Chicory as a food ingredient, its nutrients and biological activity
What it found
Chicory contains inulin, vitamins, minerals and plant compounds that showed antioxidant, blood sugar lowering and liver protecting effects in lab and animal tests.
It is already used in salads, teas and coffee substitutes.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Blood sugar in diabetic rats
Giving diabetic rats an extract from the chicory plant every day for 14 days lowered their blood sugar by 20% and their triglycerides by 91%. A four week trial in rats using chicory seed extract also lowered fasting blood sugar.
Liver protection in animals and cells
In rats with liver damage, high doses of chicory extract reduced markers of liver injury. In cell tests, a compound called chicoric acid from chicory leaves reduced hepatitis B surface antigens by up to 79.94%.
Fighting germs in lab tests
Extracts from chicory roots, leaves and seeds stopped the growth of several bacteria and fungi in lab dishes. Compounds from the leaves also showed activity against parasites in lab tests.
Other findings
Nutrients in raw chicory
Per 100 g of fresh chicory, there are 17 kcal, 4 g of carbohydrates, 3.1 g of dietary fiber, 0.9 g of protein and 0.1 g of fat. It also provides potassium (211 mg), calcium (19 mg) and vitamin C (2.8 mg).
Inulin in the root
Chicory root is a major natural source of inulin, a type of fiber. Fresh root contains 11 to 20 g of inulin per 100 g, which is similar to or higher than amounts found in barley, asparagus or dandelion roots.
What the authors conclude
- They describe chicory as a rich source of nutrients and plant compounds that could be used to design new functional foods.
- They note that compounds like inulin, polyphenols and sesquiterpene lactones may carry health benefits when added to food products.
How it was done
Scientists wanted to gather all the information about what chicory contains and how it might work as a food ingredient. Only a few earlier publications had looked at chicory this way.
The authors gathered and summarized published studies on the chicory plant. They looked at its nutrients, minerals, plant compounds and reported biological activities across different parts of the plant, including roots, leaves, seeds and flowers.
What it can’t tell you
- Most of the health effects described were seen in animals or lab dishes, so they cannot show what happens in people eating chicory.
- Because this work gathers many different studies, it cannot prove that eating chicory causes any specific health change in humans.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
- Authors work at
- University of Novi Sad, Serbia; Campus Universitario de Espinardo-25, Spain
The paper
- Title
- Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) as a food ingredient - Nutritional composition, bioactivity, safety, and health claims: A review
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Perović J, Tumbas Šaponjac V, Kojić J, et al (2021). Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) as a food ingredient - Nutritional composition, bioactivity, safety, and health claims: A review. Food chemistry. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127676Free full textPubMed 32768902DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error