Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
Dandelion is a perennial herbaceous plant growing up to 50 cm tall and native to Eurasia. It often grows in disturbed habitats such as lawns, wasteland, and roadsides.
It has deeply toothed leaves that are tightly packed at ground level. The stem is hollow and unbranched and carries the yellow flowers. The seeds are wind-dispersed.
Dandelion has been widely used as food and medicine. For example, the dark brown taproot has been used to produce a coffee substitute and the vitamin-rich leaves are gathered as wild salad.
Traditional Uses
- Diuretic 1
- Symptomatic relief of mild digestive complaints 1
Identification
- Stimulation of bile flow 2(in-vivo)
- Antioxidant activity3(in-vitro, in-vivo)
- Anti-inflammatory activity3(in-vitro, in-vivo)
- Prebiotic effect3(in-vitro)
- A good source of Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Calcium, Iron, Potassium
- A good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6
Uses
- Dandelion also contain high levels of potassium, replacing potassium that might have been lost through increased urination
- Dandelion is used with problems of the kidneys and liver
- Both leaves and roots have therapeutic effects. The leaves exert a powerful diuretic action on the urinary system and may reduce fluid retention and assist the removal of toxins from the body1
- Dandelion can be used to treat the symptoms of digestive disorders1
Precautions
Do not use in more than culinary quantities if you are pregnant. There are some reports of people having suffered dermatitis from touching the leaves – probably from the latex in the leaves and stems.References
- European Medicine Agency Final assessment report on Taraxacum officinale Weber ex Wigg., radix cum herba. (2011).
- Böhm, K. Untersuchungen über choleretische Wirkungen einiger Arzneipflanzen. Arzneim Forsch/Drug Res 9, 376 (1959).
- González-Castejón, M., Visioli, F. & Rodriguez-Casado, A. Diverse biological activities of dandelion. Nutr. Rev. 70, 534–547 (2012).