Chicory is an herb that bears blue flowers and has leaves that are used fresh in salads or braised in olive oil as a side dish. Its roots are baked, ground up and used in coffee or as a substitute for coffee. Related to the endive family, common types of chicory include radicchio, red endive, Belgian endive and sugarloaf. Chicory is a rich source of vitamin A and vitamin K.
Basic Nutrition
One cup of fresh chicory greens has just 7 calories, 1 gram of carbohydrates and 0.1 grams of total fat, according to the USDA Nutrient Database. It also has 0.5 grams of protein, which is about 1 percent of the recommended daily value, according to the Institute of Medicine. Chicory is naturally low in salt, with only 13 milligrams in one cup.
Vitamins
Just one cup of chicory provides 1,658 IU, or 55 percent, of the recommended daily value of vitamin A, an antioxidant that’s essential for vision and that helps maintain the immune system by keeping skin healthy. It has 86 micrograms, or 72 percent of the daily value, of vitamin K, which you need for your blood to clot. You’ll gain two more antioxidants from this serving of chicory: 8 percent of the daily value of vitamin C and 5 percent of vitamin E. Chicory provides 8 percent of your daily folate, a B vitamin that’s vital for new cell growth and that prevents birth defects. Finally, one cup of chicory has 2 percent of the daily value of thiamine, riboflavin and vitamin B-6. Thiamine and riboflavin convert food into energy. Vitamin B-6 reduces your risk of heart disease by lowering levels of homocysteine, according to Harvard Health Publications.
Minerals
Chicory has all the essential minerals, but they’re available in smaller amounts than most of the vitamins. One cup has 2 to 4 percent of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and iron. Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are all necessary to build bones. Calcium and magnesium also have important roles in maintaining a steady heartbeat. You must have potassium to ensure your nerves communicate properly, and to keep your heart beating and muscles contracting. Iron carries oxygen through your body and takes part in the synthesis of amino acids and collagen. Chicory has 0.09 milligrams of the trace mineral copper. This is 10 percent of an antioxidant that must be present for iron metabolism and to make red blood cells.
Carotenoids
Carotenoids are plant-based pigments that function as antioxidants. Chicory contains two important carotenoids called lutein and zeaxanthin. As the only carotenoids found in the eyes, lutein and zeaxanthin protect them from damage caused by blue light, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. They might lower your chances of developing cataracts or age-related macular degeneration. One cup of chicory has 3 milligrams of lutein and zeaxanthin.
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