Dandelion, Field
Latin Name: Taraxacum officinale
Family: Compositae
Description
Contrary to the state of your lawn or common grassy areas, dandelion is not native to North America. This rogue plant was actually a stowaway aboard an inbound ship. Once on dry land, it tossed its seeds to the wind and the rest, well, is bright yellow history!
Your lawn has the right idea when it recruits dandelions by the masses. Like clover and its nitrogen-fixing qualities, dandelion helps restore missing upper-layer soil nutrients. The long, deep, roots mine calcium and other minerals from the soil, bringing them up from below and replenishing your lawn. Think of them as living fertilizer.
Dandelion was first mentioned for its medicinal use between 1,000 and 1,100 AD by Arabian physicians. This versatile plant can be enjoyed as coffee, beer, wine and salad...making use of the entire plant. Roasted dandelion root makes for a delicious, caffeine-free, coffee substitute. The dandelion plant attracts as many as 93 different insects and, when fed to cows, is said to increase milk production.
Though many take issue with this herb, dandelion has been held in high regard by Western Chinese and Ayurvedic herbalists for centuries. The herb is bitter, cold, and salty due to its high mineral content. In Chinese herbal medicine, dandelion is excellent for conditions of "damp heat", such as jaundice.
Dandelion, To Seed, Panoramic
Ailments / Situations Where Used It is quite amazing that one of the most despised "weeds" in the urban landscape is also one of the most healing, beneficial herbs. Best of all, it is readily accessible and requires no care! Some may not be so readily convinced, but before you release life-damaging toxins to conform to societal "norms", consider all that dandelions have to offer...besides sheer childhood joy of "popping off" heads ...
Dandelion root is an excellent liver tonic, clearing obstructions, reducing congestion, and stimulating the liver to eliminate toxins through the blood. It promotes bile flow, supporting digestion and it also has a laxative effect. Dandelion root clears obstructions in the spleen, pancreas, kidneys, and bladder, and works on enlargement of any of these organs.
In terms of benefiting the gall bladder, dandelion promotes bile flow and releases stored bile (referred to as a cholagogue effect), reduces bile-duct inflammation and gallstone formation and generally strengthens the gallbladder.
Dandelion's high mineral content makes it a natural blood purifier and builder. According to Jethro Kloss, this plant has 28 parts sodium, making it a natural nutritive salt for purifying and destroying acid in the blood. It is very useful in jaundice, skin diseases, scurvy, eczema, kidney and liver problems, and diabetes. The root is also helpful in lowering blood sugar levels. Dandelion contains anti-microbial properties and has been used quite successfully on many fungal and bacterial infections, including candida albicans.
Delicately avoiding the melodramatic, the possibilities of this plant are almost endless. Other conditions that benefit from dandelion applications include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, kidney stones, and poor milk flow in nursing mothers. The root has been shown to work against some tumour systems by stimulating macrophage action, and by its immunostimulating constituent, inulin.
One remedy for an upset stomach is to drink an infusion of dandelion every half hour until the symptoms subside. This tea is very soothing to the stomach and intestines and helps the digestion, assimilation, and elimination of food.
Dandelion leaves are a great addition to a spring salad, are extremely high in vitamin A, and are a good source of some B vitamins, vitamin C and D, potassium, and iron. They are mainly used as a diuretic and are also used for cystitis, nephritis, fluid retention, hepatitis, and weight loss. Dandelion leaves replace the potassium that would otherwise be lost when using other diuretics.
The latex from the stem is said to be a good treatment for warts if used continually, three times daily, for a couple of weeks.
In China, a similar species, Taraxacum mongolicum, is used. The seeds are used as an antibiotic to treat infections, especially mastitis.
Source
Entire plant: leaves, root and stem.
Preparations
Capsules: Take 3,000mg daily.
Decoction: Dandelion root tea is best for liver detoxification. Gently boil 2 to 3 teaspoons powdered root per cup of water for 15 minutes. Let cool. Drink up to 3 cups daily.
Fresh: The leaves make for an excellent, if slightly bitter, garnish on your salad. Readily available on most lawns...
Infusion: Dandelion leaf tea is appropriate for dealing with water retention. Use 1/2 oz. dried leaves per cup of boiling water. Let steep for 10 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups daily.
Dandelion, To Seed, Closeup
Contraindications / Precautions / Warnings Dandelion can cause nausea and loose stools. When dealing with a gallbladder situation, they may cause a sudden, unwanted, contraction of the gallbladder. This can result in an acute attack or, at worst, lodging the stone in the duct. It is important to consult with your naturopath or other health practitioner if choosing to use this herb to deal with gallstones.
There are no known contraindications to dandelion.
Ailment / Situation Listing
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