Chicory

Chicory

Common name: Chicory

Genus and Species name: Cichorium

Active Chemical ingredients: Polysaccharide Inulin, C_6nH_10n+2O_5n+1

Medicinal Uses: The chicory herbal remedy boosts the functioning of the stomach and the liver, while cleansing and detoxifying the urinary tract at the same time. In herbal therapy, the remedies made from the chicory are used to treat various rheumatic complaints and disorders such as gout. The chicory also acts as a mild laxative herb, and is especially suited for treated children affected by constipation and other digestive disorders. Digestion is also aided by the infusion made from the leaves and flowers of the chicory. An herbal poultice made from leaves of the chicory plant serves as a traditional treatment in Europe and the US for all kinds of lacerations on the skin, as well as to treat swellings and inflammation on the skin. Helps with blistering and burns when tea is applied externally.

Preparation: The leaves are eaten raw in salads. To make an herbal poultice from the leaves the leaves are first softened, bruised and the soaked for a few minutes in boil water that has just been removed from the stove.

Citations:

 (n.d.). Retrieved September 6, 2015, from http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_chicory.htm 

 Patent US20130195930 - Inulin and Inulin Acetate Formulations. (n.d.). Retrieved September 6, 2015, from http://www.google.com/patents/US20130195930