Common chicory, a.k.a., Cichorium is classified as a woody, perennial herbaceous plant related to the dandelion family.
But when the European Union’s European Food Safety Authority verified claims that chicory root fiber contributes to better blood glucose management, it was welcome new to diabetics and elevated chicory from a common weed to an uncommon blood glucose regulator.
The EU Commission authorized a new health claim that determined when non-digestible carbohydrates are employed as sugar replacers and they acknowledged that ingredients, like chicory, can trigger a lower postprandial blood glucose rise compared to food and drinks containing sugar.
Jon Peters, president of Beneo Inc. (Manheim, Germany), believes that acknowledging chicory’s potency will spur increased interest about soluble fibers like Beneo’s Orafti chicory root ingredients. The new claim puts “a new focus on fibers,” he says, adding that it “confirm[s] again the versatile benefits that chicory root fibers have on our health and well-being.”
Beneo says that its Technology Center is developing new recipes that spotlight chicory root fiber’s flexibility. Take chocolate chip cookies, for example, with chicory root fiber as an ingredient sugar content can be reduced by 30% all the while maintaining delicious taste.
Scott Turowski, a technical sales manager at chicory root inulin supplier Sensus America Inc., notes: “There are segments of the population, such as diabetics, that understand how ingredients like chicory root fiber impact the glycemic response of foods, as well as what that means for their diet.”
Foods and beverages containing chicory root fiber rather than sugars resulted in a lower blood glucose rise following consumption, compared to those same products that contain sugar.
Robert Graham, MD, an internist and integrative medicine specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, agrees that chicory has potential as a type 2 diabetes supplement. “Chicory contains substances called inulins, which can have a particular effect on endocrine cells in your intestines that help control blood sugar.”
