How chicory is useful, the opinion of nutritionists and doctors

Chicory is an unpretentious, widespread herbaceous plant in the temperate climate zone. Its thin tall stems during flowering attract bright, large blue flowers. They are well known to summer residents - it is not easy to fight weed grass, which chicory is considered by the people.

Features of chicory

But is it worth the fight? After all, this plant is traditional for Russian cuisine. It is believed that in Russia it was imported in the Middle Ages from India or from China. And already from our country, what is chicory, learned in Europe, where the crushed root was called "Indian coffee."

Interestingly, at the beginning of the nineteenth century in Russia there were industrial plantations of chicory. The most famous industrialist was the peasant Zolotakhin. He cultivated crops for sale not only domestically, but also for export. By the mid-nineteenth century, Russia exported more than four hundred thousand pounds of fragrant root to Europe.

Composition and properties

They used a drink from the root of the plant, of course, in Russia. And not only for food, but also for medicinal purposes for healing wounds, improving appetite, to combat worms, as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Modern medicine interprets the question of how chicory is useful, somewhat narrower. And the latest research has made it possible to accurately determine the composition of the plant culture.

• Vitamins The root contains a large set of B vitamins. They are necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system, improve sleep, and eliminate depression. They participate in metabolic processes, visually their lack is manifested by rashes on the skin, the appearance of dandruff. The composition also revealed effective antioxidants - vitamins A and C, which prevent the destructive effect of free radicals.
• Trace elements. The drink has a high content of the main minerals of the cardiovascular system - potassium and magnesium. They are necessary for the heart to work properly. It also has calcium, which is well absorbed in the intestine by inulin.
• Inulin. Natural polysaccharide found in many plants. It is found in garlic, Jerusalem artichoke, onions, wheat and others. In total, there are about thirty-six thousand cultures in which there is inulin. But only in chicory is its volume the maximum of those discovered. Inulin has a prebiotic effect. Once in the gastrointestinal tract, it unchanged reaches the intestines. And here it is used for food by bifidobacteria, which are responsible not only for proper digestion, but also for our immunity. The main value of inulin is that the substance promotes the growth of the proper intestinal microflora, improves its motility and increases the body's resistance to infectious diseases.

Other properties of a valuable substance have recently been confirmed. Specialist of the Kuban State Technical University N.A.Tarasenko claims that inulin contributes to the absorption of calcium in people of any age, therefore, using a drink in milk, you can get the necessary trace element in sufficient quantities.

Other beneficial properties of chicory for the human body are also determined by its composition.

• Cholagogue action. In 2010, specialists from the Tashkent Pharmaceutical University conducted a study of the effect of chicory root on the liver and gall bladder. In the experiment in mice, the choleretic effect of the dry extract in toxic liver damage was revealed. A hepatoprotective effect was also noted, which allows us to recommend the use of a healthy drink for disorders of the liver, biliary system, hepatitis, and cholelithiasis. The drink “cleanses” the liver, helps to absorb fat in pancreatitis.
• Improving metabolism. Vitamins of group B and tryptenic acids contained in the plant accelerate metabolism. This helps in losing weight and serves to prevent the formation of excess weight.
• Stress protection. Normalizing the emotional background and increasing stress tolerance is another positive point of a sufficient amount of B vitamins in the diet.

Inulin lowers cholesterol and the risk of cancer of the intestines. It also works like a “sponge”: it absorbs waste products in the intestines and removes them from the body.

Tonic effect

A drink from chicory root has a pronounced taste that is close to coffee. The plant is considered the only natural alternative to cocoa beans with almost the same taste. But the effect on the body of drinks is completely different.

Coffee contains a high concentration of caffeine. This substance tones up the cardiovascular system, and most people drink coffee to cheer up. The substance increases the tone of the vessels and serves as their kind of "training" in which there is nothing wrong. But only if everything is in order with the heart and vessels.

If there are disorders in the cardiovascular system, caffeine has a negative effect. It provokes an increase in blood pressure, makes the heart beat faster. If the vessels cannot cope with the rapid flow of blood, a hypertensive crisis may occur.

It is difficult to refuse coffee; it quickly gets used to its taste and tonic effect. But with hypertension, this must be done. In addition, in some conditions of the body, coffee will do more harm than good. It is worth considering replacing the tonic with another during pregnancy and lactation.

In these situations, it is appropriate to use chicory. It does not contain caffeine, so it has no effect on blood pressure. The opinion that chicory lowers blood pressure is wrong. Only taste brings it closer to coffee, but the drink does not cause a direct tone of blood vessels.

According to doctors, to evaluate the tonic taste of the drink should be not only for hypertension.

• Diabetes. Chicory is called the most useful coffee alternative for diabetes. The fact is that inulin, which is part of it, has a slightly pronounced sweetish taste. You do not need to add sugar to such a drink, while its taste will not suffer. Take advantage of this advantage if you are trying to lose weight or are trying to limit the consumption of sweets.
• Pregnancy. While waiting for the child, it is recommended to consume as little coffee as possible. Chicory during pregnancy will easily replace your favorite drink and will be its absolutely safe alternative. You can continue to use the healthy drink after childbirth. Chicory during breastfeeding will not cause the baby to be agitated, which causes coffee.
• Active sports. In sports, the use of tonic drinks is also recommended to be limited, since the cardiovascular system carries significant loads.Chicory, which does not affect blood pressure and vascular tone, will be the best alternative to coffee, which is close to its taste.

Drinking a tasty drink is good for women and for men at any age.

Contraindications

The drink is universal and in most cases is well tolerated by the body. What are chicory made of? From the root, in which there is nothing else except inulin and a group of vitamins.

The only contraindication is an exacerbation of gastric ulcer, in which you should temporarily stop drinking. Also, nutritionists advise caution with varicose veins and fragility of blood vessels.

You should not rely solely on chicory if you plan on losing weight. “Thanks to inulin, chicory root improves metabolism and digestion,” says nutritionist Lyudmila Denisenko. - It will help in the treatment of diabetes and overweight. But it’s a mistake to expect miracles from him. "Without changing the diet, the intensity of the load, it is impossible to achieve weight loss on chicory alone."

Terms of use

The benefits of soluble chicory are only in a quality drink. And the properties of the latter depend on the technology of preparation of raw materials. About how to choose a quality drink, says the head of the Roskontrol expert group Andrei Mosov.

The choice

“Inulin is an unstable substance,” the expert comments. - Its amount decreases during heat treatment. Therefore, in a soluble beverage, the volume of inulin may be very small. "

At the same time, choosing a drink as an element of a healthy diet, the buyer hopes, first of all, to benefit from it. Therefore, the low content of inulin cannot suit it. Unfortunately, manufacturers do not indicate the percentage of the substance in the drink. If in an ordinary dried root the inulin level reaches seventy percent, then after heat treatment it can drop to thirty.

“Some manufacturers go into deliberate falsifications in the manufacture of the drink. Instead of chicory, they use cheaper fried cereal grains. This technology leads to a decrease in inulin in the product, ”continues Andrei Mosov.

Therefore, the choice of chicory should give preference to modern types of drinks.

• Choose freeze dried chicory. Outwardly, it resembles granulated coffee. Such a drink is more expensive than ordinary, powdered. But it has more value. For its production, only chicory root is used, which is subjected to sublimation processing without high temperatures. This saves many times more beneficial substances in the composition of the drink.
• Check the tightness of the packaging. Chicory is hygroscopic, it actively absorbs water from the outside, while neighboring granules stick together. The composition turns into a "lump", which is impossible to use.

High hygroscopicity determines the storage conditions of chicory. If you bought a drink in cardboard or plastic packaging, be sure to pour it into a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Store in a dark place.

Cooking

The manufacturer usually indicates the preparation of the drink. Use its recommendations or universal recipes on how to brew chicory.

• Instant coffee". Pour a fifth of a teaspoon of powder into a cup, pour boiling water. Add milk, honey or sugar to taste.
• Soluble in milk. Bring the milk to a boil, pour a quarter teaspoon of the powder. Cool and add honey to taste.
• Fried and ground in water. Heat the water at a rate of two hundred milliliters per cup. Add one tablespoon of chicory to each cup. Stir on low heat for three minutes, leave to brew for ten minutes.
• For weight loss. Pour a tablespoon of chopped dried chicory with boiling water of five hundred milliliters. Leave to brew for one hour. Take half a glass before meals four times a day.

You can drink a drink at any time, including in the evening.Indeed, unlike coffee, it does not have an invigorating effect.

Chicory is a healthy and tasty coffee alternative. Drink a drink if for health reasons you cannot drink coffee or want to give it up. The root of the plant is rich in valuable substances, including inulin, which is necessary for overweight, diabetes, and reduced immunity. The harm of chicory can occur only with exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease and disorders in the functioning of blood vessels. But in the latter case, a cup of aromatic drink, drunk from time to time, will not become dangerous.