Endive: a vitamin K leaf with thin trial evidence

The best endive trial is about getting toddlers to eat it. In a randomized study of 28 analyzed children with a mean age of 35 months, serving endive and spinach soups twice a week for 7 weeks raised how much of those soups they ate freely by about 58 g, and the gain held at follow-up. The outcome was intake. Health was not measured. Two small trials used Brussels chicory, the pale Belgian endive or witloof, which is a different vegetable from the curly endive in the nutrient tables. In a single-blind pilot in 32 untrained students, 100 g a day juiced with milk for 7 days lengthened time to exhaustion by 8.3 percent in men and 12.2 percent in women against milk alone. In 97 overweight students, 8 weeks of it raised a lab marker, HDL cholesterol efflux, by 1.18 to 1.78 percent and did not change blood lipids. The number that matters day to day is vitamin K. USDA lists 231 micrograms per 3.5 oz (100 g) of raw endive, 192 percent of the Daily Value, from one legacy record with no sample range.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• The UK table puts raw endive at 13 calories, 140 micrograms of folate and 380 mg of potassium per 3.5 oz (100 g), but only 73 micrograms of retinol equivalent against 108 in the USDA record. — CoFID 2021 record 13-240 Endive, raw (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  Energy 13 calories, folate 140 ug, carotene 440 ug, retinol equivalent 73 ug, potassium 380 mg, iron 2.80 mg, vitamin C 12 mg, NSP fiber 2.0 g per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• Commercial endive and chicory held less lutein and beta-carotene than wild greens such as sow thistle, which reached 15 mg lutein per 3.5 oz (100 g). — 2 to 6 specimens per green analyzed by HPLC, Melbourne Evidence C source
  Sow thistle lutein 15 mg/100 g and beta-carotene 3.3 mg/100 g, both above commercial endive

What a real portion looks like

• In Dutch diets endive was among the main food sources of beta-carotene and lutein plus zeaxanthin, alongside carrots, spinach and kale. — adults in the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey and the Netherlands Cohort Study Evidence C source
  Endive listed among the top contributors to beta-carotene and lutein plus zeaxanthin intake
• Among 738 elderly Dutch men, endive was one of the main vegetable sources of flavonoids, with vegetables and fruit supplying 38% of intake. — 738 men aged 65-84, Zutphen Elderly Study (n = 738) Evidence C source
  Vegetables and fruit (mainly onions, kale, endive, apples) supplied 38% of flavonoid intake

What it does to your health

• In a crossover trial of 32 students, 3.5 oz (100 g) of Brussels chicory (Belgian endive) a day for 7 days lengthened time to exhaustion by 8.3% in men and 12.2% in women versus milk placebo. — 32 untrained college students (18 men), 7 days per arm with a 2-week washout (n = 32) Evidence B source
  Time to exhaustion +8.3% (men) and +12.2% (women) versus placebo
• In an 8-week pilot trial in 97 overweight students, Brussels chicory raised HDL cholesterol efflux capacity by 1.18% to 1.78% against control but did not change blood lipid profiles. — 97 overweight college students randomized to Brussels chicory alone, with exercise, or control for 8 weeks (n = 97) Evidence B source
  HDL-CEC +1.18% to +1.78% versus control (p < 0.001); no difference in plasma lipid profiles
• In 58,279 Dutch men, each extra 25 g a day of raw endive went with a nonsignificant 28% lower prostate cancer rate (RR 0.72). — 58,279 men aged 55-69, Netherlands Cohort Study, 6.3 years follow-up (n = 58279) Evidence C source
  RR 0.72 per 25 g/day raw endive, not statistically significant

Safety, limits and interactions

• NIH advises people taking warfarin and similar anticoagulants to keep their vitamin K intake from food steady, because sudden changes can raise or lower the drug's effect. — people taking warfarin or similar vitamin K antagonists Evidence E source
  Sudden changes in vitamin K intake can raise or lower the anticoagulant effect
• A vegetable wholesaler with chicory allergy also reacted after eating endive and lettuce, and the culprit was a 48 kDa protein in the unlit parts of the plant. — 1 adult man, occupational chicory allergy (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Immediate-type reactions to chicory, endive and lettuce; 48 kDa allergen
• In a Dutch survey of over 1,800 raw produce samples, Campylobacter was found on 0.83% of endive samples. — over 1,800 raw produce samples sold in the Netherlands (n = 1800) Evidence C source
  Campylobacter prevalence 0.83% in endive, up to 2.7% in oak tree lettuce
• In Italy 40% of ready-to-eat endive samples carried Aeromonas bacteria, though the authors judged few strains likely to cause illness. — 320 ready-to-eat food samples in Italy (n = 320) Evidence C source
  Aeromonas isolated from 40.0% of endive samples
• Among 1,216 Dutch retail vegetables including 188 endive samples, fecal antibiotic-resistant bacteria were rarest on leafy greens at 0.6%. — 1,216 vegetables from Dutch stores, 2012-2013, including endive (n=188) (n = 1216) Evidence C source
  Fecal 3GC-resistant bacteria: leafy greens 0.6%, stem 1.6%, root and bulb 4.4%

Who this works differently for

• In a randomized study of 28 analyzed toddlers, eating endive and spinach soups twice a week for 7 weeks raised their free intake of these soups by about 58 g, and the gain held over time. — healthy toddlers, mean age 35 months, 40 randomized and 28 analyzed, 7-week exposure with follow-up to 6 months (n = 28) Evidence B source
  About +58 g ad libitum intake of both vegetable soups, independent of energy content
• Four workers with occupational lettuce dermatitis were cross-sensitive to endive, so people with lettuce contact allergy may react to endive leaves too. — 4 patients with occupational contact dermatitis to lettuce (n = 4) Evidence D source
  Cross-sensitivity to Cichorium endivia in all four

What is still unknown

• USDA lists raw endive at 231 micrograms of vitamin K per 3.5 oz (100 g), 192% of the Daily Value, from a single legacy record with no sample range behind it. — USDA SR Legacy record Endive, raw (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  Vitamin K 231 ug per 3.5 oz (100 g) (192% DV), folate 142 ug (36% DV), vitamin A 108 ug RAE (12% DV)
• In a Dutch cohort of 62,573 postmenopausal women, raw endive was the only single vegetable linked to lower ovarian cancer risk (RR 0.24), while vegetables overall showed no link. — 62,573 postmenopausal women, Netherlands Cohort Study, 11.3 years follow-up, 252 cases (n = 62573) Evidence C source
  Raw endive RR 0.24 (95% CI 0.07-0.78); total vegetables RR 0.98 (0.61-1.58)

The bottom line

The UK table gives raw endive 13 calories, 140 micrograms of folate and 380 mg of potassium per 3.5 oz (100 g). Its vitamin A figure, 73 micrograms retinol equivalent, sits about a third below the USDA figure of 108, a gap that could come from sample, season or conversion factor. In Dutch diets of the 1980s and 1990s endive was among the main sources of beta-carotene and lutein, alongside carrots, spinach and kale. Among 738 elderly Dutch men it was one of the main vegetable sources of flavonoids. An analysis of a few specimens in Melbourne found commercial endive lower in lutein and beta-carotene than wild sow thistle, without giving the endive figures in the abstract. We found no data on how much of any of this the body absorbs, or on what cooking does to it. Two Dutch cohort findings are weaker than they look. In 62,573 postmenopausal women, raw endive was the only single vegetable linked to lower ovarian cancer risk (RR 0.24, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.78), while vegetables overall showed no link, and one significant item among many tested is likely to be chance. In 58,279 men, each extra 25 g a day of raw endive went with a 28 percent lower prostate cancer rate (RR 0.72) that did not reach statistical significance. Who should be careful. NIH advises people on warfarin and similar drugs to keep their vitamin K intake steady, because sudden changes can raise or lower the drug's effect, and at 231 micrograms per 3.5 oz (100 g) endive is a food where that advice applies. Allergy rests on case reports. A vegetable wholesaler with chicory allergy said he also reacted after eating endive and lettuce, and in a 1977 report four workers with contact dermatitis from handling lettuce were cross-sensitive to endive. On raw produce sold in the Netherlands, Campylobacter turned up on 0.83 percent of endive samples, one country and no illness data behind it. In Italy 40 percent of ready-to-eat endive samples carried Aeromonas bacteria, though the authors judged few of the strains likely to cause illness.

Sources

1. endv-r5-02 · CoFID 2021, dataset
   Endive, raw (CoFID 13-240, group DG): Energy 13 kcal; Folate 140 ug; Carotene 440 ug; Retinol Equivalent 73 ug; Potassium 380 mg; Iron 2.80 mg; Vitamin C 12 mg; NSP 2.0 g per 100 g
   CoFID 2021 (Public Health England), code 13-240, OGL v3.0 · checked 2026-09-29
2. endv-r5-10 · food analysis
   Sow thistle and amaranth contained lutein (15 and 13 mg/100 g, respectively) and beta-carotene (3.3 and 4.0 mg/100 g, respectively) at concentrations greater than that seen in the commercially available species of chicory and endive.
   Eur J Clin Nutr, 2002 · checked 2026-09-29
3. endv-r5-08 · population intake study
   The most important foods contributing to intake of beta-carotene and lutein plus zeaxanthin were carrots (beta-carotene only), spinach, endive and kale.
   Int J Vitam Nutr Res, 1998 · checked 2026-09-29
4. endv-r5-09 · cohort study
   The major sources of flavonoid intake were tea at 61% and vegetables and fruits (mainly onions, kale, endive, and apples) at 38%.
   Nutr Cancer, 1994 · checked 2026-09-29
5. endv-r5-04 · randomized controlled trial
   involving 32 untrained college students (men 18) who consumed either Brussels chicory juice (100 g of Brussels chicory containing ~130 mg phenolic acids and 180 mL fresh milk) or placebo (180 mL fresh milk) for 7 days with a 2-week washout period. ... Brussels chicory consumption increased time to exhaustion by 8.3% and 12.2% for men and women participants, respectively.
   Nutrients, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
6. endv-r5-05 · randomized controlled trial
   This study is an 8-week randomized controlled trial in which 97 overweight college students were randomized to Cho, Cho-CT, Cho-MeCT or control group. ... Compared with the control treatment, all three lifestyle interventions comparably elicited a 1.18% to 1.78% elevations in HDL-CEC from macrophages (p < 0.001). ... However, there were no significant differences in plasma lipid profiles, apolipoprotein A-I, and plasma LCAT and CETP activities among the tested groups.
   Nutrients, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
7. endv-r5-07 · prospective cohort study
   Nonsignificant inverse associations (RRs per increment of 25 g/day) were found for consumption of kale (RR, 0.74), raw endive (RR, 0.72), mandarins (RR, 0.75), and raisins or other dried fruit (RR, 0.49).
   Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 1998 · checked 2026-09-29
8. endv-r5-11 · agency guidance
   People taking warfarin and similar anticoagulants need to maintain a consistent intake of vitamin K from food and supplements because sudden changes in vitamin K intakes can increase or decrease the anticoagulant effect
   NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin K Health Professional Fact Sheet · checked 2026-09-29
9. endv-r5-12 · case report
   The patient also reported reactions after ingestion of botanically related endive (Cichorium endivia) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa). We identified the responsible allergen by SDS-PAGE and immunoblot to be a 48-kDa protein, confined to the non-illuminated parts of the plants.
   Clin Exp Allergy, 1996 · checked 2026-09-29
10. endv-r5-14 · cross-sectional survey
    For Campylobacter, this ranged from 0.83% in endive to 2.7% in oak tree lettuce.
    J Food Prot, 2014 · checked 2026-09-29
11. endv-r5-15 · cross-sectional survey
    The highest percentages of isolation were discovered in vegetables, particularly lettuce (45.0%), endive (40.0%), and rucola (20.0%). ... few of these strains, if any, are likely to be pathogenic.
    J Food Prot, 2000 · checked 2026-09-29
12. endv-r5-16 · cross-sectional survey
    Contamination with faecal 3GC-resistant bacteria was most frequently observed in root and bulb vegetables (average prevalence 4.4%), and less frequently in stem vegetables (prevalence 1.6%) and leafy greens (average prevalence 0.6%).
    Int J Food Microbiol, 2015 · checked 2026-09-29
13. endv-r5-03 · randomized controlled trial in children
    Results showed a significant increase (~58g) in ad libitum intake for both vegetable soups (stable over time), but irrespective of the energy content.
    Appetite, 2013 · checked 2026-09-29
14. endv-r5-13 · case series
    Four patients with occupational contact dermatitis to Lactuca sativa had cross-sensitivity to Cichorium endivia.
    Contact Dermatitis, 1977 · checked 2026-09-29
15. endv-r5-01 · USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy, dataset
    Endive, raw (FDC 168412, SR Legacy, Vegetables and Vegetable Products): vitamin K 231 ug per 100 g = 192% DV; folate 142 ug = 36% DV; vitamin A 108 ug = 12% DV; Foundation samples 0
    USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC 168412 · checked 2026-09-29
16. endv-r5-06 · prospective cohort study
    With the exception of raw endive (multivariable-adjusted RR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.07-0.78), none of the individual vegetable or fruit items showed a statistically significant association with ovarian carcinoma.
    Cancer, 2005 · checked 2026-09-29