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Benefits |
Preparation |
Medicinal Uses |
Side Effects |
Plant |
Folklore |
closeup of a chicory flower
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| Common Names |
| Chicory , Succory, Blue Sailors |
| Botanical Name |
| Cichorium intybus |
| Family |
| ASTERACEAE or COMPOSITAE Sunflower family |
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Related Species |
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True endive (Cichorium endivia) |
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Cholesterol Control *
Gout *
Heart Tonics/Cordials *
Liver *
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| Parts Used: root, leaves |
| Constituents:Root: inulin, bitters, cichoriin, taraxasterol, tannins, sugars, pectin, fixed oils. Leaves: inulin, frutos, resin, chicoriin, esculetin |
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Chicory was introduced to the United States and southern Canada from Europe and will grow almost anywhere. Know best as a caffeine-free substitute for coffee, chicory also has been used in traditional medicine as a bitter digestive tonic and a specific treatment for gallstones. Chicory resembles the dandelion in its medicinal action, and is often mixed with dandelion in "vegetable coffees". |
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Prep Methods :To prepare Chicory tea, pour boiling water on 2 to 4 grams (about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoonful) of dried Chicory, steep for 10 minutes, then strain.
 Remedies using Chicory
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| Gout and Rheumatism | | Like dandelion, it also has diuretic properties and can be used for treating rheumatism and gout, because it eliminates uric acid from the body. Research has shown that an alcoholic extract of the whole plant has an anti-inflammatory activity 1259
(Mabey, Richard p44) | | Gout, jaundice | | A decoction of 1 oz. of the root to a pint of boiling water, taken freely, has been found effective in jaundice, liver enlargements, gout and rheumatic complaints, and a decoction of the plant, freshly gathered, has been recommended for gravel. 377
(Grieve, Maude ) | | Liver, Heart support | | Consider chicory if you have a liver or heart problem - chicory could be our best source of inulin, a phytochemical that bucks up the immune system. Other compounds in the plant fight inflammation and bacterial infections to a limited extent. 378
(Duke, James A, Ph.D. ) |
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| Side Effects: |
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| Avoid excessive consumption if you have gallstones |
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Netje Blanchan
 Flower-head—Bright, deep azure to gray blue, rarely pinkish or white, 1 to 1 1/2 in. broad, set close to stem, often in small clusters for nearly the entire length; each head a composite of ray flowers only, 5-toothed at upper edge, and set in a flat green receptacle. Stem: Rigid, branching, 1 to 3 ft. high. Leaves: Lower ones spreading on ground, 3 to 6 in. long, spatulate, with deeply cut or irregular edges, narrowed into petioles, from a deep tap-root; upper leaves of stem and branches minute, bract-like.
Preferred Habitat—Roadsides, waste places, fields.
Flowering Season—July—October.
Distribution—Common in eastern United States and
Canada, south to the Carolinas; also sparingly westward
to Nebraska. Netje Blanchan Wild Flowers worth Knowing(1917)
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 From the depth to which the tap-root penetrates, it is not unlikely the succory derived its name from the Latin succurrere — to run under. The Arabic name chicourey testifies to the almost universal influence of Arabian physicians and writers in Europe after the Conquest.
Netje Blanchan Wild Flowers worth Knowing(1917)> The chicory plant is one of the earliest cited in recorded literature. Horace(65 BC - Rome) mentions it in reference to his own diet, which he describes as very simple: "Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea, me malvae" ("As for me, olives, endives, and mallows provide sustenance")
Wikipedia |
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Common Typos: chickory
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