular diseases or a tendency to form blood clots.
- Chicory should not be used to treat acute gastric and intestinal diseases.
- Chicory is not recommended for those who have kidney stones - due to the diuretic effect, injury may occur and bleeding may open.
- And of course, chicory is not recommended for those who are allergic to this plant.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, chicory can be consumed, however, only after consultation with the doctor, since there may be conditions in which it is desirable to abandon it.
Collecting and harvesting wild chicory
To prepare high-quality raw chicory wild, you need to know the rules and time of collection. They are different for each part of the plant. Of course, the universal rules remain the same - that is, the collection is carried out away from roads, as well as in areas that are not located near industrial enterprises. The rest of the rules will be considered in detail below.
Harvesting chicory root
The roots of chicory are dug out at the end of the season and dried in a dryer at a temperature of no more than 40 degrees until they become brittle. Wash the roots thoroughly before drying. If you dry out the chicory root, it will lose some of its beneficial substances and will not be as effective in treatment. You can store the roots in glass or tin cans, grinding into powder, or chopping with a knife. It is important to avoid high humidity - it leads to the loss of the properties of medicinal raw materials.
Harvesting chicory herb
The grass is cut throughout the season, preferably in sunny, dry weather. The top of the plant is considered the most useful. But foliage is also useful - it contains the most potassium salts and iron compounds. The grass is dried on a sheet of paper or on a natural cloth, then crushed and stored in cardboard boxes for 1.5-2 years.
Harvesting chicory flowers
The chicory flowers can be used fresh - they get juice, which is used for treatment internally and externally. But, you can also prepare this part of the plant. The flowering phase lasts about 3 months, that is, throughout the summer. Therefore, you can choose any convenient time and go for medicinal raw materials. The baskets are cut off completely, and then sprinkled on a sheet of paper in a thin layer and dried. Once the flowers are dry, they should be stored in a dry, ventilated area.
Growing
Not only connoisseurs of its medicinal properties are engaged in the cultivation of wild chicory. The fact is that chicory is an excellent melliferous plant and beekeepers know that the honey obtained from these flowers is especially valuable - it contains the maximum amount of various active substances and has a delicate, delicate aroma. But, there is one more advantage of this plant - it is not demanding, not whimsical, and even a person who is far from flower gardening can handle the cultivation. Let's take a look at simple tips to help you grow a beautiful and healthy flower.
- The seeds do not require preliminary preparation, except for treatment with a growth stimulator before sowing.
- For chicory, they choose sunny areas with loose soil, neutral acidity, or they are planted in a slightly alkaline soil - it also grows well.
- For successful cultivation, you need to add a mixture of mineral fertilizers to the plant monthly. Thanks to this, it will be possible to get a good harvest of roots and abundant flowering. However, you should not get carried away with feeding in the first 4 months, then all the power will go to the leaves and the aerial part.
- The rest of the care rules are traditional. It is necessary to periodically weed and loosen the soil, as well as water as needed, only during dry periods. Excess moisture adversely affects the health of the plant and can lead to decay of the roots, which makes them impossible to use for medicinal purposes.
Uses and recipes with chicory
There are many recipes for different varieties of chicory, as well as uses. Chicory is a versatile plant that can be used to make drinks, salads, infusions and decoctions. Consider the most effective recipes and ways to use wild chicory.
Chicory root drink for the heart
For various chronic heart diseases, it is recommended to take a drink from chicory root twice a day. It is very simple to prepare it - pour a teaspoon of chicory root ground into a powder with a cup of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes under a lid, then filter, add honey or sugar and drink. It is recommended to take this drink twice a day - in the mornings and evenings.
Chicory for the skin
Juice squeezed from chicory flowers can be very effective in treating insect bites, allergic rashes, acne and skin irritation. The collected flowers are simply ground and the resulting juice is applied to the affected skin. This method is used during the flowering season. However, if there is a need for treatment, chicory flowers (a tablespoon of 400 ml) insist in a thermos, filter and wipe the affected areas 3-5 times a day.
Chicory for the liver and gallbladder
For the treatment of diseases of the liver and gallbladder, chicory should be taken in a course of at least 3 weeks, and then take a break and repeat, if necessary, after 10 days. The essence of the treatment is to take 100 ml of chicory decoction before each meal. To prepare the broth, you need a mixture of a tablespoon of crushed roots and the same amount of herbs and flowers. The resulting mixture is poured into 500 ml and boiled for 20 minutes, then filtered and stored in the refrigerator.
Chicory for appetite and digestion
To improve appetite and improve the functioning of the digestive tract, an infusion of chicory root is used, which must be drunk 20 minutes before meals. The infusion is prepared as follows: 1 teaspoon is poured with boiling water (200 ml), infused for 5-7 minutes, filtered and drunk, with sugar or honey. Even a few applications are enough to normalize the digestive tract and improve appetite.
Chicory for depression and insomnia
For bad mood, apathy, depression and sleep disturbances, chicory root and flowers are used. Below are a few recipes.
- For insomnia, take 150 ml of chicory flower tea at night. A handful of dried flowers are poured with boiling water, insisted a little and drunk warm. You can add an infusion of flowers to your evening bath to enhance the effect. For the treatment of serious sleep disorders, it is recommended to take chicory in combination with other sedative herbs (eg, valerian).
- To stimulate the nervous system and overcome depression, it is recommended to take a strong infusion or decoction of chicory root twice a day. Concentration - 200 ml tablespoon. Divide the resulting product into 2 doses, that is, drink 100 ml at a time for 2-3 weeks.
Chicory for the kidneys
For the treatment of chronic renal diseases, an infusion is prepared only from chicory roots - they contain less potassium salts. It is very simple to prepare the infusion - just as in the cases described above - a teaspoon per glass of boiling water, leave for 10-15 minutes and drink 3 times a day. You can not use chicory in renal failure and in the acute phase of the disease, so as not to worsen the condition with excessive stress.
Chicory for diabetes
To lower sugar levels and improve well-being in diabetes mellitus, the root of the plant is also used. It is recommended to take a drink made from chicory root, but without added sugar. It is most effective to drink an infusion of chicory root after meals - after 1-1.5 hours, or before meals. The main thing is that the interval between meals and medicinal infusion is at least 1-1.5 hours.
It is acceptable to take it on an ongoing basis for 2 months, and then take a break. It is important to control the sugar level and in case of deterioration of health, immediately cancel the appointment and go to the doctor for a consultation.
Reviews
Since the time of Avicenna, chicory has been used, and already in those days it earned the trust of people. And today, people most often respond positively to the use of this medicinal plant. Let's see some examples of reviews about the use of chicory from real people.
For instructions on how to use chicory from a pharmacy, follow the link on the Medical News website.
Ode to chicory
We have an unpretentious plant - chicory. It lives along roads, in forest glades, in meadows, along village streets, and even appears as an uninvited guest right on the crops. Light blue chicory flowers at the ends of the branches are collected in baskets, and they turn blue from July until late autumn.
Common chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a species of perennial herbaceous plants from the genus Chicory (Cichorium) of the Asteraceae family. Chicory is common as a weed. It is recognizable by its inflorescences-baskets, which consist of reed blue flowers. These baskets are opened in the early morning hours and in cloudy weather. Popular names: roadside grass, blue flower, petrovy batogs, shcherbak.
Common chicory flowers (Cichorium intybus). © Josef Schlaghecken
Many, of course, have heard about it, they know that chicory is used as flavoring and aromatic additives to various food products: coffee and coffee drinks, confectionery. That's probably all. Meanwhile, chicory is not just a useful, but truly a miraculous plant, and people knew about this even in ancient times. The Egyptians and Romans used chicory as a salad plant and also as an ingredient in many medicinal mixtures.
In Russia, chicory has been cultivated since 1800, the beginning was laid in the Rostov district of the Yaroslavl province. And now in Rostov-Yaroslavsky there is the country's largest coffee-cycling plant.
Useful properties of chicory
What is chicory useful for a person? Yes, many! Preparations made from it have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, sedative, astringent, diuretic, choleretic and appetite stimulating effect. They enhance cardiac activity, reduce sweating, and have a beneficial effect on metabolism.
For inflammatory diseases of the mucous membrane of the stomach, small and large intestines, liver, kidneys, gallbladder, as well as for gallstone and kidney stones, chicory decoction helps. And it also reduces nervous excitability, is good as a general tonic.
Common chicory (Cichorium intybus). © ieuleron
The use of chicory
Here's how to make a chicory decoction: 2 tablespoons. mixtures of crushed roots and the aerial part of the plant, taken equally, is poured with a glass of hot water, boiled for half an hour, cooled, filtered. Take 1/3 cup three times daily before meals.
And if you prepare a stronger broth (4 tablespoons per glass of boiling water), you get a very effective remedy for the treatment of skin rashes, acne, boils, purulent wounds and eczema. If children have diathesis, chicory decoction is used for baths, as well as in the form of lotions and rubdowns. These procedures are repeated 2-3 times a day, and it is advisable to take a bath at night.
The addition of chicory to coffee reduces the heartbeat caused by caffeine.
Sprouted roots of Common chicory. © Jan De Laet
Scientists have found that the presence of bitter elements in chicory - intibin, flavoring and aromatic agents affects the secretion of gastric juices, which stimulates the stomach, prevents constipation, and prevents dysentery.
Chicory stimulates the nervous system, and since it does not contain narcotic substances, it does so without harming it. It eliminates and promotes good mood in the morning.
You can also add that chicory has a refreshing, antipyretic effect on the human body.
PROSPECTS FOR APPLICATION OF UNCONVENTIONALVEGETABLE RAW MATERIALS IN THE CONFECTIONERY INDUSTRY
Flour confectionery is mainly pastry with a high content of sugar, fat and eggs and a low moisture content. They have a pleasant taste and attractive appearance. Their assortment is very diverse.
However, there is a certain group of people for whom these delicacies are prohibited. Therefore, one of the main tasks facing food industry enterprises at the present time is the purposeful creation of a civilized market for medicinal, dietary, prophylactic products that meet the needs of specific population groups:
- people with various diseases (diabetes, etc.),
- people who are overweight
- people experiencing various physical activities.
Some of these problems can be solved by implementing the following areas:
- creation of technologies and new types of prophylactic products with increased nutritional and biological value;
- development of technologies and new types of sugar-free products, including diabetic ones.
The workers of the bakery and confectionery industry in Russia are also faced with the task of improving the nutritional structure as a result of an increase in the share of mass consumption products of high food, including biological value. The expediency of its solution is determined by the need to regulate the chemical composition of products in accordance with the modern requirements of nutritional science, as well as the efficiency of their production due to the saving of expensive raw materials.
In recent years, there has been a tendency to enrich food products with various biologically active substances of plant origin and reduce the sugar content of products ¸ also due to the use of plant raw materials.
Chicory is ideal for these purposes. In Russia, cultivated chicory has been grown as a food plant for a long time and on a large scale. For a long time, the production and processing of chicory in Russia was concentrated mainly in the Yaroslavl and Ivanovo regions, where about 16 thousand tons of chicory root crops were harvested annually. In recent years, industrial planting of chicory has also been carried out in Belgorod, Voronezh, Tambov and other regions of the Russian Federation.
This increased interest in chicory is primarily due to the fact that it is the second raw material after natural coffee for the production of coffee products. Chicory has established itself as a tasty and healthy product with healing properties. On the basis of chicory in many countries, more than a hundred instant and insoluble coffee drinks are produced. It is used for the production of natural coffee (10-12%), coffee drinks (up to 70%). Chicory increases their nutritional value, imparts aroma, bitter pleasant taste, and coffee color (when roasting, inulin and fructose are partially caramelized, which ensures the color density of the “coffee” drink obtained from the powder). In Russia alone, the range of coffee products produced with the use of chicory has reached almost 50 items in recent years. The value of a plant as widespread in nature as chicory is due to its unique chemical composition. Chicory roots contain from 40% (in the wild) to 61% (in cultivated varieties) inulin, 4% protein; up to 15% sugar, 0.1-0.2% intibin glucoside, which gives the roots a characteristic bitter taste, 4.5-9.5% fructose, 10-20% levulose, 4.7-6.5% pentosans, and pectin, fats, resins, tannins and organic acids - ascorbic (15.8%;), chicory, malic, lemon and tartaric.
According to the Paris Laboratory, chicory contains 33 mineral elements and vitamins: A, E, B1, B2, B12, PP. Research on the content of mineral elements in pure chicory showed that in terms of the composition of macro- and microelements, this product is characterized as follows (mg / 100g of dry matter): potassium - 1667.4; calcium -91.5; magnesium -6.3; iron -3.0; copper -0.2; zinc -0.65; manganese -0.42.
17 amino acids can also be found in chicory: aspartic in the amount of 1.01-1.18 g / 100 g of raw material depending on the variety of chicory, threonine 0.31-0.50 g, serine-0.35-0.59 g, glutamic acid - 1.07-1.70, proline - 0.28-0.83g, glycine - 0.28-0.51g, alanine - 0.38-0.89g, valine - 0.21- 0.41g, isoleucine - 0.20-0.38g, leucine - 0.26-1.59g, tyrosine - 0.14-0.70g, phenylalanine - 0.11-0.52g, histidine - 0.00-0.77g, lysine - 0.00-0.97 g, arginine - 0.51-0.81 g, as well as traces of cystine and methionine. However, during storage, the content of most free amino acids, especially essential ones (threonine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine and lysine), decreases markedly. Other components of chicory root crops - minerals, malic, citric, tartaric and oxalic acids, glucosides - intibin, lactucin, lactopicrin, taraxatol, proteins and lipids during the storage of raw materials practically remain unchanged.
It is known that carbohydrates play a very important technological role in the process of melanoidin formation (intense coloring of the crust of bakery and confectionery products), and chicory is the most natural source of the valuable polysaccharide inulin. Inulin is a high molecular weight fructosan, soluble in water, which precipitates from aqueous solutions when alcohol is added. Upon hydrolysis of inulin with acids, it forms fructofuranose and a small amount of glucopyranose, and the content of free monosaccharides, fructose and glucose, increases approximately fourfold.
In plants, inulin is often accompanied by other fructosans (inulides), which have a lower molecular weight (10-12 fructose residues) and, therefore, better solubility in water. In terms of qualitative analysis, inulin and inulides are not stained with iodine. Inulin, found in chicory roots, is the most valuable sweetener in our country. It is also found in large quantities in the tubers of the earthen pear and dahlia, in the roots of dandelion, kok-sagiz, in artichokes, in the roots, leaves and stems of the rubber plant guayula. In these plants, inulin replaces starch. According to its chemical structure, inulin is a fructose polymer of 35-60 monosaccharide residues linked by glycosidic bonds between the 1st and 2nd carbon atoms.
Inulin, used as a food additive to food, enriches them with dietary fibers, which stimulate the motor function of the intestine, prevent the absorption of cholesterol, and promote the release of toxic elements from the body. In addition, inulin is low in calories. As a sugar substitute, inulin is used in foods for diabetic patients.
Plants (as well as molds and yeasts) contain a special enzyme, inulase, which hydrolyzes inulin to form fructose. Fructose of chicory makes it easier for the liver to remove toxins from the body, has a positive effect on the central nervous system, and eliminates insomnia. Having entered the bloodstream, fructose is more likely to enter into metabolic processes than glucose. Utilization of fructose does not require insulin, so it, like inulin, is useful for patients with diabetes mellitus. Fructose is more sweet than other sugars.
The tannins contained in chicory have an astringent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect. Medicinal plants containing tannins are accepted for the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, burns, as well as for poisoning with alkaloids and severe methods, as they have the ability to form insoluble precipitates with these compounds.
There are optimal modes of the chicory roasting process, because at this stage there are significant changes in the physical and chemical properties of the product. From a chemical point of view, inulin hydrolysis to fructose and glucose occurs (their content quadruples); the content of free amino acids changes. The glycoside intibin, interacting with the compounds formed during frying, gives a bitter-aromatic complex - chicoriol;
just as it should be at high temperatures, melanoidins are formed - substances of a pleasant golden brown color.
Thus, roasted chicory contains an average of 17.46% sugar, 25.58% nitrogen-free extractive substances, 7.35% nitrogenous substances, 2.48% fatty oil, and a total of 71.77% water-soluble substances (on dry matter ).
Since ancient times, such a valuable plant as chicory has been used in folk medicine to treat diseases of the stomach and intestines, especially in gastritis, enteritis, colitis; kidneys, as well as a tonic, blood-purifying agent, improving metabolism and enhancing cardiac activity. All this determines the use of chicory as a raw material with valuable therapeutic and prophylactic properties. The most convenient products for correcting nutrition are bakery and flour confectionery products. Flour confectionery products occupy a significant place in terms of production volumes of industries. Among all the variety of baked semi-finished products used for making cakes and pastries, biscuits are most widely used. An analysis of the recipes of biscuit semi-finished products showed that 1 part of protein accounts for 4 to 8 parts of carbohydrates, so their chemical composition can be brought in line with the requirements of a balanced diet by reducing the sugar content and increasing the amount of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Therefore, for research, the control was selected biscuit semi-finished product prepared according to recipe No. 8 in the traditional way with the addition of 7% cocoa powder. The following products of processing of chicory root crops were introduced as fortifiers:
- chicory pasty fried;
- chicory dry fried;
- chicory dry, not fried.
The granulated sugar was replaced with chicory. The purpose of this study was to obtain products with increased nutritional and biological value, high advantages, with a therapeutic and prophylactic effect.
The use of unconventional raw materials, that is, by-products of chicory, can reduce the consumption of sugar - sand, and if chicory is introduced at the stage of beating the egg mass (or melange), then a decrease in the duration of beating is observed, which also leads to a decrease in the cost of finished products and an increase in the economic effect ... In addition, the experimental samples were characterized by better porosity (smaller and thinner pores) and an elastic crumb, which easily restored its original shape upon compression, in comparison with the control sample.
I also consider it necessary to note the positive, in my opinion, influence of the introduction of chicory into the dough on the orgonoleptic indicators of finished products - the acquisition of a pleasant chocolate-coffee taste and aroma. Research in this area is ongoing. But no one has any doubts about the advisability of widespread use of chicory and its processed products in the production of food for mass consumption in order to expand the range of products with targeted therapeutic and prophylactic properties that improve human health.
Today, not all the space of the summer cottage is occupied by the usual vegetable and berry crops and gardens. All large areas are allocated for exotic cultures, flower gardens, sports grounds, recreation areas. The latter are often formed in the form of green mowed lawns or Moorish lawns, blooming from spring to autumn. Among the field flowers of elegant lawns are always adorned with pale blue flowers of common chicory, or the Tatar color known in Russia, bitterness, scherbak, roadside grass, king-root. In the south of Russia and the CIS, chicory is better known as Petrov batog - the herb, with the stalks of which the Apostle Peter drove the sheep into the flock. It is believed that he threw the used chicory stalks along the sheep paths, where they germinated with grass with an unusual stem and peculiar flowers at the ends of the bare twigs-stems.
Common chicory (Cichorium intybus)
The origin and distribution of chicory
The place of origin of chicory is considered the Mediterranean. In the plant system Chicory (Cichorium) belongs to the Asteraceae or Compositae family. It is considered a plant of temperate latitudes and tropics. Currently, in the Russian Federation, it is distributed everywhere from the southern outskirts, the Caucasus to Western Siberia and Altai. Favorite habitats in natural conditions are forest edges, roadside, abandoned lands and other places with thickets of weeds.
Why grow chicory in the country?
Chicory has been grown in Russia for over 150 years. Currently, 2 types of chicory are grown in industrial quantities - lettuce (Endive) and ordinary, - for use in vegetable culture and collection of medicinal raw materials.
For lovers of unusual vegetable crops (and dishes from them), we can recommend this exotic vegetable for growing. Of leaves chicory salad (vegetable) prepare delicious vitamin salads, especially valuable for diabetics. Young shoots are baked in dough, used to prepare snacks, side dishes for main courses, stew, fried.
Root common chicory used to prepare a coffee drink, often more delicious than other types of coffee. Cyclic coffee does not contain caffeine and can be used by expectant mothers and children from 5 years old.
Endive, or salad chicory (Cichorium endivia). © Jamain
Useful substances of common chicory
Common chicory root contains B and C vitamins, organic resins, tannins, trace elements and other useful compounds. But its main wealth is inulin, the content of which in chicory roots exceeds 60%, and in dried roots - 70%. It is the beneficial bacteria of the intestine (bifidumbacteria) that use inulin for nutrition, which contributes to the normalization of the digestive system and metabolism in general. Chicory preparations improve blood composition, remove toxins and toxins. Chicory is recommended for diabetics, and its herbal teas (instead of tea or with a mixture with tea) remove heartburn, relieve fatigue, increase tone (like coffee, but do not contain caffeine, which negatively affects health).
Chicory is rich in mineral salts, essential oils, organic acids. Chicory root contains up to 10% fructose, up to 20% levulose, choline, essential oils, pentosans. The biomass contains lactucin, triterpenes, vitamins and other substances necessary for the body, and the flowers contain coumarin glycoside chicorein and others.
Common chicory (Cichorium intybus). © Jan De Laet
Medicinal properties of chicory
In official and folk medicine, all parts of common chicory and milky juice are used as medicinal raw materials.
Among the people, decoctions from the aerial part of wild chicory are drunk in inflammatory processes, as antimicrobial and astringent for debilitating diarrhea, decoctions improve appetite. Decoctions of chicory seeds are an effective antipyretic agent, they have diaphoretic and analgesic properties. Infusions of flowers have a positive effect on the central nervous system and heart function.
In official medicine, chicory is the main component of many medicines. They are used for diseases associated with the work of the gallbladder, gastrointestinal tract, lesions of the mucous membranes of the mouth, conjunctivitis, pain and inflammation of the joints, bites of poisonous insects. In some diseases, chicory is contraindicated. Before using it, you should consult your doctor.
A brief botanical description of chicory
Common chicory is a herbaceous plant. In culture, it is two years old, in the wild, it is a perennial. Taproot, fusiform, up to 1.5 m in length, many-headed. The root collar is thickened.
The aerial part of the chicory is grayish-green, consists of 2 erect ribbed stems up to 50-70 cm in height. The stems are practically naked. Oblong leaves are collected in a basal rosette. Pubescent below. Stem leaves of 2 types. Along the stem, there are alternate sharp-toothed sessile ones along the edge, and the upper ones are lanceolate, solid along the edge.
Endive, or salad chicory (Cichorium endivia). © Forest & Kim Starr
Reed flowers are collected in loose baskets, bright or light blue, rarely pink, white. Chicory blooms in July and blooms until late autumn, especially in the southern regions.
Seeds are formed in the second year. Chicory is rich in seeds. One plant forms them from 3 to 20 thousand. The upper part and fleshy root are harvested separately.
How to grow chicory in the country
To decorate Mauritanian lawns, they often buy a mixture of seeds, where chicory is indicated in the composition. 4 species grow in the wild in the Russian Federation. They are usually included in the seed.
For country cultivation, vegetable chicory (salad) and common chicory are used. The second is usually grown as a medicinal raw material.
Common chicory is unpretentious to soil conditions (it grows on any soil, like most weeds), but picky about lighting. In addition, chicory salad reacts to soil moisture and, with insufficient watering, may not form a root crop.
Planted chicory seedlings. © Rasbak
In autumn or spring, the soil is shallowly dug up (10-15 cm). Under the digging, nitrophoska, kemira or other complex fertilizer, 40-50 g / sq. m. Under chicory, the soil is leveled, cut through 10-15 cm 3 cm grooves. Sowing seeds is carried out in moist soil. With dense sowing, seedlings are thinned up to 5 cm.
Drought-resistant plants. Common chicory is watered while drying the top layer on 2 phalanges of the fingers. Under the chicory salad, the soil is kept constantly moist. Top dressing is not required.
Harvesting and storing chicory
Chicory seeds are harvested in late September - early October. Dried in a warm room. Root crops are carefully pulled out of the soil, shaken off the ground, washed under running water, cut into small 1-2 cm slices and laid out to dry in any dryer heated to no more than + 50 ° C. The finished raw materials are stored in a linen container in a dry, ventilated room in the form of 1-2 cm slices or immediately ground in a coffee grinder. The ground chicory is stored in a hermetically sealed glass or ceramic container. Shelf life - up to 3 years.
During the flowering of chicory, the aboveground mass is harvested for the preparation of decoctions and infusions. Cut off the top 25-30 cm (leaves, stems, inflorescences). Lay out in the shade in a thin layer and dry in a draft. During drying, the mass is constantly agitated.
Chicory roots
How to make coffee with chicory
Fresh or dried chicory roots are fried in the oven at + 180 ° C until light brown. You do not need to overcook. From this, the drink only loses. Roasted wedges lose their bitterness and acquire a piquant roasted coffee bean aroma and dark brown color.
To prepare one portion (200-250 g) of coffee drink, pour 2 teaspoons of ground chicory into hot water, bring to a boil and cook for 3-5 minutes over low heat. Pour into a cup through a fine strainer. You can add milk, sugar, honey to the drink.
Some lovers of cyclic coffee simply pour boiling water over a portion of ready-made ground roots, leave for 3-5 minutes. The taste of a coffee drink does not differ from a natural one, but it is healthier, since it does not contain caffeine.
Dried and crushed chicory roots
To enhance the color scheme of natural coffee to a classic dark brown, almost black color, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of chicory to it. Moreover, the amount of natural coffee should be reduced by about half. If at the same time bitterness persists, then it is useful.
Adding milk to a cyclic drink improves the digestibility of milk by 4 times. You can make a cyclic drink using milk instead of water. In a serving of hot milk (200-250 g), put 2 teaspoons of ground chicory and cook over very low heat for 2-3 minutes. The drink acquires an original nutty flavor.
We have already considered with you benefits of chicory drink compared to coffee, compared their benefits and harms... Definitely, drinking chicory is much healthier than coffee. And it's very cool that you can not only buy it in stores, but also grow it yourself, especially since there is nothing complicated about growing chicory on its own plot no.
A hundred years ago, chicory was a very popular drink in Europe because coffee was in short supply. Nowadays coffee is drunk everywhere, but chicory is becoming more and more popular, because more and more people are beginning to take care of their health.
In addition to the roots, which are used to make an invigorating, aromatic and tasty drink, chicory grown on its own site can give you spicy greens for adding to salads.
Growing root chicory
Just do not confuse with salad chicory, this is not quite what you need. In the wild, chicory is very common in Russia and Ukraine.
Chicory, which grows in the wild, can also be harvested, and a drink can be prepared from its roots, but it is less troublesome to grow chicory on your site, especially if you have a cultivated root chicory a large root that will last for a long time.
In many countries, chicory root is grown on purpose and on an industrial scale. The most famous variety of root chicory in Russia is Yaroslavsky. Chicory has been cultivated in this area for over two centuries.
Chicory is a biennial plant. In the first year, a rosette of leaves forms, and a root is formed, thickened in the upper part, weighing 100-400 grams, and 10-45 cm long. Leaves can be eaten, they have a rather peculiar taste with bitterness. In the second year, chicory produces seeds.
Chicory is propagated by seeds and root processes.
Chicory needs a bright, sunny area. Any soil that is not too acidic is suitable, but of course, well-fertilized and structured soil is better. It is not recommended to plant chicory after root crops.
Seeds are sown in early spring. as soon as the soil is frozen. It is undesirable to sow in autumn before winter - there will be many flowering plants.
Young seedlings withstand short-term frosts quite well. Seeds are planted to a depth of 1-1.5 cm, in rows, between which a distance of 40 cm is made. Seeds sprout at a temperature of 10 degrees in 8-10 days. When 2-3 true leaves appear on the plants, they are thinned out, leaving 10-15 cm between the plants in a row.
Chicory is a drought-resistant plant, but if you want to get a bigger crop, then of course you need to water it.
Harvested to constant frost. Chicory roots are well stored in the basement, at a minimum above zero temperature.
Plants left for seed in the second year can be left in the ground for the winter. They perfectly tolerate frosts down to -30 degrees. Chicory blooms in the second year in July. It is better to isolate the testes so that it does not get dusty with wild chicory. A month after flowering, the seeds fall off easily, so collect them in time. Plants are cut at the root, collected in bunches, and hung out to dry in a dry, ventilated room, with the testicles down. A cloth or paper is placed under the plants. Chicory seeds remain viable for 4-5 years.
Chicory coffee
For cooking chicory coffee the roots are cut into strips, or cubes 6-20 mm wide, and dried at a temperature of 50-70 degrees. After that, it is fried, starting at a temperature of 50 degrees, and brought to 180 degrees, as when baking pies. When the chicory color turns golden, it is cooled and grinded. Dried chicory can be stored for 2-3 years in a closed glass jar.
More detailed information can be found in the sections "All courses" and "Usefulness", which can be accessed through the top menu of the site. In these sections, articles are grouped by subject into blocks containing the most detailed (as far as possible) information on various topics.
Advantages:
Natural chicory is good for you
Disadvantages:
There are doubts about the naturalness of the specified product.
All shops are inundated with this chicory. And it seems to be selling very well. as prices rise: last summer I cost 45 rubles at Monetka, this one - 87 rubles. And I drank, knowing that chicory is a useful piece. But my husband, who has traveled almost all over the world (such was the job), asked me a simple question: “Tell me, have you seen the fields where this chicory is grown? Or do you think that it is collected from meadows and clearings, dug out by hand? "
Indeed, I also travel a lot, but I have not seen such crops. And in order to get 100 g of chicory for brewing, you need to dig up (I tried to do this - it's a hassle, I'll tell you! ...) a lot of the root of this plant, clean it from dirt, dry it, then fry and grind it.
Lean roots - you need a lot of raw materials, the yield of the final product is very small. And your chicory is noticeably different in taste from the store one.
My meadow Russia!There is no land more beautiful!
Flowers with blue eyesthey look at your heavens.
The dew reflects the skyand it seems that they have merged,
As in a fairy tale: both true and fiction.Earth and heavenly heights ...
My early childhood was spent in a wonderful land of endless fields and mighty forests. My grandfather worked as a forester, knew many different natural signs. I remember we went to check the plantings of young pines. My grandfather drew my attention to chicory and told me that this plant is a real natural hydrometeorological center: by the rain, the beautiful pale blue flowers of chicory became darker and closed, and by the appearance of the sun and clear sunny weather, they opened up and again acquired a sky-blue appearance.
Common chicory before flowering is an unremarkable perennial herb with a simple or branched high stem, which (like the leaves) is covered with hard villi. The basal leaves form a beautiful rosette, and the upper leaves "hug" the stem.
Heavenly blue inflorescences-baskets consist of delicate reed flowers. The fruit of chicory is an ovate achene with a filmy crown.
Blooming in warm summer begins at the end of June.
Common chicory grows along roads, in meadows, along rocky places and along river banks, in front gardens and vegetable gardens as a weed. There are always a lot of bees around him, as he is a wonderful honey plant. Certain varieties of chicory are cultivated. Their roots are used to make a drink - a coffee substitute. For this, chicory is highly valued by diabetics.
The chemical composition of chicory
Contains chicory roots up to 60% inulin... What it is? Inulin is a polysaccharide that accumulates in Asteraceae plants such as dandelion, burdock, Jerusalem artichoke, and of course chicory. When ingested by humans, inulin is able to participate in the same metabolic metabolic processes as glucose. This is important, since inulin replaces glucose in situations where it is not absorbed by cells in type 2 diabetes.
Inulin from a drunk cup of chicory coffee in the acidic environment of the stomach under the action of the enzyme inulase is hydrolyzed to form fructose.
And fructose is absorbed by our body without insulin, being a nutrient for our cells. Energy hunger and complications of type 2 diabetes thus do not occur.
But not only this is rich in chicory - it contains choline... Many have heard of choline. So, pharmaceutical preparations gliatilin, cerepro, noocholin are choline derivatives. The action of choline is nootropic, regulating metabolism in the brain, improving cerebral (cerebral) blood flow. Our chicory drink, although not much choline, is still present.
Contains chicory vitamins, bitterness.
The use of chicory
What a widespread use chicory root has acquired over the years!
Chicory root:
- improves digestion, metabolism,
- soothes the central nervous system,
- slows down the heart rate,
- restores heart function,
- acts as a mild laxative and diuretic.
It is used in the complex treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, with liver diseases, with stones in the gallbladder and kidneys, with an enlarged spleen. With hypertension, chicory can replace coffee, but without increasing pressure.
In folk medicine, it is recommended as an infusion inside as a diaphoretic, diuretic, choleretic, pain reliever for dyspepsia, especially with pain in the stomach, and is also recommended for diseases of the kidneys, spleen, liver, exhaustion, hysteria, type 2 diabetes, and anemia.
Outwardly, in the form of rubbing and washing, decoction and tincture of chicory are recommended by folk medicine in the treatment of eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, old sluggish wounds, and skin diseases: rashes, boils.
In Bulgarian folk medicine, chicory is used to treat stomach ulcers, as well as to treat the throat (for example, sore throat), respiratory organs, and with impaired urination.
During the Soviet era, the Azerbaijan Medical Institute conducted clinical trials of liquid alcoholic 50% chicory extract on 70% alcohol for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Soviet scientists have proven that in the early initial stages, type 2 diabetes can be treated with chicory. In more advanced stages of diabetes, there is an improvement in the patient's well-being and a partial decrease in sugar in the urine.
For medicinal purposes in folk medicine, the whole plant is used: both the grass and the roots. The grass is harvested during active flowering, and the roots in September-October.
Traditional medicine recipes from chicory
With biliary dyskinesia ways chicory herb with flowers is used. It is better to take a thermos for cooking. Dry chicory grass is crushed. Place one teaspoon with a hill of chopped chicory herb in a thermos, pour a glass of boiling water, let it brew for 40-60 minutes. Take half a glass 30 minutes before meals in the morning and evening. The gallbladder will work more actively: digestion will improve, there will be no overflow of bile into the stomach, there will be no fermentation and decay in the small intestine, and constipation will not bother.
For cholelithiasis and urolithiasis it is better to use both chopped chicory herb and chopped chicory root together. Place 1 tablespoon of roots and herbs in a thermos and pour 2 cups of boiling water, let it brew for 4 hours. Take half a glass 20 minutes before meals in the morning, at lunchtime, in the evening. Course 21 days.
With urinary incontinence in mature women, chopped chicory root is used. Place 1 tablespoon of chopped chicory root in an enamel saucepan, pour 1 glass of boiling water. Boil in a water bath for 10 minutes, let it brew for 1 hour. Cool and bring to a volume of 1 cup with boiled water. Drink 1/4 cup during the day 20 minutes before meals. Course 21 days.
The same broth is used with neurasthenia and menopause pathological, relieves inflammation in the spleen.
For colds, fever, rheumatism: in a thermos, place 1 tablespoon of chopped chicory root and 1 teaspoon of meadowsweet herb (meadowsweet). Pour 1 glass of boiling water over. Let it brew for 1 hour. Take 1/2 cup several times a day.
In complex treatment tuberculosis both the root and the flowering herb of common chicory are used. To do this, 2 tablespoons of chicory roots, 1 tablespoon of flowering grass (dry), 1 teaspoon of meadowsweet herb, 1 teaspoon of motherwort herb, pour 2 cups of boiling water in a thermos. Let it brew for 1 hour. Take 1/2 cup with mummy tablets 0.2 x 3 times a day. The course is 3 months.
With fatty degeneration of the liver, cirrhosis of the liver, chronic hepatitis: in an enamel pot, place 2 tablespoons of chopped roots of common chicory, add 1 tablespoon of chopped chicory herb, pour 3 cups of boiling water. Cook in a water bath for 15 minutes from the moment of boiling. Let it brew for 25 minutes. Strain. Take 1/2 cup hot with honey x 3 times a day. The course is 3 months.
The same recipe is used externally (without honey) for eczema, dermatitis, furunculosis, abscesses, trophic ulcers, burns in the form of applications.
There is information about the treatment of sinusitis, but the effectiveness has not been proven.
With hair loss apply this broth inside and rinse the hair with it after washing.
Here they are so interesting - blue flowers of common chicory on a green meadow. As a diabetic, I myself regularly take a drink of chicory and am pleased with the action of this plant, so I always gladly tell the visitors of the pharmacy about it, and today also our readers.
Good health to all!
Pharmacist-herbalist Vera Vladimirovna Sorokina
Common chicory is a biennial or perennial tall herb with straight branchy stems and a fleshy fusiform root up to 1.5 meters long. With large reed blue flowers, sometimes the flowers are white or light pink. All parts of the plant have a milky sap. Chicory blooms from June to September and is a good honey plant.
Chicory grows wild on roadsides, in wastelands, and is specially grown in the fields for human consumption. Chicory root is used as a coffee substitute.
Chemical composition
Chicory is one of the medicinal plants that is used in the fight against many diseases, thanks to the many beneficial components that it contains. Chicory is rich in vitamins, polysaccharides, it contains tannins, organic and fatty acids, resinous and bitter substances, proteins, carbohydrates - fructose, inulin, glycoside, flavonoids, trace elements - iron, chromium, copper, zinc, nickel, zirconium and other substances useful for the human body.
Medicinal properties and uses of chicory
Chicory is widely used in medicine, both folk and official, as it has soothing and antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, diuretic and choleretic, vasodilator and other useful properties.It is part of various medicines that are used to treat the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, central nervous system, and helps in the fight against liver, kidney and spleen diseases.
Chicory decoction is used to treat diathesis in children, used in the form of lotions and rubbing, to relieve joint pain with gout.
Chicory also has a healing effect on old wounds, purulent boils, psoriasis, eczema, snake bites.
Chicory enhances the production of gastric juice, increases appetite, normalizes the digestive system and gastrointestinal tract, improves metabolic processes in the body, has a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora, stimulates the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria.
It has a choleretic and diuretic effect, removes cholesterol, radioactive and other harmful substances, helps in the fight against atherosclerosis, as a diuretic is used to treat diseases of the bladder and kidneys.
Chicory lowers blood sugar levels, therefore it is indicated for the prevention and treatment of diabetes.
It has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and astringent effects and is used as an antipyretic agent, has a calming effect on the nervous system and is used as a hypnotic for insomnia, neuroses, hypertension.
This amazing plant is widely used in the food industry. Chicory is added to the composition of sweets, cakes, coffee and tea drinks. Chicory is an excellent coffee substitute.
Chicory is used in the cosmetic industry, it is added to shampoos and conditioners, balms for hair care.
Contraindications to the use of chicory
This wonderful medicinal plant helps many patients to relieve the condition, relieve pain and illness, but for many it can pose a serious danger.Any medicinal plant should be used only after consultation with the attending physician and having read the contraindications for use!
As with any medicinal plant, chicory has contraindications.
It is forbidden to take chicory to people with varicose veins, hemorrhoids, vascular and cardiovascular diseases, since chicory has a vasodilating effect.
Do not use it for food and for the treatment of chicory in bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis.
With caution and only after consultation with a doctor and strictly in the recommended doses, take people with increased acidity of the stomach, with gastritis, with stomach and duodenal ulcers, patients with diseases of the kidneys, liver and gallbladder. As well as patients suffering from joint pain, gout, arthritis.
Obese people should not indulge in chicory, as it increases appetite.
Take with caution for diseases of the nervous system, for depression and insomnia.
A contraindication to the use of chicory preparations is individual intolerance, chicory can cause allergic reactions.
Overdose of chicory
Many people use chicory as a coffee substitute and drink chicory in large quantities. But overdose and long-term use of chicory can cause side effects in the form of insomnia, irritation, exacerbation of urolithiasis and gallbladder, gout and arthritis. Excessive consumption of chicory drink contributes to the formation of kidney stones.
Traditional methods of treatment with chicory
All parts of the plant are used as a medicinal raw material in folk medicine, powder, decoctions, infusions are made from the roots, treated with fresh juice, added to medicinal collections. Fresh, dried and roasted roots, as well as leaves and stems are used.
In this article, we have selected for you folk recipes for decoctions and infusions that will help you in the treatment of certain diseases.
Root decoction recipe for diathesis
Finely chop the roots of chicory, take 4 tablespoons, pour one glass of boiling water and cook for 30 minutes. Cool the broth, strain. This broth is used externally for lotions, rubbing and bathing.
Decoction for diseases of the kidneys and liver, to improve digestion
Pour 15-30 grams of dry chicory leaves and roots with 1 liter of hot water, boil for 5 minutes. Take the broth one cup before meals, day and evening.
Decoction for the treatment of liver, kidneys, gallbladder and constipation
Pour 1 tablespoon of chopped root with three glasses of hot water. Simmer for about ten minutes. Cool the broth, strain. Drink a third of a glass three times a day.
Decoction for hypertension, hepatitis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, gallstone disease
Pour 2 teaspoons of dry chopped chicory herb with two glasses of hot water. Boil for 10 minutes over low heat, drain. Take half a glass of broth three times a day.
Decoction of roots to treat joint pain
Pour 20 grams of chopped dry root with one glass of hot water, simmer for 15 minutes over low heat, strain. Top up with boiled water to the original volume. In the broth, moisten gauze and apply on sore joints.
Infusion of chicory herb for arrhythmia
Pour 20 grams of crushed dry raw materials with a glass of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, strain. Take two tablespoons of the infusion three times a day. This remedy stimulates cardiac activity and relieves cardiac edema.
Infusion to increase appetite and improve digestion, to treat acne, eczema and boils
Chop fresh or dry leaves and stalks of chicory, take a tablespoon of herbs, pour two glasses of boiling water, wrap. When the infusion has cooled, strain it. Take before meals one quarter of a glass of infusion three times a day.
For the treatment of acne, boils, eczema and other skin problems, apply the infusion externally as a lotion, for washing.
Infusion for the treatment of hemorrhoids
Pour 1 teaspoon of chopped chicory with a glass of hot water. Insist and strain. Take half a glass of infusion 3 times a day before meals.
Juice from the leaves and stalks of chicory for anemia
Fresh plant tops are suitable for juicing, they must be thoroughly rinsed, scalded with boiling water and twisted through a meat grinder. Squeeze the juice out of the resulting mass and boil it over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Keep the juice in the refrigerator. Dissolve one teaspoon of juice in half a glass of warm milk, add 1 teaspoon of honey. Consume three times a day for a month.
Fresh juice for scurvy and anemia
Squeeze the juice from fresh chicory stems and leaves, add 1 tablespoon of juice to a cup of milk. Drink this remedy 3-4 times a day for 4-6 weeks.
Fresh juice for edema
Fresh grass juice dilute 20 drops in half a glass of milk, drink 3 times a day.
Chicory for beauty and hair strengthening
Chicory is used in folk medicine to improve the structure and growth of hair, against hair loss. Decoctions from roots and stems will help restore vitality and natural shine to your hair. Decoctions are also used to treat acne, with purulent acne.