Endive or Chicory is a fantastic new superfood that is jam-packed with healthy vitamins and nutrients. You can normally find this strange little leafy bulb in your local supermarket next to the lettuce and its easy to spot with its unique shape and color. With its high vitamin content, low fat and low-calorie count, this slightly bitter veg is a great addition to any meal. Here are some of the benefits of this superfood.
It’s full of vitamins you need in the winter
While endives only contain about 8.6 calories for each cupful, these magic leaves are full of beta-carotene and potassium. During the cold winter months these vitamins can be in short supply, so adding endive into a meal can be a much welcome vitamin boost. While some people shy away from the bitterness of endives, its this bitterness that keeps your metabolism and digestive system healthy. Besides, when roasted the bitterness of endives tends to turn to a sweet, nutty flavor.
It’s good for your bones
Endive contains large amounts of vitamin K that helps keep your bones strong and healthy and also helps you heal from wounds. Most importantly, vitamin K helps your body absorb calcium which is why it’s so important for your bone health. As we age our bones need all the calcium they can get to stay strong, so this added boost of vitamin K can be especially important.
It helps improve your eyesight
Because endives are full of beta-carotene they are great for improving your eyesight. This is because the body converts this beta-carotene into vitamin A which can prevent nasty things like itchy, red and dry eyes.
Beto-carotene is a great natural antioxidant and endives contain more of this than carrots. So if you want to improve your eyesight, forget the carrots and try endives.