Chicory: useful properties and contraindications

Chicory (useful properties are multifaceted) is a herbaceous perennial plant with a fleshy long root and branched stalk. The flowers of the plant are blue, less often there are white or pink, collected in a neat basket. The fruits of chicory are small achenes. The plant begins to blossom in late July and ends in September. In traditional medicine, chicory shows its beneficial properties through its root. For the preparation of the medicine, the roots are excavated only when this plant develops well. Carefully they are laundered from the earth cover and cut. Raw materials are dried in special dryers, which are ventilated in furnaces and rooms. So, is chicory useful?

Chicory: useful properties

Healthy chicory root contains insulin is a polysaccharide, which is used as a substitute for starch and sugar for diabetics. Other pharmacological properties of chicory are also known. Here it is used because of the high content of glycoside in the root of intibine. Thanks to him, such drugs are used as calming CNS agents that dilate blood vessels and remove tachycardia. In addition, the roots of chicory contain up to 17% of sugars, tannins, useful vitamins of group B and C, natural organic acids, bitter and tarry substances, carotene. Seeds and leaves are rich in milky juice, there is insulin, bitter substances (lactucine, taraksasterin), protocatechin aldehyde. In hammered chicory there are also other useful properties - antimicrobial and astringent. In folk medicine, decoctions and tinctures of roots are used, which improve the digestive and heart functions, increase appetite, and have the ability to calm well the National Assembly. Chicory is recommended for people suffering from kidney, liver, and spleen diseases. Broth of roots or usual spirit tincture perfectly help with any non-healing wounds, eczema and tumors. In general, this medical assistant is known as a rather effective and reliable general restorative.

Chicory is also useful for the heart. So from the inflorescences of this plant make effective drugs that have a beneficial effect on the normal functioning of the heart. Chicory is used in diabetes mellitus. And, in addition, as a vasodilator and antipyretic agent. Preparations that are based on it, have a diuretic and choleretic, exciting appetite, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and soothing effect. Also, chicory is used in the treatment of liver and gastrointestinal diseases.

In folk medicine, root tinctures and decoctions are used to raise the tone in the body, improve blood composition, with dyspepsia and hysteria. It is very useful for rashes, acne, furunculosis and skin diseases, it can improve the upset metabolism in the body.

Chicory in Pregnancy

Drink from ground chicory - tsikorny coffee - you need to drink pregnant women. After all, it has an exceptionally beneficial effect on the often affected liver during pregnancy and promotes the removal of toxins from the female body. In addition, the great benefit of chicory for pregnant women is also due to the fact that it easily removes heartburn, it helps the work of the stomach and intestines, improves appetite. It is important for pregnant women and the fact that it is the chicory that promotes an active increase in red blood cells in the blood. And this is an invaluable aid to both the organism of the future mother and the baby's body.

Chicory: contraindications

Contraindications in chicory are: it is forbidden to take it with varicose veins, it is not recommended for hemorrhoids, vascular diseases.

The usefulness of chicory is proven by many years of practice. Amazing plant of chicory ... Useful properties of it are used both in medicine and in cooking (add to the preparation of pies and other desserts).