Coffee Substitute – Why Use Plant Roots: Chicory and Dandelion

It’s almost wintertime, but you can still grab your basket and go harvest chicory and dandelion roots. By combining the two, you can enjoy many benefits, including a natural alternative to coffee. If you also add grains such as barley, oats, rye, wheat, or even oak acorns to this coffee, you can create blends with diverse flavors, all of them very healthy.

Summary:

Chicory and dandelion are two common yet extremely valuable plants, used since ancient times both in nutrition and traditional medicine. Their roots are rich in inulin, a prebiotic fiber that supports digestive health, helps regulate intestinal transit, and contributes to the balance of gut flora. Chicory is known as a natural coffee alternative and for its role in blood sugar control and weight management, while dandelion supports liver and kidney function and is an important source of vitamins. This article presents the benefits of these plants, simple ways to use them at home, and useful tips for properly harvesting and drying the roots.

Table of contents:

• Chicory
• Benefits of chicory root
• How to use chicory root at home
• Dandelion
• Benefits of dandelion
• Tips for harvesting and using chicory and dandelion

Chicory

Chicory root (Cichorium intybus) comes from the plant of the same name, a plant with bright blue flowers that belongs to the dandelion family and grows throughout Romania.

It has been used since ancient Egypt, both in cooking and in traditional medicine. Due to its taste and color similar to coffee, it is often prepared as an alternative to it.

During World War II, when transport from coffee-producing countries was disrupted, the use of chicory to produce “coffee” became very popular.

Chicory root has also been added to the production of certain beers and, more recently, incorporated into cocktails to give an earthy, bitter note. In addition, scientific literature highlights that the fibers in chicory root have numerous health benefits and are often extracted for use as a food additive or dietary supplement.

Benefits of chicory root

1. Provides prebiotic fiber

Fresh chicory root is composed of 68% inulin by dry weight, according to healthline.com. Inulin is a type of fiber known as a fructan or fructo-oligosaccharide, a carbohydrate made up of a short chain of fructose molecules that your body cannot digest. It acts as a prebiotic, meaning it feeds beneficial gut bacteria. These bacteria play an important role in reducing inflammation, fighting harmful bacteria, and improving mineral absorption. Thus, fiber from chicory root can contribute to optimal gut health.

2. Helps bowel movements

Because the inulin in chicory root fiber passes through the body undigested and feeds gut bacteria, it can promote healthy digestion. In particular, studies suggest that inulin may relieve constipation. A study cited by healthline.com, conducted over 4 weeks on 44 adults with constipation, found that taking 12 grams of chicory inulin per day helped soften stools and significantly increased bowel movement frequency compared to a placebo.

3. Improves blood sugar control

The fiber in chicory root may also help control blood sugar levels, especially in people with diabetes. This may be due to its inulin content, which encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria involved in carbohydrate metabolism—breaking carbohydrates down into sugars—and improves insulin sensitivity, the hormone that helps absorb sugar from the blood.

Chicory root fiber also contains compounds such as chicoric and chlorogenic acids, which have been shown to increase muscle sensitivity to insulin in rodent studies cited by healthline.com. Additionally, a 2-month study of 49 women with type 2 diabetes found that taking 10 grams of inulin per day led to significant reductions in blood sugar levels and hemoglobin A1c compared to placebo.

4. Supports weight loss

Some studies show that chicory root fiber may regulate appetite and reduce overall calorie intake, which can lead to weight loss. A 12-week study of 48 overweight adults, cited by healthline.com, concluded that daily intake of 21 grams of chicory-derived oligofructose (very similar to inulin) led to an average weight loss of 1 kg, while the placebo group gained weight. The same study found that oligofructose helped reduce levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger.

5. Easy to add to your diet

Adding chicory root to your diet shouldn’t be difficult. In fact, you may already be consuming it without realizing it, as it is used as an additive in the food industry. Chicory root is often processed to obtain inulin, which is used to increase fiber content or as a sugar or fat substitute due to its gelling properties and mildly sweet flavor. In addition, chicory root inulin is extracted and turned into supplements available in health food stores.

Attention: chicory may trigger reactions in people allergic to ragweed pollen or sensitive to related plants, including chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies, and other members of the Asteraceae family. Because chicory can stimulate bile production, its consumption could theoretically be an issue for people with gallstones, but these possibilities are unlikely, according to Dr. Andrew Weil on his blog drweil.com.

How to use chicory root at home

You can boil the whole chicory root and eat it like a vegetable. If you want to reduce caffeine intake, you can use roasted and ground chicory root as a coffee substitute. To prepare this drink, add 2 tablespoons (about 11 grams) of ground chicory root for each cup (240 ml) of water.

Dandelion

Given how widespread it is across meadows, you might think dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is just a weed, right?

Well, you have no reason to dismiss it, because absolutely all parts of this wonderful plant, with its sun-yellow flower, are suitable for human consumption. Dandelion belongs to a large family of flowering plants called Asteraceae. It is a perennial plant native to Eurasia, with various species now found on all continents.

Dandelion has a long history of use in traditional Arab, European, Chinese, and American medicine. The root is most often used for digestive problems, while the leaves can be used as a diuretic, and the leaves and flowers can be added raw to salads.

Benefits of dandelion

1. Treats liver, kidney, and spleen problems

Traditionally, dandelion is used to treat liver, kidney, and spleen issues and as a diuretic. Modern herbal products—teas, capsules, powders, chewable tablets, or extracts from fresh or dried root—use it for similar purposes. It can be used to increase appetite, improve digestion, eliminate gas and bloating, and act as a mild laxative. A pilot study cited by drweil.com found that dandelion leaves are indeed an effective diuretic.

2. Source of vitamins

Dandelion is an excellent source of nutrients, far superior to common vegetables we regularly consume. It contains exceptional amounts of vitamin A and is a good source of vitamin C and B6, thiamine, riboflavin (also known as vitamin B2), and folic acid. You can ensure a higher intake of these vitamins by consuming the green parts of dandelion raw, for example in salads, soups, or even stews (added at the end). If you harvest it yourself, make sure the area has not been treated with herbicides.

3. Acts as a prebiotic

Just like chicory, dandelion root is rich in inulin, a prebiotic that helps encourage the growth of healthy microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract. Although there are not yet clinical studies evaluating the effects of dandelion use for various conditions, its diuretic effect has been demonstrated.

Attention: Dandelion may negatively interact with antibiotics and reduce their effectiveness, according to Dr. Andrew Weil on his blog drweil.com. Also, people with ragweed allergies should be cautious when using dandelion, as it may cause an allergic reaction. In addition, people with infected or inflamed gallbladders or blocked bile ducts should not use dandelion.

Tips for harvesting and using chicory and dandelion

Chicory and dandelion roots can be harvested early in spring, just before the plants enter the growing phase (by March or April at the latest), or in autumn, when the plants have exited the growing period (late October to mid-November). The best roots come from plants that are 2–3 years old, which can be identified by their larger size compared to young roots. After harvesting, clean them well with cold water and a brush, then chop them as finely as possible and place them on a perforated tray to facilitate faster drying. Drying should be done at a maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius for no more than 4 days.

If you don’t have time or find it a bit difficult to harvest and prepare chicory and dandelion roots, we remind you that at Hodaia, in addition to producing natural body care products, we are also involved in education, so we are happy to help you with advice. Send us your questions at office@hodaia.ro. We will soon start a series of practical workshops that will also include sessions on preparing coffee substitutes; these workshops will be announced on our social media pages Facebook and Instagram.