Description.
Chicory is a herbaceous plant, perennial, belonging to the family of Compositae. Chicory in its structure has a strong high rough stalk, its height reaches 1, 2 meters and a long thick root. Leaves located near the root, have the form of lanceolate, pinnate and regular. Collected in inflorescences, the flowers are painted in bright blue color and have lingual petals. Flowers are located in the leaf sinuses. Flowering occurs in the period from June to September, and ripening of fruits - achenes occurs in July - September. Before the first flowering, chicory for several years consists only of leaves.
Chicory grows in the middle zone of the Russian Federation, the North Caucasus, Western Siberia and the Urals in dry sunny areas.
To prepare medicines, almost all the plant is used, in particular, the medicinal roots of chicory, inflorescence, the tips, and also the juice and fruits.
Composition.
Chicory roots contain glycosides, one of which is chicoryin, which has a calming, choleretic, anti-inflammatory and diuretic effect.
Polysaccharide inulin is a natural stimulant for the development and development of normal intestinal microflora - it is a prebiotic. Included in the composition of pectins - gelling intercellular substances related to polysaccharides, are valued for their antimicrobial and antitoxic activity.
There is also some vegetable proteins, simple sugars, tannins, which stop diarrhea, B vitamins. The above-ground part of chicory is rich in inulin.
Medical properties.
Chicory is able to normalize the metabolism, remove toxins and metabolic products from the body, including excess cholesterol. Excellent improves appetite, stimulates the digestive glands, accelerates the removal of stagnation in the bile duct and gallbladder, restores the natural microflora of the intestines, calms, normalizes the heart rhythm, that is, makes the heart beat faster or, conversely, more slowly. Serves as a diuretic, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, astringent, antitumor and antipyretic.
Application of chicory in the treatment.
This medicinal plant has been used for a long time to treat a variety of diseases, since the medicinal properties of chicory are numerous. Today it is used for such diseases as:
- violation of metabolic processes, especially with obesity, gout, atherosclerosis, propensity to stone formation in the kidneys and biliary tract, metabolic diseases of the spine and joints;
- with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular, the stomach and pancreas, intestines with dysbacteriosis, with anorexia, diarrhea;
- with diseases of the liver and bile ducts, inflammation of the gallbladder;
- with neuroses, irritability, after severe illnesses;
- in the composition of drug therapy in diabetes mellitus helps reduce blood sugar levels;
- in the form of an external agent in the treatment of skin ailments, wounds, bites of animals and insects, stomatitis, conjunctivitis, arthritis.
Contraindications.
Chicory is contraindicated in the use of individual intolerance to plants, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.
Recipes of preparation of medicines from chicory.
The above-ground part of chicory should be harvested during flowering and dried in the shade in the fresh air. Roots are important to dig out only in the fall, after thoroughly washing in cold water, cut into small pieces and dried in an oven at a low temperature.
From chicory it is possible to prepare medicinal preparations in the following ways.
- Infusion for internal reception:
one tablespoon of finely chopped roots and chicory herbs pour a glass of boiling water, then let it brew for a couple of hours. Then the infusion is filtered and taken on a third of the glass three times a day for half an hour before meals;
- Infusion for external use:
four tablespoons finely chopped roots and chicory herbs pour two cups of boiling water, after insisting for a couple of hours and applied externally, as a lotion several times a day;
- Freshly squeezed chicory juice:
the tops of the plant along with the flowers need to be crushed in a meat grinder, squeeze out the juice and take on a teaspoon thrice a day, adding to the milk;
- Dry grass chicory steamed in boiling water, then wrapped in a dense tissue and applied to the joints for acute pain.
Chicory is a real natural pharmacy. However, for a more correct application of chicory, it is better to consult a doctor.