The benefits of Dandelion and Chicory
Dandelion leaves, roots, and flowers may offer health benefits. These can include promoting liver health and fighting inflammation.
Although often dismissed as a stubborn lawn weed, people have used dandelion in forms of traditional medicine for centuries.
Not only can the leaves, roots, and flowers add color to your plate, but they're also often found in herbal teas and supplements, where they're used as a natural remedy to support blood sugar management and boost skin, liver, and heart health.
1. Highly nutritious
From root to flower, dandelions are highly nutritious plants loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Dandelion greens can be eaten cooked or raw and are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K. They also contain vitamin E, folate, and small amounts of other B vitamins. Dandelion greens provide several minerals, including iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium .
Dandelion root is rich in the carbohydrate inulin, a type of soluble fiber found in plants that supports the growth and maintenance of healthy gut bacteria in your digestive tract.
Dandelion root is often dried and made into tea, but you can also eat it whole like other root vegetables.
2. Contains potent antioxidants
Dandelion contains potent antioxidants, which may explain many of its medicinal properties.
Antioxidants are compounds that help neutralize free radicals — molecules that are a product of normal metabolism but contribute to chronic disease risk if levels get too high in your body. Therefore, antioxidants are crucial for your overall health.
3. May help fight inflammation
Dandelion may reduce inflammation thanks to compounds such as polyphenols.
Inflammation is a natural immune system response to injury or infection. However, long-term inflammation may permanently damage body tissues and DNA. Some test-tube studies note significantly reduced markers of inflammation in cells treated with compounds extracted from dandelion.
4. May aid in blood sugar management
Chicoric and chlorogenic acid are two bioactive compounds in dandelion that may help decrease blood sugar levels.
Test-tube and animal studies show that these compounds may improve the secretion of insulin — a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels — and the absorption of glucose (sugar) in your muscles. This process improves insulin sensitivity and reduces blood sugar level.
5. Reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels
Some compounds in dandelion may decrease triglyceride and cholesterol levels, which are key risk factors for heart disease.
Some of the polyphenols in dandelion, such as flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, may have cholesterol and triglyceride-lowering properties.
Another review noted that dandelion may have cardioprotective effects, including lowering cholesterol levels.
6. Helps lowering blood pressure
Although some claim that dandelion may reduce blood pressure, studies are limited.
In Western medicine, diuretic medications are used to rid the body of excess fluid, which may help decrease blood pressure levels.
One older human study found dandelion to be an effective diuretic. However, this study was brief and involved only 17 people.
7. Promotes liver health
Some animal studies suggest that dandelion extract may protect against liver damage and disease.
One animal study found that dandelion root extract helped prevent liver damage in rats with induced liver failure. Other animal studies have shown that dandelion extract may reduce excess fat stored in the liver and safeguard against oxidative stress.
8. May boost immune health
Some research indicates that dandelion may have antimicrobial and antiviral properties, which may support your body's ability to fight infection. Several test-tube studies have found that dandelion extract significantly reduces viruses' ability to replicate.
Chickory root fiber may help support regular bowel movements, weight loss, and improved blood sugar control, among other benefits.
Chicory root comes from a plant with bright blue flowers that belongs to the dandelion family.
Employed for centuries in cooking and traditional medicine, it's commonly used to make a coffee alternative, as it has a similar taste and color. The fiber from this root is purported to have numerous health benefits and often extracted for use as a food additive or supplement.
1. Packed with the prebiotic fiber inulin
Fresh chicory root is composed of 68% inulin by dry weight.
Inulin is a type of fiber known as a fructan or fructooligosaccharide, a carbohydrate made from a short chain of fructose molecules that your body doesn't digest. It acts as a prebiotic, meaning that it feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
2. May aid bowel movements
Since the inulin in chicory root fiber passes through your body undigested and feeds your gut bacteria, it may promote healthy digestion. In particular, studies suggest that inulin can relieve constipation.
3. May improve blood sugar control
Chicory root fiber may boost blood sugar control, especially in people with diabetes.
This may be due to its inulin, which promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria involved in carbohydrate metabolism — which breaks down carbs into sugars — and sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that helps absorb sugar from the blood. Chicory root fiber likewise contains compounds like chicoric and chlorogenic acids, which have been shown to increase muscle sensitivity to insulin in rodent studies
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/chicory-root-fiber#_noHeaderPrefixedContent
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dandelion-benefits
