A bit bitter taste, vaguely reminiscent of coffee - chicory can bring no less pleasure, and even more good. It will be about the grass of this plant, which can be collected and prepared from it a healing drink. Than he is good - we will understand further.
Chicory herb
Herbaceous perennial, which can be recognized by small blue flowers. Stem - up to 120 cm, straight with a ribbed surface, has up to 10 branches. Basal leaves are collected in the outlet, they are pinnate and narrow at the base. Stem leaves are toothed, with a broad base. Upper - lanceolate form. Spindle-like root, reaches one and a half meters. If it is cut, the milky sap will stand out.
It flowers mainly with blue flowers (rarely white and pink), reed petals have 5 cloves each. Bloom lasts from June to September. After sunset the flowers usually close. This period ends with the formation of a seed - a 2-3mm long fruit, brown in color, oblong, sometimes trihedral and pentahedral. The plant forms plentiful thickets, it is unpretentious to the soil. Can be found on meadows, fields, near roads and ditches.
Learn what chicory salad is and how to grow it.
The composition of the plant
Most of all nutrients in the root juice. However, it is useful to brew and the grass itself, and flowers. Almost 90% of the composition - water, the rest is allocated under the ashes, dietary fiber, healthy fats. It can be used for weight loss.
Calorie content
The product is not very high in calories - only 21 kcal per 100 g. 
Vitamins
The plant has such vitamins: A, E, K, C, group B (B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, PP, P), choline and beta carotene.
The Asterov family includes such plants as: gelenium, cineraria, doronicum, wormwood, helihrizum, argirantemum, orebeck, meadow cornflower, nivyanik, and Przewalski's buzulnik.
Minerals
Chicory contains more than 400 mg of potassium, 100 mg of calcium, as well as magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, copper, selenium and zinc.
Composition BZHU
In product:
- proteins - 1.7 g;
- fat 0.2 g;
- carbohydrates - 4.1 g
The energy ratio of BZHU: 32% to 9% to 78%.What is the benefit of chicory
With the systematic use of chicory has a beneficial effect on:
- digestive system;
- CNS;
- cardiovascular system.
Important! Preparations based on chicory can not be taken without a doctor's prescription, as any violation of the dosage and self-treatment will lead to side effects - nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.Due to the natural sugar substitute inulin in composition (49%), it is useful for diabetics. It helps reduce blood glucose levels, improves metabolic processes, removes toxins from the body. The chemical composition also contributes to the improvement of lipid metabolism. This is useful for those who are overweight, as fat is burned naturally.
The work of the digestive system is well influenced by onion-slizun, Kale cabbage, watercress, meadow sage, gooseberry, dodder, chervil, prince and double-leaved.The most useful part is the root of the plant. It is the bitter milky juice that improves gastrointestinal peristalsis, the secretion of gastric and intestinal juices, which leads to the appearance of appetite and the establishment of defecation. Chicory is considered an antiseptic, it has choleretic and diuretic properties. It helps the liver to cleanse and removes the extra load from it.
Thanks to the sedative effect, the nervous system is strengthened, the state of the cardiovascular system improves. Accelerated pulse slows down, pressure normalizes. Anti-inflammatory properties help to cope with bacteria, various diseases, promote the development of bifidobacteria.It is also good for men to eat: parsley, walnut, ginger and carrots.
For men
Chicory helps active men to cope with mental and physical exertion, it protects the heart from overwork and at the same time tones the body and gives strength for the whole day. The diuretic action helps keep men’s urological system in good shape, which will further prevent problems with it. In case of diseases of the reproductive system, chicory will speed up the process of recovery and normalization of sexual functions.
For women
Chicory for pregnant coffee lovers will be a useful alternative. Moreover, it will give strength that is so necessary in this period of life. Due to the rich content of vitamins, the skin of the woman will look healthier, the bruises will disappear under the eyes, the water balance will be adjusted. Vitamins B will help get rid of acne, eczema, dermatitis. Hair at the same time will gain shine and elasticity, brittleness will decrease. 
Can I eat foods from chicory
In general, the drink is useful for everyone, but in some cases it is necessary to examine whether it will bring harm in large quantities.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding
This group has no contraindications to receive. But it is better not to abuse the drink - no more than two cups per day, so as not to cause allergies in the mother or baby.
For children
Chicory is a part of medicinal infusions from worms, so children are advised to give a weakly brewed plant for prevention. Enough three cups a week. 
Chicory damage
You can not drink the plant for varicose veins. Overdose can cause liver, kidney, and insomnia. In case of gastritis in acute forms, drink should be avoided.
Where is the best to collect chicory, and how to do it correctly
The benefits of the drink on the basis of the healing plant will be only with proper collection and preparation of raw materials. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account proven tips:
- collect grass better after flowering - closer to October, unless you are aiming to dry the flowers;
- you need to choose only green, fresh stems;
- when collecting and preparing for drying, you need to inspect the plant for the presence of insects - you need to get rid of them.
Important! Gather the grass on warm and dry days, even dew is undesirable on the shoots - they will dry up worse.
Choosing a place
The plant is unpretentious to the habitat and you can even find it in your yard. But it is better to go in search of the city or at least in a place far from cars and dumps. The field is the best option for collecting raw materials. At the entrance to the forest there are usually quite a few pastures where chicory grows thick.
How to dry chicory
Choose a place with good ventilation - attic, veranda, balcony. We cut the collected branches into small pieces and lay them on clean paper or cloth. The collection should not get the sun. Once a day, the stems are better mixed. Ready raw material is considered when green branches easily break in the hands. It can be dried in a special technique or oven at a temperature not exceeding 40 ° C. The finished root should be pale yellow inside and easily break with a crispy sound. 
Storage features
You can store no more than a year, after the plant loses its healing properties. It is best to keep the raw materials in tight paper bags or boxes, in which insects cannot start. You can also use fabric bags. Keep them better in a dark and dry place.
How to brew tea from chicory
It will take a little more effort to make tea from plant raw materials than to make a drink from powder or liquid chicory. But it does not take more than 20 minutes.
Did you know? In ancient Egypt, chicory leaves were used in the preparation of medicines for poisonous bites.
Water requirements
It is best to take just boiling water, then the grass and the root will be able to give more taste to the water and thereby make the drink richer. 
How to prepare weed
Before use, the raw material must be washed and dried. Two glasses of boiling water will need a tablespoon of dry grass. If you want to brew the root, first you need to fry it until the moisture evaporates. After that, you can grind it in a coffee grinder and brew.
Brewing rules
Fill a spoonful of dry raw materials with two cups of boiling water and leave in a closed kettle to infuse for at least 15 minutes. After that you can try a hot drink. There, if desired, you can add sugar or honey. 
Can chicory replace coffee
Chicory is a useful coffee substitute. It tones in the same way, gives strength and energy. It acts on the nervous system, exciting it, and at the same time a person feels a surge of strength. Like coffee, do not advise to use this plant at night. There are no essential oils in it, like in coffee, therefore allergic reactions rarely happen to it.
Is it possible to combine a drink with milk
Chicory goes well with milk. It should be borne in mind that the calorie content of the drink increases, but in this case it is able to saturate. Milk makes the taste softer and less bitter. 
Is it possible to drink endlessly
Experts do not recommend consuming more than 2 servings of the drink per day. From 3 cups - this is an excessive load on the body, which will bring more harm than good. Yes, and with frequent use of the drink quickly get bored.
Did you know? In the Slavic legends, chicory is called the “gap-grass”, since it was believed that it was able to open a lock, a door or a chest. And if you rub the sap of the plant, then luck will accompany everything.
Is there any benefit from soluble product
Soluble chicory has its drawbacks:
- it is not always possible to understand that the manufacturer stirred the powder with other additives;
- in this case, the processing of raw materials in industry is used, and the plant loses most of the useful substances.
However, if you do not have the opportunity to do the work yourself, powder or liquid chicory will be an excellent alternative. Still, most of the useful elements in this form are preserved. So, chicory is a useful plant, which everyone has ever seen in nature. It helps to cure a lot of diseases, but its main function is to give the body strength and energy. If you decide to abandon coffee, then this plant will be a good alternative.
