Is Chicory Good for Diabetics? Blood Sugar & Chicory Connection

Chicory and Diabetes

If you live with diabetes, you have probably noticed how many "natural" products claim to help your blood sugar. Chicory is one of them. You may have seen it listed as "chicory root fibre" on a granola bar, or stirred into a coffee blend, with a promise of better glucose control on the label.

Some of that claim has real science behind it. Some of it runs ahead of the evidence. This article separates the two, so you know what chicory can reasonably do and where to be careful.

First, what is in chicory that matters?

Chicory root is the main commercial source of inulin, a plant fibre [1]. Wikipedia puts the amount at up to 18 grams per 100 grams of root [1], and another page on the plant gives a range of about 13 to 23% of the root's carbohydrate content [2]. Inulin is made of chains of fructose units, but human digestive enzymes cannot break those chains down. It travels through the stomach and small intestine undigested and is fermented by bacteria in the colon [1].

That detail is the whole reason chicory comes up in diabetes conversations. Because inulin is not split into simple sugars in the usual way, it does not raise blood sugar the way starch or table sugar does [1]. It is also not calorie-free. Inulin provides roughly 25 to 35% of the food energy of an equal amount of starch or sugar [1].

If you want a plain-language introduction to the plant itself, our chicory root guide for beginners covers where it comes from and how it is used.

How fibre affects blood sugar in general

Before getting to chicory, it helps to know what the major health bodies say about fibre as a whole. The CDC explains that the body doesn't absorb or break down fibre, so it does not cause the same blood sugar spikes as other carbohydrates. Soluble fibre also forms a gel in the stomach that slows digestion [3]. Mayo Clinic says something similar: fibre may slow sugar absorption in people with diabetes, and soluble fibre appears to have the strongest effect [4].

Inulin is a soluble fibre, so it fits that picture. Whether it does something extra, beyond what any other fibre does, is a separate question, and that is where the research comes in.

What the studies say about inulin and glucose

The strongest evidence I could find is a 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis in the Journal of Translational Medicine. It pooled 33 randomised controlled trials with 1,346 participants, covering healthy adults, people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, people with overweight or obesity, and other groups [5].

In the subgroup with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, inulin-type fructans were linked to these average changes [5]:

Fasting blood glucose: down by 0.60 mmol/L
HbA1c: down by 0.58 percentage points
Fasting insulin: down by 1.75 µU/mL
HOMA-IR, a measure of insulin resistance: down by 0.69

The authors rated their confidence in the glucose and HbA1c results as high, and in the insulin and HOMA-IR results as low, so the last two deserve more caution [5]. The trials used doses between 5.5 and 30 grams a day, with a median of 10 grams, and they lasted from 20 to 252 days, with a median of 56 days. The authors suggested 10 grams a day for six weeks or longer [5]. They described inulin-type fructans as a possible add-on to other treatment, not a replacement for it [5].

Those numbers are averages across trials. Your own results could be larger, smaller or absent.

Where chicory-specific evidence gets thinner

The meta-analysis looked at inulin-type fructans in general. Many of those fibres come from chicory, but chicory is not the only source, so the results do not belong to chicory alone [1][5].

A separate pair of trials, reported in 2017 and carried out at Oxford Brookes University, replaced part of the sugar in a yoghurt drink and a fruit jelly with chicory-derived oligofructose and inulin and measured the blood glucose response. Those trials involved healthy adults, not people with diabetes, and the makers of chicory inulin co-funded the work [6]. They are an interesting hint about what happens when you swap sugar for inulin in a product. They are not proof of anything for someone managing diabetes.

What about a cup of chicory coffee?

This is the question most readers actually have. Roasted chicory root is a traditional coffee substitute and is still blended into coffee in places such as New Orleans, parts of the Mediterranean and Indian filter coffee [2]. If you want the backstory, our history of chicory explains how that tradition started.

Here is the honest answer: I did not find a trial that tested roasted chicory coffee in people with diabetes, so I can't tell you it lowers blood sugar. The studies above used measured doses of extracted fibre, typically around 10 grams a day [5]. A cup of chicory coffee is not the same thing. How much of the fibre is in your cup depends on the product and how it was made.

What is certainly within your control is what goes in the cup. Sugar, syrups and creamers will affect your glucose far more than the chicory will.

Possible downsides to know about

Fibre is helpful, but a sudden increase can cause trouble. Inulin that reaches the colon is fermented, which releases gas. Regular use can cause bloating, flatulence, diarrhoea and stomach discomfort, and at 15 to 50 grams a day inulin increases how often people go to the toilet [1]. The CDC advises adding fibre slowly, since a quick jump can lead to bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhoea or cramps. It also recommends drinking plenty of water [3]. Mayo Clinic suggests taking a few weeks to build up, which gives your gut bacteria time to adjust [4].

There is one more point. Wikipedia notes that people with an allergy to inulin can develop stomach inflammation [1]. If you react badly to chicory or related plants, stop and talk to a clinician.

So, is chicory good for diabetics?

A fair summary is this. Chicory root is a rich natural source of inulin, and inulin is a fibre that does not raise blood sugar the way sugar and starch do [1]. In a large pooled analysis, inulin-type fructans were associated with lower fasting glucose and HbA1c in people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes [5]. That makes chicory-derived fibre a reasonable thing to include in a high-fibre diet, as long as you go slowly [3][4].

What it is not is a treatment. The research describes inulin as a possible add-on [5], and the evidence for chicory coffee specifically is missing. Official guidance for fibre intake remains a good anchor. The CDC cites the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020 to 2025, which recommend 22 to 34 grams of fibre a day for adults, depending on age and sex [3].

If you take diabetes medication, check with your doctor or dietitian before adding fibre supplements or making big changes to your diet, and keep monitoring your blood sugar the way you normally do. This article is general information and does not replace medical advice.

For food and beverage businesses

If you formulate products for people watching their sugar, chicory-based ingredients come in several formats. Our guide to types of chicory products explains the differences between roots, cubes, powder, granules and extract. You can also look at our chicory powder and chicory extract, or browse the full chicory products range. To discuss specifications or ask for a sample, contact us.

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