Chicory - Chicorium intybus
Latin Name: Chichorium intybus
Family: Compositae
Height: 1.5m
Chicory is often grown as part of the herbage mix added to grazing mixes for horses and other animals. It has a long root which, when young, can be cooked as a root vegetable. The root itself is a rich source of inulin, a prebiotic substance which provides a healthy substrate for the good bacteria in the gut. The green parts can be fed to rabbits and guinea pigs as a herb. Chinchillas love the dried root but it has an inverse Ca:P of 2:3 so feed together with a small amount of a calcium rich food such as inula or elecampane root..
If you grow your own chicory then feed the root together with the plant as the leafy parts have a good Ca:P ratio and are also a valuable source of vitamin C.
Chicory increases the flow of bile into the digestive tract, thereby acting as an appetite stimulant.
Constituents: Inulin (up to 58%), sesquiterpene lactones, calcium 41mg/100gm raw root, phosphorous 61mg/100gm raw root
Actions: Mild laxative, mild bitter tonic which aids the liver and digestive tract. Also used for rheumatic conditions and gout.
Chicory root is included in the Galen's Garden's Forest Fruits blend for chinchillas
