Cichorium intybus has been employed as a food source and in folk herbalism for thousands of years. Today, roasted chicory root is popular as a slightly bitter coffee substitute. A member of the Asteraceae family, roasted chicory root powder can be blended into hot beverages, encapsulated, extracted, and infused.
Belonging to the Asteraceae family, chicory is a larger relative of the dandelion. Its large taproot has been used as a coffee substitute for generations, especially when coffee was unavailable. Chicory's leaves are used in salads and spring tonics in the same way as dandelion greens. It has been cultivated along the Nile in Egypt for thousands of years. Charlemagne listed it as one of the herbs he required be grown in his garden. It was brought to North America from Europe in the 18th century and is now established quite well here. Chicory can also be eaten as a food and consumed as a beverage making it the number one coffee substitute.
Chicory contains a special class of carbohydrates known as fructans; a group containing inulin (not to be confused with insulin) and oligofructoses. Chicory is also called kasni.
Precautions
No known precautions. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.