Soluble chicory: composition, how much to drink and what is useful

Instant chicory is made from the root of the plant of the same name, which has gained popularity as a substitute for natural coffee. The drink from it not only looks and tastes like coffee, but also contains many useful components that are absent in coffee. It is recommended for people who are contraindicated in caffeine. The plant is also used in folk medicine and the cuisine of different nations.

How to choose instant chicory?

The root of common chicory is very powerful: it grows up to 15 meters long. Instant chicory is produced industrially by grinding dried and roasted rhizomes - separately or together with coffee beans.

The powder is diluted with boiling water and an aromatic drink similar to coffee is obtained. Its advantages are that chicory does not contain caffeine and that it has a natural sweet taste, so it does not require sugar. Powdered chicory is often added to dishes and baked goods.

Manufacturers offer different types of the product. How to choose instant chicory from this variety?

Experts pay special attention to the amount of inulin. This substance is broken down into fructose and other compounds that enter the blood. The rest is excreted, removing heavy metals, cholesterol, and toxic components from the body. A quality product contains a lot of inulin. Experts call the following drinks quality: Galka Ranok, Khutorok, Zolotoy Korechok, Zdorovye, Tsikorinka (with stevia).

• Visually, the product looks like a dry powder, without foreign additives, lumps or stuck together layers.
• Sold in airtight containers, it also requires airtight storage.
• Chicory must be collected with a dry spoon, just like other hygroscopic substances.
• When exposed to moisture, the powder turns into a solid substance, unsuitable for consumption.

Liquid chicory is also soluble - a thick dark extract with a rich bitter taste. It is produced in jars. It is diluted with either boiling water or lukewarm water - as you like. When sweetened, the bitterness begins to resemble the taste of chocolate. The extract is easier to store and prepare than the powdered product.

Some varieties of the drink are supplemented with fillers: sea buckthorn, lemongrass, ginseng, rose hips, cinnamon, blueberries, stevia. Natural additives enrich the taste, affect both the properties and the price of the product.

Instant powdered chicory

Instant powdered chicory is one of the best substitutes for natural coffee. It is a natural product without preservatives, dyes and other additives; it is obtained using a special technology, when the root is crushed and dried. Due to this, its properties are somewhat different from the ordinary root, but most of the useful qualities are preserved.

Instant chicory has appeared on the market relatively recently, but has already found its admirers. And not only for its taste qualities, but also for its therapeutic and prophylactic properties. The drink causes the following positive changes:

• improves sleep, protects against stress, nervous and emotional overload;
• normalizes cardiac activity;
• regulates digestion, removes toxins from the intestines;
• lowers blood sugar;
• accelerates metabolism, promotes weight loss.

Since chicory also has medicinal properties, it is necessary to know about contraindications and undesirable consequences of its use.

Information about this is contradictory. Some sources write that the product is useful for almost everyone. Others, on the contrary, name entire lists of contraindications. Here is information about who should be careful when starting to regularly take chicory drink.

• In case of ulcers and gastritis, the drink can worsen the situation.
• In case of hemorrhoids it can cause bleeding.
• In case of mental instability it can cause increased excitability.
• If you are prone to skin allergies, rashes, swelling, and itching are possible.

When purchasing a product, you should examine the packaging; a quality one should contain natural chicory, not its extract.

Properties of instant chicory

Instant chicory contains low-calorie inulin, which gives the drink sweetness (coffee and tea do not contain this substance). Therefore, less sugar is needed, only to soften the bitterness, and many people refuse it altogether.

Thanks to its unique composition, the drink invigorates in the morning and helps you fall asleep in the evening. Added to coffee, chicory improves its properties and reduces the price.

Other properties of instant chicory:

• relieves stress, calms nerves;
• dilates blood vessels, lowers blood pressure;
• normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• removes toxins, has a beneficial effect on the liver;
• increases the body's immune system.

A drink made from chicory stimulates appetite and normalizes elevated temperature. Medicines containing chicory are used as choleretic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory drugs.

When applied externally, chicory has a healing effect; as an anti-cellulite procedure, chicory wraps are used in salons.

But these properties can also be harmful. Thus, the ability of chicory to dilate blood vessels can harm people suffering from hemorrhoids and varicose veins. The invigorating effect is undesirable for people with an unbalanced psyche. The root has an adverse effect on inflamed digestive organs, on the skin of people prone to allergies. When you have a cold, drinking chicory can increase the cough reflex.

Can pregnant women eat instant chicory?

Can pregnant women drink instant chicory? Definitely yes. It is one of the healthiest drinks during pregnancy. And, what is important, it can successfully replace the usual morning drink for coffee lovers.

Unlike coffee, instant chicory has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular and hematopoietic systems, calms the nerves and emotional state, eliminates constipation, heartburn and nausea. The drink supports the spleen, liver and removes toxins from the body; promotes the absorption of milk, which is so necessary for a woman expecting a child. With the help of chicory, it is easy to prevent anemia in pregnant women. It is a source of additional vitamins, organic acids, and inulin. Chicory eliminates stagnation of bile and urine, stimulates metabolism.

• However, there are contraindications. Chicory increases appetite and can lead to excess weight. To avoid this, a pregnant woman should control herself, eating often and in small amounts.

The plant also stimulates and intensifies coughing. Therefore, when you have a cold, you should drink other drinks.

You cannot drink instant chicory if you have gastritis, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers. If you are allergic to chicory and similar plants, then an adverse reaction to the root drink is also possible.

Instant chicory for children

Instant chicory is beneficial not only for adults but also for children. Instant chicory is recommended for children from one year of age, so it is included in the menu of kindergartens and nurseries.

The benefits of chicory are evidenced by the fact that it treats diathesis in newborns. But for a therapeutic effect, a decoction of the rhizome is used: it is added to a baby bath or compresses are made.

Introducing instant chicory into a small child's diet, like any other product, should be done carefully. To begin with, a little powder should be added to warm milk. It is important to monitor its reaction - to prevent an allergy at the very beginning. If there are no undesirable effects, the dose can be gradually increased to two servings per day.

After 3-4 years, the dose of powder is increased to a teaspoon per day. If the child tolerates chicory well, you can offer him a cold drink with honey, lemon and other juice.

The product must not be given:

• children under one year;
• in case of individual intolerance;
• if you have a tendency to be overweight;
• for pulmonary diseases.

Chicory drink improves appetite, enriches the body with vitamins, increases defenses, calms the child. It has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and fever-reducing properties.

It is useful to add milk to your drink. In this form, lactic acids are well absorbed.

How to brew instant chicory?

The trade offers ready-made powders and liquid soluble chicory, including those with natural flavor additives.

If desired, you can also prepare the rhizome yourself, dry it, fry it, crush it and store it in proper conditions. The process technology is described in many Internet sources devoted to medicinal plants and rational nutrition. The taste of such a drink is different, and the quality is guaranteed, but the process of making raw materials is very labor-intensive.

There are a great many tips and methods for brewing instant chicory. The variety concerns additional ingredients: there are significantly more of them than for coffee. The classic of the genre is to simply pour boiling water over the powder and let it brew until it reaches a warm temperature. Since instant chicory does not dissolve completely, the finished drink can be strained.

Some people like the drink with milk, cream, honey, sugar. There are chicory drinks with natural ingredients (berries and other healthy fruits) on sale.

Instant Chicory Recipes

Recipes from instant chicory:

• 1. For every portion of boiling water, take 1/5 teaspoon of instant chicory; add milk, sugar or honey if desired.
• 2. For one serving of boiling milk, take ¼ teaspoon of powder and honey to taste.
• 3. For one serving of the drink, take a spoonful of chicory and cocoa powder; sugar to taste.
• 4. For one serving of instant chicory, take half boiling water and half milk. Sweeten with sugar or honey.

Instant chicory with milk

Instant chicory with milk is useful because it improves the absorption of milk several times. Many children willingly drink the drink with milk or cream. It is prepared quickly and easily:

• 100 ml of boiling water and 50 ml of milk are mixed with 5 g of instant chicory. Drink warm.

You can buy instant chicory in any supermarket, herbalist's shop, some pharmacies. The product is packaged like classic coffee - in sealed bags or jars.

They also produce portioned bags for use in offices, on hikes or trips; the contents of the bags are poured with hot water or milk.

Instant chicory with rose hips

Instant chicory contains inulin, fructose, intibin, vitamins, pectin, tannins and minerals, carotene, organic acids.

Rose hips are rich in carotene, vitamins C, B and E, and minerals. The plant's fruits boost immunity, cleanse blood and vascular walls of cholesterol, tone and promote growth.

• Instant chicory and rose hips go well together, moreover, their combined therapeutic effect is enhanced. Therefore, the product is used for many health problems, and the ready-made drink in a can or package with a zip-lock is sold in many places today. Such packaging helps to keep the powder dry and protects against foreign odors.

"Tsikorinka", "Verkhovyna", "Fitodar", "Tsikorich", "Tonus", "Galka" - these are just some of the brands of the product. But before using the drink regularly for medicinal purposes, you should consult a specialist.

The method of preparing the herbal drink is the same as other coffee analogues: pour one or two spoons of powder per serving with hot water. You can sweeten it, add milk or cream according to your preference. A serving drunk in the morning brings pleasure, gives vigor and energy.

Instant chicory with blueberries

Much has been said above about the benefits of instant coffee. Let us recall the properties of another popular plant – blueberries, the berries of which contain a whole bunch of vitamins and organic acids.

Blueberries are excellent for regulating the functions of the digestive organs, thanks to their anti-inflammatory and astringent properties.

• Ophthalmologists strongly recommend black berries to improve visual acuity and relieve eye fatigue after intense work, including on the computer. Biogenic components of blueberries stimulate the renewal of the retina.

Blueberries are beneficial for diabetics because they can lower sugar levels.

The healing properties of blueberries relieve anemia, help with kidney diseases, in particular, with stones, with rheumatism and skin problems.

Instant chicory with blueberries is made by several companies that produce herbal drinks. They should be prepared in the standard way, dissolving the powder or extract in hot water (1 - 2 spoons per cup of liquid). If desired, the natural bitterness can be softened with milk and honey. But many prefer the natural taste of the drink - as most reminiscent of natural coffee.

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Instant chicory with ginseng

Manufacturers of instant chicory enrich the taste and properties of the drink with natural ingredients, including the famous ginseng.

Ginseng root is an excellent adaptogen. It is valued for its immunostimulating, strengthening, and tonic effects. Ginseng inhibits tumor formations, slows down the aging of brain cells, and supports memory and attention.

The healing root also lowers cholesterol, preventing the development of atherosclerosis, and reduces blood sugar levels, which is important for insulin-dependent diabetes.

The components contained in ginseng have antiviral properties, therefore they are effective against herpes viruses, including those that cause AIDS.

• Preparations based on the plant are recommended for loss of working capacity, impotence, outbursts of irritability; the medicine also helps in the recovery of the body after serious illnesses, extensive injuries and operations.

Instant chicory with ginseng is used as a drink, without a strict dosage. Usually 2-3 servings per day are enough, prepared to taste - with milk, honey, sugar.

Malt Bread with Instant Chicory

Bread is the head of everything, and this is not just a poetic image. A person needs it daily, it never gets boring and contains almost all the substances necessary for the body.

The introduction of additional ingredients into the bread recipe improves the taste and nutritional value of the product. Thus, instant chicory enriches dietary bread with proteins, vitamins, organic acids, inulin, and microelements.

Brewed malt bread with instant chicory can be baked at home - in the oven or bread maker.

• First, prepare the dough: measure out 3 g of yeast (fresh), 50 g of kefir, 1 tsp of molasses, a little flour taken from the general portion.
• The brewing is done as follows: a teaspoon of malt is brewed with 50 g of boiling water.

Pour flour (70 g rye and 330 g wheat), 200 g wheat sourdough, 4 g coriander, 3 g chicory powder, 30 g water, 60 g kefir into the bread maker.

After 45 minutes, mix all the parts, add salt (2 tsp) and 5 g of mustard oil. Bake for 55 minutes at 180 degrees. You get a fluffy and tasty loaf.

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How to drink instant chicory correctly?

Chicory powder is prepared and drunk in the same way as instant coffee: pour boiling water, add (or not) milk and sugar. Many people immediately perceive this drink positively and get two in one: both benefit and pleasure.

• It is more difficult for those who try to replace natural coffee with chicory. When asked how to drink instant chicory, experienced people advise getting used to it gradually. To begin with, prepare a morning drink, adding up to 3 parts of coffee to one part of chicory. Depending on the strength of the chicory, you can take different amounts, but no more than two teaspoons per serving. Then you should level out the proportion, and then bring it to 3:1 in favor of chicory.

After getting used to it, you can skip adding coffee and switch to pure instant chicory in a painless way for your body. This applies to cases where there are no contraindications. But even healthy people should not get carried away and remember the measure: 2-3 cups a day are quite enough. It is better to drink them in the first half of the day.

Harm of instant chicory

For preventive purposes, nutritionists recommend drinking two cups of instant chicory per day. Excessive chicory is fraught with diarrhea, flatulence, and digestive disorders.

However, there are no cases of harm from instant chicory. Individual contraindications and hypersensitivity are possible, especially if manufacturers add unnatural dyes or flavors to the product. Therefore, you should start drinking a new drink with a small portion.

• If you find that a serving of instant chicory causes palpitations, nausea, dizziness or weakness, exclude the drink from your diet and, if necessary, visit a doctor. There may be contraindications that you were not aware of.

Some properties of chicory can be harmful. Thus, the drink is not recommended for patients with bronchitis, asthma, hemorrhoids, acute gastrointestinal pathologies; they cannot be consumed with a strong cough and recovery after operations in the cavities of the body. An overdose of ascorbic acid is dangerous due to allergies, hypervitaminosis, especially in pregnant women.

Chicory is known to many as an analogue or alternative to coffee, while its beneficial properties used in folk medicine have been undeservedly forgotten. Today, instant chicory is getting a second wind and is becoming very popular among people who profess a healthy diet. If there are no contraindications, anyone can join the community of drink lovers. Drink and enjoy!

Useful properties of instant chicory

The benefit of chicory is that it helps those who find caffeine harmful to their health to give up coffee. Not all the beneficial properties of instant chicory have been studied, but what has already been studied is more than enough. Thus, the substance has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, tonic, diuretic and choleretic properties, stimulating metabolism.

Instant chicory has a beneficial effect on the entire body:

• eliminates cold symptoms with tonsillitis and other throat diseases,
• protects gums from pathogenic microorganisms,
• normalizes the functioning of the digestive tract.

Chicory prevents rotting and fermentation of food, eliminates bile stasis and constipation, gently removes excess water, thereby helping to lower blood pressure.

The beneficial ingredients of chicory support the body's tone and energy - without harmful effects on blood vessels and the heart. These include ascorbic acid, B vitamins, microelements, the polysaccharide inulin, and the glycoside intibin.

Fresh root contains up to 60% inulin, dry raw material – 75%, while coffee and teas do not contain it at all. This allows diabetics and those suffering from excess weight to drink chicory without sugar.

Instant chicory for weight loss

Instant chicory is successfully used to combat excess weight. What is the power of chicory rhizome?

The secret is in the composition. Inulin, pectin, intibin are the main components that promote weight loss.

• Inulin controls the formation of insulin, which in turn is responsible for the blood sugar level. In the body, inulin is converted into fructose, which is responsible for energy production but does not cause weight gain. This same substance has a positive effect on the microflora of the digestive tract.
• Pectin stimulates motility and cleanses the intestines of toxins.
• Intibin activates metabolism, eliminates constipation, which is very important for normalizing weight.

In addition, chicory activates digestive and metabolic processes, removes excess fluid. Therefore, its use is recommended every time before meals, about half an hour.

Instant chicory for weight loss is drunk warm, preferably without sugar and honey. If the unsweetened drink seems too bitter, it can be sweetened: this will not reduce the benefits.

Some experts recommend drinking chicory instead of dinner. Or even replacing tea and coffee with this drink.

There are many effective drinks made from chicory for weight loss. The easiest way is to take a soluble product, pouring a teaspoon or two into a portion of boiling water or milk. There are no officially established norms, but still, you should not drink chicory by the liter.

In all fairness, it should be noted that ground chicory or chicory from pieces of root, as well as liquid extract, are more effective for weight loss. But no drink will work a miracle if you do not take care of a balanced diet and an active lifestyle in parallel with its use.

Instant chicory for pancreatitis

Instant chicory is used to prevent pancreatitis and treat a diseased pancreas. The fact is that the beneficial substances in the drink dissolve and remove gallstones that block the outflow of enzymes from the gland. As a result, blood circulation is restored and the body is cleansed.

There is also an opposite opinion: the choleretic properties of the drink can provoke the passage of stones and their blockage of the bile ducts, and this is very painful and dangerous to health. Therefore, the question of using instant chicory for pancreatitis should be decided by the attending physician.

In most cases, chicory is used as a supplement to the main drugs and diet, during the period of remission of the chronic process. Chicory drink is introduced into the patient's diet gradually, prepared in a concentration of a teaspoon of powder per portion of water. The unusual taste can be improved with milk. The benefit is that the root stimulates the secretion of bile and the digestion process, prepares the body for the processing of nutrients, removes toxins and undigested substances.

If you need to use the instant drink regularly, dissolve 25 drops of chicory tincture and a few grams of honey in a glass of water. Drink a tablespoon daily, 20 minutes before meals.

This dosage improves metabolism, reduces sugar, eliminates bloating and pain in the gastrointestinal tract. Inulin, in particular, stabilizes the activity of the pancreas, which fails due to the inflammatory process.

Instant chicory for hypertension

Instant chicory is useful for hypertension for several reasons.

• Firstly, it replaces coffee for people who are contraindicated in caffeine.
• Secondly, it does not increase blood pressure.
• Thirdly, it lowers blood pressure very gently. In this regard, chicory is also suitable for hypotensive patients.

Hypertensive patients feel the results after a few days if they consume instant chicory regularly and monitor their blood pressure and well-being.

Blood pressure can increase with insomnia and stressful situations. The aromatic drink has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, prevents nervous and emotional overload, normalizes sleep, and increases resistance to stress.

The sweet drink reduces sugar consumption, which is important for diabetics, who are also prone to hypertension.

Ascorbic acid, which chicory is rich in, strengthens blood vessels, and potassium is needed for the heart muscle. The drink can help normalize weight, because its excess is also dangerous for the development of hypertension. Inulin maintains beneficial intestinal microflora, promoting digestion. In addition, chicory is useful for normal kidney function; with dysfunction, edema and increased blood pressure are possible.

The drink is prepared like tea or coffee: brewed in a Turk or thermos. Honey, soy milk, and other ingredients are added.

Soluble chicory for liver diseases

For preventive purposes, instant chicory is used to improve the functioning of many organs and systems, including digestion.

Soluble chicory should be used with extreme caution in liver diseases. Too large doses are harmful to the liver.

It is appropriate for the treatment of some liver diseases: it accelerates metabolic processes, promotes the dissolution of gallstones, normalizes the activity of this and other organs: kidneys, spleen, gall bladder. Chicory is useful during the recovery period from viral hepatitis.

Instant chicory for type 2 diabetes

The rhizome of chicory is rich in inulin, and in this context the plant is very interesting for diabetics. Inulin preparations made from chicory roots for type 2 diabetes:

• have a pronounced hypoglycemic effect;
• reduce daily fluctuations in patient blood glucose.

Thanks to this, soluble chicory can be used for treatment of type 2 diabetes as an additional remedy.

Inulin also prevents the development of the disease, treats mild forms, and in moderate and severe forms helps to reduce the dose of the main drugs and prevent complications typical of diabetes.

The substance produces a satiating effect, which is important for diabetes and the excess weight that often accompanies this disease.

Soluble chicory for anemia

Due to its iron content, soluble chicory is very useful for anemia. After all, anemia is a lack of blood, and iron is actively involved in hematopoietic processes. Soluble chicory is used both for prevention and in the complex treatment of anemia.

• For iron deficiency anemia, the following remedy is recommended: a dessert spoon of chicory diluted in 200 ml of warm milk. Drink three times a day for 2 months.

For scurvy and anemia, juice squeezed from chicory leaves is very effective. It is mixed with milk and taken three times a day, 15 ml, for one or one and a half months, until the body is saturated with iron.

Contraindications

Instant chicory dilates blood vessels, so it is not recommended for people with varicose veins of stage 2-3, hemorrhoids, and vascular pathologies.

Hyperacid gastritis, gallbladder problems, and inflammatory processes of other digestive organs in the acute stage are also contraindications to the use of instant chicory.

You should not drink chicory if you have asthma, chronic bronchitis, liver disease, gall bladder disease, kidney disease, or severe hypotension.

It should be used with caution when treating stress, depression, and insomnia.

People who are allergic to ragweed may also be allergic to chicory root.

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