Chicory (Cichorium intybus) – Uses and Health Benefits Introduction According to history, chicory was grown in the Egypt as a medicinal plant and it has both therapeutic and indigenous properties. The ancient Egyptians people used large amounts of chicory because they believed that the plant purifies blood as well as liver, while others have used the herb for its power to cure known as “passions of the heart.” The juice is used as remedy for uterus cancer and for tumors.