Chicory - Not Just Another Weed

Who would have thought the weed growing alongside my roadway was not only famous as a substitute for coffee, but that it was edible or medically beneficial in numerous other ways? Always known to me as "that blue cornflower plant" and from which I gathered many a bouquet of pretty blue flowers, the chicory is actually native to Europe and Asia. Even so, it has adapted so well to the "new world", that it is thought by many to be a native North American plant.

Why is chicory important? Primarily, it is most well known as a viable and accepted substitute and/or additive to coffee and that it has no caffeine, thus making chicory naturally decaffeinated. Drinkers of coffee made with just chicory have described the taste as "the same as coffee" to that of being "absolutely horrible with no redeeming quality for human consumption"; therefore, for some people, drinking chicory may be an acquired taste.

The large taproots can be roasted, then ground into a powder-like substance and its appearance is almost the same as coffee beans after grinding. The leaves, when picked young, can be eaten and is similar to dandelion, even down to the white milky sap that needs to be soaked away to get rid of the bitter taste. All parts of chicory are edible, including the flowers and there are no known detrimental side effects from consuming the plant as food.

More importantly, chicory may have medicinal benefits far beyond being an edible plant or a drink. Some believe it makes a beneficial "tonic" that promotes the well-being of blood, liver, kidneys, and the gallbladder while simultaneously speeding up the digestive process and reducing nervousness in individuals. The bitter sap in chicory is believed to be favorable to the digestive system and is said to neutralize acid and correct acid indigestion, along with reducing heartburn. The herb has a diuretic action that increases and promotes the flow of urine, thus keeping the body flushed out and has been used as a mild laxative for those suffering from constipation.

Chicory may be helpful for the heart and the cardiovascular system and recent studies have produced evidence that those with a very high fat diet experienced a significant decrease in blood cholesterol levels after ingesting chicory over time and that alone may help reduce hardening of the arteries. Studies in Egypt and Pakistan have found the presence of a digitalis-like chemical combination in the chicory root, which actually decreased the rate of heartbeat in laboratory settings and the use of animals as test subjects. This means chicory may be highly beneficial to those who suffer from tachycardia or rapid heart rates and studies are continuing.

External uses of chicory have been said to have healing properties for skin lacerations, swelling, hemorrhoids, poison ivy, insect bites, and sunburn. It has been used as a poultice or salve to reduce the inflammation and pain of rheumatism and the swelling it causes in bone joints. Other therapeutic uses have included the reduction of water retention, decreasing indigestion, improving appetite, reducing high cholesterol, and lowering high blood sugar as related to diabetes.

Yet, there may be another important use for chicory. Already grown as cattle food in Europe for over 300 years (and perhaps as long as five thousand years in Egypt and other Asian countries), studies have shown that chicory may be productive as livestock forage in the United States. It is drought and disease resistant and can be easily sown into pastures. The one drawback has been the bitter taste and research in being done to eradicate that problem. Other studies have shown that chicory - if well maintained and with sufficient water - can yield high quality forage for animals.

Sources:
Chicory: Clinical Overview, Drugs.com Online
Benefits of Chicory
CHICORY: An Alternative Livestock Forage, by David C. Ditsch and Brandon Sears, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky
Environmental Impacts on Sesquiterpene Lactone Composition of Forage Chicory, April 27, 2003