Medicinal plants are very popular among health fans, phytotherapists and healers. Herbs can help with many diseases without being worse than traditional medications. They are used to make infusions, prepared such as tea or coffee. While some plants are only known by specialists, others are quite popular. Among the latter is the achicoria.
General information
Chicory is used as a medicinal plant since the seventeenth century. It is a perennial plant that is present on all continents except in Antarctica. It belongs to the Asteraceous family. It is located in the fields, along the roads and at the edges of the forests. It blooms from the beginning of June to mi d-October.
It is not difficult to find and many people can imagine the appearance of achicoria: blue flowers (less often white) on a long stem grow even in cities. But what and how to harvest, the useful and harmful properties, and the chemical composition of the flower only the specialists and herbalists know. But there is a lot to pay attention to.
The chemical composition
The biochemical composition of the plant is very rich, this is what makes it medicinal. The composition of the achicoria includes
- Inulina,
- Vitamins of several groups.
- micro and macronutrients,
- acids,
- proteins, carbohydrates,
- cellulose.
The different parts of the flowe r-raíz, leaves, flowers, seeds-, although they have common components, have a different chemical composition:
The bitter taste of soluble dust is due to the presence in it of Intibina (a glycoside).
The detailed chemical composition of the plant root for 100 grams of finished product can be expressed in the table:
| Carbohydrates (including inulin) | 50-55 gr. |
| Proteins | 9-10 gr. |
| Macronutrients | |
| Calcium | 100 mg |
| Sodium | 40-45 mg |
| Magnesium | 30 mg of magnesium |
| Potassium | 42 mg of potassium |
| Match | 26 mg |
| Vitamins | |
| А | 286 mcg |
| К | 297 mcg |
| С | 2. 8 mg |
| В5 | 0. 14 mg |
| В3 | 0. 16 mg |
| Micronutrients | |
| Iron | 0. 24 mg |
| Zinc | 0. 16 mg |
Chicory species
Botanists have 10 species of the plant, but only 2 are used in the industry (medicine and kitchen):
- Common achicoria.
- Salad.
The common achicoria is the flower that grows in the fields. The roots of this species are used to make a popular snapshot with coffee flavor. It is not a deliberately cultivated flower, since it is quite common and easy to find.
The other species, salad achicoria, is grown. On the outside, the achicoria does not resemble the flower to which we are accustomed. It looks more like the Beijing Col or the common lettuce. It is used in the kitchen.
What is it for?
The medicinal properties of the plant have been known for a long time, and now it has been scientifically proven that drinking a drink made from it can help with ailments such as
- diabetes and other metabolic disorders,
- Gastrointestinal disorders,
- various inflammations,
- nervous irritability, headaches, insomnia,
- colds, flu.
The decoction of the root of the plant is also used instead of coffee. It is not harmful to the body, like coffee, but it has the same effect: increases efficiency, good tonic.
The different components of the plant help to cure various ailments. So, the flowers and leaves are used as a choleretic, diuretic, used for anemia, skin diseases, to improve appetite. The root helps in the treatment of diabetes, inflammations, nervous disorders, colds.
How is the drink prepared?
To prepare the drink, the root or top of the plant is used. You can make it yourself or buy it at a pharmacy. It is not difficult to prepare a drink at home, but you cannot make instant radicchio yourself.
The flower root should be washed and dried before use. Then you have to peel it. Before toasting, cut it into small rings 0. 5 cm thick and put them in a pan. They are fried until they smell (no taste) and turn a light brown color. Grind the roots in a coffee grinder.
- Prepare the powder with boiling water: 1 teaspoon for each cup. Or prepare it as a coffee bean in a jug, pouring it with cold water.
Leaves and flowers of the plant collected in dry weather, it is necessary to look at the leaves were not dry, diseased spots. The collected components are placed on a paper or cloth in a dry and ventilated room. Wait until the grass is completely dry, after which you can brew. Some people infuse the herb in a thermos. It is easiest to use in a kettle or French press.
- 1-3 teaspoons of the collection per glass of boiling water.
Ready instant chicory is prepared in the same way as regular coffee.
Not everyone can benefit from this drink. In these cases, caution should be exercised or the use of instant radicchio should be completely avoided:
- Diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Chicory dilates blood vessels, so if you have problems with them, such as varicose veins, you should refuse the drink.
- Acute gastrointestinal diseases: ulcer, gastritis.
- Chicory preparations lower blood pressure, so you should not take the drink if you are hypotensive.
- Chicory has a strong choleretic effect, so it is not suitable for gallbladder problems.
- Individual intolerance to the components, allergies. Plant intolerance can be manifested by various symptoms: dizziness, nausea, vomiting, cutaneous eruption.
- The appetite also increases, so it is not suitable for overweight people.
Muices of use
It is convenient to know that some doctors do not recommend taking instantaneous chicory with milk. This is because milk has a poor effect on the absorption of some components of achicoria, such as iron. Although many people add milk to the drink to improve their flavor.
It is also advised not to consume it before a meal, only after. Chicory irritates the mucosa on an empty stomach and causes discomfort. A daily amount of instantaneous achicoria for the human being is not known, so no more than 3 cups should be taken a day. And, given the tonic property of the plant, it should not be consumed before bedtime.
Muices include the fact that instant dust is often falsified.
Pregnancy
Coffee lovers who eliminate this drink from their diet during pregnancy are strongly recommended. If it is difficult, it can be replaced by achicoria. Drinking it during pregnancy is not allowed, but it is necessary. You must change to achicoria before conception.
In the first quarter you should not consume more than one cup a day. Chicory eliminates toxins from the organism, which has a positive effect on the health of the mother and the fetus. The vitamins contained in the plant are also beneficial. During pregnancy, there is a risk that blood sugar levels are raised, so the future mother will also need her hypoglycemic properties.
In the second and third quarter, the woman begins to have swelling. The ability of achicoria to eliminate excess humidity from the body (diuretic effect) will be very useful. However, it should be limited to 2 cups a day.
Stress and excitement, typical of pregnant women, disappear when drinking the achicoria drink. It also normalizes the gastrointestinal tract, which usually annoy women during pregnancy.
During breastfeeding
But infant mothers should refrain from drinking from the plant. Some of its components can excite the baby a lot. In addition, the baby can be allergic to achicoria. In the absence of problems, achicoria consumption is not prohibited. However, during breastfeeding, instantaneous chicory should not be taken more than once or twice a week, after which the baby’s reaction must be observed. The mother can start taking her 3-4 months after childbirth, when the baby’s body is stronger.
For children
You can give instantaneous achicoria to your child, but only after three years. Before that age, the baby’s body and immune system are very unstable. And it is difficult to make a small child take a bitter and unpleasant drink. At 3 years, breastfeeding is over and the baby goes to the nursery. It’s time to get used to a healthy diet.
Advanced age
Elderly coffee drinkers should replace drinking with snapshot. It is known that coffee is bad for the heart, which is already worn by old age. Chicory helps tone the blood vessels, whose problems usually afflict the elderly.
Chicory in diseases
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis occurs when the enzymes produced by the pancreas stop flowing to the body due to a partial or complete obstruction of the gland ducts. As a consequence, the enzymes begin to act on the gland itself and the pancreas becomes inflamed.
There are two types of disease: acute and chronic. In acute pancreatitis, the person needs urgent hospitalization, but in chronic pancreatitis it can be treated, even with medications. This is where achicoria is needed. Hierba helps relieve pain and cramps of the disease, fights one’s inflammation and reduces the risk of the chronic form becoming acute.
Anemia
Anemia or anemia is a decrease in the level of red blood cells and blood hemoglobin. A variant of this anemia (80% of anemia cases are treated with achicoria). It contains a large amount of iron, which is well absorbed by the body. A condition in the treatment of anemia is the prohibition of adding milk.
Diabetes Mellitus Types 1 and 2
In both types of “sugary” disease, snapshot achicoria is recommended. But if in the first an important role in the reduction of sugar, insulin plays, in the second the hypoglycemic drugs are important. It is precisely this property that has achicoria, so it is more requested for type 2. diabetes also improves metabolism, which is also important for diabetics.
Inulin, carbohydrate containing the plant, is a polysaccharide that is very slowly absorbed in the bloodstream. The diabetic diet pillar are precisely food with slow absorption hydrates.
Liver disease
The liver is an organ that detoxifies toxins. Chicory also does so by detoxifying the organism, which means that the fewer harmful substances in the body, the less work the liver will have to do. Useful drink with any liver pathology: cirrhosis, cholecystitis, hepatitis, cholelithiasis.
Hypertension
High blood pressure is another ailment that the flower can control. The tension rises when the blood vessels contract and the blood presses them too much. A drink based on this herb dilates blood vessels and reduces tension.
To lose weight
The application of thinning grass is controversial. On the one hand, achicoria improves appetite, which means that there will be a feeling of hunger, something totally unnecessary when it is overweight. On the other hand, the floor is low in calories and completely fat free. After all, it is the excess of calories that are deposited as fat in the body. Apply chicory in the diet can be combined with other lo w-calorie products.
Benefits and damages for women
Women appreciate achicoria for their ability to improve hair and nails. Regular drinking consumption affects the skin, so it is flexible, elastic. All this is due to vitamins and minerals: potassium, calcium and magnesium.
Take prepared plant in menopause. The anxiety and irritability that accompany this period, perfectly relieved by a cup of instantaneous achicoria. With the exception of common ailments to both sexes, there are no contraindications for the use of instantaneous achicoria for women.
Benefits and damages for men
Men find it useful to consume achicoria for erection problems and inflammation of the prostate. The plant improves blood flow, which helps improve the condition in these ailments.
Men who perform physical work will benefit from the tonic effect of drinking. Chicory is a natural energy drink. In addition, coffee made with the root relieves muscle pain after an effort. Your ability to eliminate toxins can help you eliminate the effects of alcohol abuse.
Men can also drink without restrictions, because achicoria will not harm them.
Let’s summarize
Chicory is an amazing medicinal plant. It is one of the most accessible herbs, because some plant collection are sold exclusively in pharmacies. And the usual snapshot achicoria can be bought even in supermarket chains. The drink has its detractors, but their complaints are usually reduced to one thing: the unpleasant bitter taste of chicory coffee. No one discusses its therapeutic effects, because it is scientifically demonstrated, and that is a fact!
If you have not tried a drink made with instant dust, it is worth doing. After all, the plant not only cures, but also prevents the development of many diseases. You do not like? Well, it is really worth getting to get used, and after a time you will surely join the ranks of the connoisseurs of the achicoria.
