Chicory, Succory, Wild Endive

Latin name: Cichorium intybus (Linn.) (Asteraceae)

Sanskrit/Indian name: Kasani, Hinduba, Kasni
General information:

Chicory is a Mediterranean herb that has been used as a coffee filler or substitute. It contains
no caffeine and has a chocolate-like flavor. Added to coffee, Chicory root counteracts the
effects of caffeine and helps digestion.
Therapeutic constituents:
According to the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database,the sedative effect
of Chicory is attributed to lactucopicrin. The sedative effect counteracts the
stimulant effects of tea and coffee. It also contains vitamin C, a powerful
antioxidant, and other nutrients like minerals, potassium, iron, calcium and
phosphorus. The herb also contains insulin.
Key therapeutic benefits:

The herb is helpful in treating an enlarged liver and protects against

alcohol-induced hepatic damage.

Due to the presence of compounds that are central nervous system

stimulants, Chicory is used to treat nervous disorders such as anxiety.

The herb is known to lower blood sugar levels.

Cichorium intybus

CICHORIUM INTYBUS

Cichorium intybus is popularly also known as Kasni. It is a perennial herb with a very long
tap root. It has round and condensed stems. The leaves of Kasni are dark green in color and
are very bitter to taste. The flowers of the herb are blue in color and are known to have an
atypical characteristic of opening in the morning and closing at dusk.
This plant is also known as blue daisy, blue sailor, blue weed, bunk, coffee weed, hendibeh,
horseweed succor, ragged sailors, wild bachelors buttons, blue dandelion, and wild endive.

CHARACTERISTICS OF CICHORIUM INTYBUS

Chicory is native to the eastern area of India. It was known to the Greeks and Romans and
was cultivated in regions of Egypt even 2000 years ago. The physicians of ancient time used
this plant for the management of numerous common ailments.
Classical therapists like Virgil, Ovid, Pliny and Horace mentioned this herb for use as a
vegetable and also as an important salad ingredient. Cichorium intybus was also used as a
skin nourisher by ancient naturalists. Herbalists also advised the use of a tea made from the
blue flowers of this plant for radiant skin.
This versatile plant can be eaten raw in the form of salad or can be cooked like a vegetable as
well. The root of the Cichorium intybus when roasted can be also added to a cup of coffee.

THERAPEUTIC POWERS OF CICHORIUM INTYBUS

The Cichorium Intybus is a tonic herb when it is taken in moderated quantities. It is known to
increase the secretion and the discharge of urine. This therapeutic herb is also a stimulant and
can work as a mild laxative. The perennial herb helps in proper functioning of the liver as
well as the gall bladder.

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION
An analysis of the endive leaves show that it consists of 93 percent moisture, 0.1 percent
fibre, 4.3 percent carbohydrate and 1.7 percent protein per 100 grams. The minerals that are
available in the Cichorium intybus are calcium, iron, carotene, thiamine, phosphorus,
riboflavin, vitamin C and niacin. The calorific value is 20.
The flowers of the chicory contain bitter substances like intbin and lactucin. The seeds of the
herb make bland oil and the roots have nitrate as well as sulphate of potash.

CARE OF AILMENTS
The ailments that can be relieved with the proper use of Cichorium Intybus
are:

Eye defects: Chicory is a food which helps in the proper functioning of the optic
system. It is one of the best sources of Vitamin A which is very good for the eyes. This
herb added in carrot, celery or parsley juice is very nourishing for the optical nerves as
well as the muscular system.

Constipation: Cichorium intybus is a natural laxative which is tremendously helpful

in relieving chronic constipation.

Anaemia: A combination of Cichorium intybus and celery or parsley is helpful in

relieving anemia. It is an effective blood tonic and helps in relieving anemic patients.

Liver and Gall Bladder functions: The flowers, seeds as well as the roots of the
plant are medicinally used for relieving the liver. A decoction of these 3 parts of the plant
is beneficial in relieving sluggishness of the liver, biliary stasis, jaundice, enlargement of
spleen and torpidity of the liver. The juice of this plant is useful in increasing bile
secretion which results in efficient functioning of the liver as well as the gall bladder.

Respiratory Disorders: The juice of the herb, carrot and celery are very helpful in
relieving asthma as well as hay fever. A powder of the dried root of the plant is a good
expectorant in cases of chronic bronchitis.

Obstructed Menstruation: A mixture of the seeds of the herb is extremely

benefitting for relieving the problem of obstructed or delayed menstruation.

Common chicory is also known as blue daisy, blue dandelion, blue sailors,
blue weed, bunk, coffeeweed, cornflower, hendibeh, horseweed, ragged
sailors, succory, wild bachelor's buttons, and wild endive.[10] (Note:
"Cornflower" is commonly applied to Centaurea cyanus.) Common names for
varieties of var. foliosum include endive, radicchio, Belgian endive, French
endive, red endive, sugarloaf, and witloof (or witlof).

Description
When flowering, chicory has a tough, grooved, and more or less hairy stem, from 30 to
100 cm (10 to 40 in) tall. The leaves are stalked, lanceolate and unlobed. The flower heads
are 2 to 4 cm (0.79 to 1.6 in) wide, and usually bright blue, rarely white or pink. Of the two
rows of involucral bracts, the inner is longer and erect, the outer is shorter and spreading. It
flowers from July until October. The achenes have no pappus (feathery hairs), but do have
toothed scales on top.[11]
Chicory may be cultivated for its leaves, usually eaten raw as salad leaves. Cultivated chicory
is generally divided into three types, of which there are many varieties:[16]

Radicchio usually has variegated red or red and green leaves. Some only refer to the
white-veined red-leaved type as radicchio, also known as red endive and red chicory.
It has a bitter and spicy taste, which mellows when it is grilled or roasted. It can also
be used to add color and zest to salads. It is largely used in Italy in different varieties,
the most famous being the ones from Treviso (known as radicchio rosso di Treviso),
[17][18]
from Verona (radicchio di Verona), and Chioggia (radicchio di Chioggia), which
are classified as an IGP.[19] It is also common in Greece.[citation needed]

Sugarloaf looks rather like cos lettuce, with tightly packed leaves.[20]

Witloof, Belgian endive

Belgian endive, known in Dutch as witloof or witlof ("white leaf"), endive or (very
rarely) witloof in the United States,[21] indivia in Italy, endivias in Spain, chicory in the
UK, as witlof in Australia, endive in France, and chicon in parts of northern France
and in Wallonia. It has a small head of cream-coloured, bitter leaves. It is grown
completely underground or indoors in the absence of sunlight in order to prevent the
leaves from turning green and opening up (etiolation). The plant has to be kept just
below the soil surface as it grows, only showing the very tip of the leaves. It is often
sold wrapped in blue paper to protect it from light and so preserve its pale colour and
delicate flavour. The smooth, creamy white leaves may be served stuffed, baked,
boiled, cut and cooked in a milk sauce, or simply cut raw. The tender leaves are
slightly bitter; the whiter the leaf, the less bitter the taste. The harder inner part of the
stem at the bottom of the head should be cut out before cooking to prevent bitterness.
Belgium exports chicon/witloof to over 40 different countries. The technique for
growing blanched endives was accidentally discovered in the 1850s at the Botanical
Garden of Brussels in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Belgium.[22] Today France is the largest
producer of endive.[23]

Leaves unlobed and pointed

Inflorescences of a blue-flowered form, note the two rows of bracts

The Catalogna chicory (also known as puntarelle) includes a whole subfamily (some varieties
from Belgian endive and some from radicchio)[24] of chicory and used throughout Italy.
Although leaf chicory is often called "endive", true endive (Cichorium endivia) is a different
species in the genus and should not be confused with Belgian endive.

Root chicory
Root chicory (Cichorium intybus var. sativum) has been cultivated in Europe as a coffee
substitute. The roots are baked, roasted, ground, and used as an additive, especially in the
Mediterranean region (where the plant is native). As a coffee additive, it is also mixed in
Indian filter coffee, and in parts of Southeast Asia, South Africa, and southern United States,
particularly in New Orleans. It has been more widely used during economic crises such as the
Great Depression in the 1930s and during World War II in Continental Europe. Chicory, with
sugar beet and rye, was used as an ingredient of the East German Mischkaffee (mixed coffee),
introduced during the "East German coffee crisis" of 1976-79.
Some beer brewers use roasted chicory to add flavor to stouts (commonly expected to have a
coffee-like flavour). Others have added it to strong blond Belgian-style ales, to augment the
hops, making a witlofbier, from the Dutch name for the plant.
Around 1970, it was found that the root contains up to 20% inulin, a polysaccharide similar to
starch. Inulin is mainly found in the plant family Asteraceae as a storage carbohydrate (for
example Jerusalem artichoke, dahlia, yacon, etc.). It is used as a sweetener in the food
industry with a sweetening power 110 that of sucrose[25] and is sometimes added to yogurts as
a prebiotic. Inulin is also gaining popularity as a source of soluble dietary fiber and functional
food.[26]

Chicory root extract is a dietary supplement or food additive produced by mixing dried,
ground chicory root with water, and removing the insoluble fraction by filtration and
centrifugation. Other methods may be used to remove pigments and sugars. It is used as a
source of soluble fiber. Fresh chicory root typically contains, by dry weight, 68% inulin, 14%
sucrose, 5% cellulose, 6% protein, 4% ash, and 3% other compounds. Dried chicory root
extract contains, by weight, about 98% inulin and 2% other compounds.[27] Fresh chicory root
may contain between 13 and 23% inulin, by total weight.[28]

Agents responsible for bitterness

The bitter substances are primarily the two sesquiterpene lactones lactucin and lactucopicrin.
Other ingredients are aesculetin, aesculin, cichoriin, umbelliferone, scopoletin, 6,7dihydrocoumarin, and further sesquiterpene lactones and their glycosides.[29]

Medicinal use
Chicory greens, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy
96 kJ (23 kcal)
Carbohydrates
Sugars
Dietary fiber

4.7 g
0.7 g
4g

Fat

0.3 g

Protein

1.7 g

Vitamins
Vitamin A equiv.
beta-carotene
lutein zeaxanthin
Thiamine (B1)
Riboflavin (B2)
Niacin (B3)
Pantothenic acid (B5)
Vitamin B6
Folate (B9)
Vitamin C

(36%)
286 g
(32%)
3430 g
10300 g
(5%)
0.06 mg
(8%)
0.1 mg
(3%)
0.5 mg
(23%)
1.159 mg
(8%)
0.105 mg
(28%)
110 g
(29%)

24 mg
(15%)
2.26 mg
(283%)
297.6 g

Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Minerals

(10%)
100 mg
(7%)
0.9 mg
(8%)
30 mg
(20%)
0.429 mg
(7%)
47 mg
(9%)
420 mg
(3%)
45 mg
(4%)
0.42 mg

Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Manganese
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
Zinc

Link to USDA Database entry

Units

g = micrograms mg = milligrams

IU = International units

Percentages are roughly approximated using

US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database

Belgian endive (witloof), raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy
71 kJ (17 kcal)
Carbohydrates
Dietary fiber

4g
3.1 g

Fat

0.1 g

Protein

0.9 g

Vitamins
(5%)
0.062 mg
(2%)
0.027 mg
(1%)
0.16 mg
(3%)
0.145 mg
(3%)
0.042 mg
(9%)
37 g
(3%)
2.8 mg

Thiamine (B1)
Riboflavin (B2)
Niacin (B3)
Pantothenic acid (B5)
Vitamin B6
Folate (B9)
Vitamin C
Minerals

(2%)
19 mg
(2%)
0.24 mg
(3%)
10 mg
(5%)
0.1 mg
(4%)
26 mg
(4%)
211 mg
(0%)
2 mg
(2%)
0.16 mg

Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Manganese
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
Zinc

Link to USDA Database entry

Units

g = micrograms mg = milligrams

IU = International units

Percentages are roughly approximated using

US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database

Root chicory contains volatile oils similar to those found in plants in the related genus
Tanacetum which includes Tansy, and is similarly effective at eliminating intestinal worms.
All parts of the plant contain these volatile oils, with the majority of the toxic components
concentrated in the plant's root.[30]
Chicory is well known for its toxicity to internal parasites. Studies indicate that ingestion of
chicory by farm animals results in reduction of worm burdens,[31][32][33] which has prompted its
widespread use as a forage supplement. Only a few major companies are active in research,
development, and production of chicory varieties and selections, most in New Zealand.
Chicory (especially the flower), used as a folk medicine in Germany, is recorded in many
books as an ancient German treatment for everyday ailments. It is variously used as a tonic
and as a treatment for gallstones, gastro-enteritis, sinus problems and cuts and bruises.
(Howard M. 1987). Chicory contains inulin,[34][35] which may help humans with weight loss,
constipation, improving bowel function and general health.[36] In rats, it may increase calcium
absorption and bone mineral density.[34] It also increases absorption of calcium and other
minerals in humans.[37][38][39][40]
Chicory has demonstrated antihepatotoxic potential in animal studies.[41][42][43][44]

Alternative medicine
Chicory has been listed as one of the 38 plants that are used to prepare Bach flower remedies,
[45]
a kind of alternative medicine. However, according to Cancer Research UK, "there is no
scientific evidence to prove that flower remedies can control, cure or prevent any type of
disease, including cancer".[46]

Native American use

The Cherokee use an infusion of the root as a tonic for nerves.[47] The Iroquois use a
decoction of the roots as a wash and apply a poultice of it to chancres and fever sores.[48]

Forage
Chicory is highly digestible for ruminants and has a low fiber concentration.[49] Chicory roots
are an "excellent substitute for oats" for horses due to their protein and fat content.[50] Chicory
contains a low quantity of reduced tannins[49] that may increase protein utilization efficiency
in ruminants.[51] Some tannins reduce intestinal parasites.[52][53][54][55] (Excessively large
quantities of tannins, however, could bind with and precipitate proteins, resulting in low
digestibility and nutrient reduction.[52])
Although chicory might have originated in France, Italy, and India,[56] much development of
chicory for use with livestock has taken place in New Zealand.[57]

Forage chicory varieties

Puna (Grasslands Puna)

Developed in New Zealand, Grasslands Puna is well adapted to different climates,

being grown from Alberta, Canada, to New Mexico and Florida. It is resistant to
bolting, which leads to high nutrient levels in the leaves in spring. It also has high
resistance to grazing.

Forage Feast
A variety from France used for human consumption and also for wildlife plots.
[clarification needed]
It is very cold-hardy and, being lower in tannins than other forage
varieties, is suitable for human consumption.

Choice
Choice has been bred for high winter and early-spring growth activity, and lower
amounts of lactucin and lactone, which are believed to taint milk. It is also use for
seeding deer wildlife plots.

Oasis
Bred for increased lactone rates for the forage industry, and for higher resistance to
fungal diseases like Sclerotinia.[clarification needed]

Puna II
More winter-active than most other varieties, which leads to greater persistence and
longevity.

Grouse
A New Zealand variety used as a planting companion for forage brassicas. More
prone to early flowering than other varieties, with higher crowns more susceptible to
overbrowsing.

Six Point
A United States variety, very similar to Puna.