Health Benefits of Endive

Endive, and its close relative escarole, is a green leafy vegetable with a hint of bitter flavour. Nevertheless, these popular salad plants meant much more than just leafy greens; packed with numerous health benefiting plant nutrients such as anti-oxidant lactones, vitamin-C, vitamin-A, etc.

Botanically, this perennial herbaceous leafy plant belongs to the Asteraceae (daisy) family, in the genus, Cichorium, and is closely related to chicory, radicchio, and Belgian endive (witloof). Scientific name: Cichorium endivia.


While it's been suggested that half a cup of chopped endive is a sensible serving size, maybe two cups, which weighs just 100 grams (comparable to a cup of sliced apples) may be more realistic. In that two-cup serving is an impressive 43 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, as well as 35 percent for folate and 21 percent for manganese.

Vitamin A, along with ß-carotenes, which convert to vitamin A in the body, team up for a double dose of benefits for the eyes. Vitamin A is required to maintain healthy mucus membranes and skin, and protect against lung and mouth cancers.

Endive also provides a whopping 289 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin K in a two-cup serving, which is important for balanced blood coagulation.

Other B vitamins in endive include folate (the natural form of this vitamin – not the synthetic form called folic acid), thiamin (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), and pyridoxine (vitamin B6). These all work together to ensure the healthy metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, but these vitamins and the functions they provide can only come from an outside source - the body can't manufacture them on its own. So when you hear how important it is to eat your greens, this is one reason why.

This salad green has a number of healing effects that touch virtually the entire body. It nourishes the optic nerves to help stave off macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. It helps promote the secretion of bile, which aids the liver and gall bladder. Eating endive boosts the blood and has the capacity to prevent anemia. The high fiber content in endive helps keep the system running smoothly. It's also an excellent vitamin A source that helps fight cancers of the rectum and bladder, and melanoma.


1. Ensures Healthy Pregnancy
Doctors recommend regular doses of folic acid to expectant mothers. Folic acid is crucial to promote the healthy development of the fetus.

Moreover, lack of nutrients can also lead to congenital diseases. Therefore, to avoid risks during pregnancy, you should incorporate endive into your diet. It does not only provide folic acid, but a slew of other vitamins and minerals as well; these are essential for the fetus.

We suggest that pregnant women seek medical advice before making dietary changes to steer clear of health complications.


2. Gives an Acne-Free Skin
Drinking fresh endive juice can be highly beneficial for your skin as it can help you get rid of acne. It can detoxify the body efficiently and keep the internal system clean.


3. Improves Oral Health
Maintaining oral health is as important as maintaining your cardiovascular health. Poor oral health can allow bacteria to transfer in your body via your mouth. Apart from ensuring oral and dental hygiene, you need to eat foods that contain anti-bacterial properties such as endive.

You should know that in most cases bacteria in mouth lead to mouth sores which are a debilitating. Regular consumption of endive can even stop the occurrence of mouth sore in the first place.


4. Hair Benefits
A hair problem is a common issue-thanks to the ever-increasing levels of pollution. With endive, you can now heal your damaged hair and regain their health.


5. Maintains Psychological Health
Age-related cognitive decline or memory deterioration is quite difficult to deal with. Many external or internal factors like free radicals affect the brain which leads to chronic disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Studies have concluded that nutrients like antioxidants and minerals can strengthen brain cells and tissues, which prevent health-damaging elements significantly. You can obtain potassium, folic acid, and Pantothenic acid just from a single serving of endive and improve your brain health.


6. Keeps Heart Healthy
When it comes to uplifting your cardiac health, endives play a significant role. This veggie is low in saturated fat, which is good for the heart. It contains potassium, which helps in keeping blood pressure level under control. Furthermore, it holds natural polysaccharide insulin, which helps in lowering the low density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol in our body effectively. All these contribute to the well-being of our heart.


7. Boosts Eye Health
Rich in essential nutrients, endive can do wonders for your eyes. From preventing weak eyesight to fighting factors that lead to eye diseases, endive can do it all. Senior people are likely to develop glaucoma, cataracts, or macular degeneration. You can eat cooked or raw endive to keep age-related eye complications at bay. Moreover, adding it to the diet of children can ward off the risks of weak eyesight as well.


8. Takes Care of Liver and Gall Bladder
Fresh endive juice can work as an amazing detox for your body. It can stimulate the gall bladder to secret the right amount of bile, which eliminates the toxic materials from the liver. Consequently, the normal functionalities of the organ are promoted to maintain the overall health.


9. Treats Asthma
Asthma attacks are an acute respiratory condition that affects children and adults alike. You can control this condition with the anti-inflammatory component of endive. Although endive works well in any form, you should drink endive juice in the case of asthma.

Simply blend an equal portion of carrot, celery leaves, and endive leaves and add ½ teaspoon of honey for flavour. This nutritious juice is ideal to reduce respiratory disorders. Take note that asthma is a serious health condition and you should also seek proper medical assistance to treat the problem.
Health Benefits of Endive Health Benefits of Endive Reviewed by JACK on 16:52:00 Rating: 5