Endive

Endive, commonly popular as escarole, is a green leafy-vegetable with a hint of bitter flavor. Nevertheless, this well-known salad plant is much more than just a leafy green, packed with numerous health benefiting plant nutrients such as 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).

Endive is native to asia minor region. This cool-season crop requires well-drained fertile soil to flourish. There are two main cultivar varieties exist: curly-endive (frisa copyright e, cichorium endivia, var crispum) with curly narrow leaves, and escarole or scarole (cichorium endivia, var latifolia) with broad leaves. Escarole leaves have spine like-dentate margins (dandelion or lettuce like) with thick stalks. Its leaves feature less bitterness than narrow, curly, intensely bitter-taste of "frisa copyright e" (curly-endive). Belgian endive or witloof is a popular winter season vegetable in europe. It is a type of vegetable with smooth cream-colored leaves compressed into a compact (bud-like) 10 to 12 cm long heads.

Endive is one of the very low calorie leafy vegetables. 100 g fresh leaves carry just 17 calories; however, it contributes about 8% of daily-required intake (dri) of fiber.

Current research studies suggest that high inulin and fiber content in escarole help reduce glucose and ldl-cholesterol levels in diabetes and obese patients.

Endive is enriched with good amount vitamin a and b-carotene. Both these compounds are known to have antioxidant properties. Carotenes convert to vitamin a inside the human body. Furthermore, vitamin-a is required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. In addition, it is also essential vitamin for good eye-sight. Consumption of natural vegetables/greens rich in vitamin-a helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

Further, it contains good amounts of many essential b-complex groups of vitamins such as folic acid, pantothenic acid (vitamin b5), pyridoxine (vitamin b6) and thiamin (vitamin b1), niacin (b3). These vitamins are essential in the sense that human body requires them through external sources to replenish and employ in fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism.

Additionally, escarole is a good source of minerals like manganese, copper, iron, and potassium. Manganese is used as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Potassium is an important intracellular electrolyte helps counter the hypertension effects of sodium.

It is a fine cooling and cleansing plant. The decoction of the leaves, or the juice, abate inflammation of the liver, and the heat of the stomach; and it operates powerfully by urine. The seeds have the same property, or are rather more powerful, and are available for faintings and passions of the heart. Outwardly applied, they temper the sharp humours of fretting ulcers, hot tumours, swellings, and remove inflammations of the eyes, and dimness of sight. They allay gouty pains. A syrup made of it is a fine cooling medicine for fevers. Used constantly for some time it cures scurvy, and jaundice.