Witnessed by: TCM · Ayurveda · Western · Unani
Chicory (Cichorium intybus), of the Asteraceae family. Tough-stemmed perennial with a deep taproot and clear sky-blue ray-flowers; native range: Europe, the Mediterranean and Western Asia; naturalised widely. Globally recognized as kasani (adopted) in Sanskrit, kasni in Hindi, ju ju (菊苣) in Chinese, hindiba / kasni in Arabic, and succory; wild succory; blue sailors in English. The part used is root, leaf, and seed (the seed especially in Unani; the roasted root in the West). Long fleshy bitter taproot exuding a milky juice; the leaves bitter like dandelion; roasted root dark, bitter-sweet and coffee-like.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
CHICORY
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- chicory
- Scientific name
- Cichorium intybus L.
- Family
- Asteraceae
Form
- Part used
- root, leaf, and seed (the seed especially in Unani; the roasted root in the West)
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- bitter, salty
- Ayurveda
- bitter (tikta) · astringent (kashaya)
- Western
- bitter
- Unani
- bitter
Temperature
TCM: cold
Ayurveda: cooling (shita)
Western: cooling
Unani: cold & dry (1st degree)
convergence: all {witness_count} witnesses converge — a cooling bitter of the liver in every reckoning
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Liver · Gallbladder · Stomach
- Western
- liver and gallbladder · digestion · kidneys
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- clears heat, benefits the liver and gallbladder, drains dampness and promotes urination, aids digestion
- Ayurveda
- yakrit-uttejaka (liver stimulant), pittahara, mutrala (diuretic), a cooling blood-cleanser
- Western
- bitter digestive tonic, hepatic, cholagogue, mild laxative, diuretic, febrifuge
- Unani
- muqawwi-e-jigar (liver tonic), mufatteh-e-sudad (deobstruent), mudirr-e-baul (diuretic), musakkin-e-hararat (heat-allayer)
Cautions
Contraindications: caution in cold, weak digestion and in gallstones with obstruction (as a cholagogue); large doses of the strong bitter can gripe
Toxicity: very low; occasional contact allergy in sensitive people
Interactions
- Western
- antidiabetic agents: inulin may add to glucose lowering
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