Nutritional benefits of chicory

Edible properties of chicory

NUTRITIONAL PROPERTIES OF CHICORY

What are chicories?

A chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a vegetable.

It consists of leaves and buds which are edible when they are tender.

Its leaves are bright green or red and white in other varieties. Red chicory has red and white leaves.

Chicories have a bitter taste, like artichokes.

What are the main nutrients of chicory? Composition of chicory

As an energy source, 100 grams of chicory give us 23 kcal.

Their proportion of nutrients are divided into:

Vitamins and minerals in chicory. Composition of chicory

Chicory composition

Minerals in chicory: It is a vegetable rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium, but it also has small amounts of other minerals such as sodium, iron, phosphorus, copper, manganese and zinc.

Vitamins in chicory: Considering its vitamins, it is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B5 and B9 among other B vitamins.

Nutritional characteristics of chicory

Red chicory

Photo of red chicory

  • Chicory has a very high water content which prevents us to become dehydrated.
  • It provides little energy, something that help us not to get fat.
  • It contains very little fat.
  • It has a low protein content.
  • It is low in sugars.
  • It has a good fiber content.
  • It helps to remove toxins from our body, because it contains potassium.
  • Its calcium content together with phosphorus, maintains the balance of the formation of strong bones.
  • Because of its magnesium content, it helps the contraction and relaxation of muscles.
  • Because of its vitamin B5 content, it helps us to get energy for our body to function properly and in conjunction with vitamin B9, it help us to grow properly.
  • It protects our skin and helps us to keep it healthy, because it contains vitamin A.
  • It protects us from colds and helps us to heal our wounds, because it contains vitamin C.
  • It protects us from the toxins and aging, because it contains vitamin A, C, E and the mineral zinc.

Chicory recipes

See chicory recipes

punto rojo More information about other foods and nutrition.

*Related information: Expand your knowledge about chicory.
This article was endorsed by Vicente Martínez Centelles - Founder of the web and director. Teacher of natural sciences, expert in plants, natural remedies and botanical photography.
Editorial
Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

15 December, 2021

Other interesting articles

This material is for informational purposes only. In case of doubt, consult the doctor.
"Botanical-online" is not responsible for damages caused by self-medication.