Dandy Dandelions - Why These Little Puffs Are Our Friends

Who does not know the dandelion's rosette of jagged leaves coming up from a deep taproot? Who doesn't know its bright yellow flower head that is made up of hundreds of tiny florets? Even as children, we used to blow the small parachute seeds to watch them go into the sky. However, how much do we really know about this lovely flower?

The National Research Council's monograph on dandelion states that the annual value of this flower sol in the Canadian markets is higher then half a million dollars. However, whether you grow them in your garden, you wild craft dandelions, or cultivate them on a large scale, these flowers are high in potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium and vitamins A and C. The older leaves are the ones that help with digestion and are quite edible when they are steamed or stir-fried with any other kind of vegetable.

Even as a spring tonic, this leaf is unsurpassed. It fortifies and cleans the liver. It nourishes the whole body. The way it nourishes the whole body is with its rich store of calcium, iron, and potassium. If a tea is made from a dandelion leaf, it will be one of the finest diuretics known. It nourishes the kidneys and reduces fluid retention without the harmful side effects that are associated with potassium depletion.

However, the root, if prepared properly, is a tasty beverage and a very good coffee substitute. If you are trying to limit or reduce your caffeine intake, try a drink made from a dandelion root.

The milky, sticky sap that is found in the dandelion's stem and root has anti-fungal chemicals. You can boil them fresh and make an external wash for athlete's foot or any kind of fungal problem. The root that is dug out in the fall has a high insulin content that is helpful to diabetics. Insulin stabilizes blood sugar. Insulin is also a diuretic and also possesses immune-stimulating properties. It is not absorbed into the stomach, but it acts like a stimulant to healthy bacteria in the large intestine.

Some European researches have found that dandelion roots extracts help reduce the clumping of human blood platelets in the human blood vessels. This is a very common complication in the hardening of the arteries. It is also very common in the complications of diabetes. It can also help decrease high blood pressure. By lowering high blood pressure, it is helping the action of the human heart.

Overall, the much-maligned dandelion is full of nutritious and medicinal virtues. They are good for you, and the soil too.

Wild Plant: Taraxacum spp.

Family: Compositae

Habitat: The dandelion is easily found in pastures, gardens, meadows, roadsides, and waste grounds.

Part Used: The part of the dandelion that is used the most is the leaves and the roots.

Ethical wild crafting: You need to gather the leaves in early spring in unpolluted areas. However, the root may be dug in fall and spring. When you dig up the root, do not distribute the seeds. Although the dandelion usually does not infiltrate other colonies, you may accidentally introduce the dandelion to a pristine area where a pure, native plant colony already thrives.

Physiological Action: Bitter tonic (it increases the tone of gastric mucous and stimulates digestion), Diuretic (stimulates urination), Cholagogue (stimulates bile flow from the gall bladder), Mild Laxative (it stimulates bowel evacuation), and Choleretic (stimulates the production of bile in the liver)

Active Constituents: Bitter resins (taraxacerine), up to thirty percent insulin, saponin, flavonoids, and phytosterols.

Note: The milk juice (latex) in the dandelion's stem and root may cause contact dermatitis in some people. The dandelion is contraindicated in blue duct obstruction, intestinal blockage, acute gastrointestinal inflammation, and acute gall bladder inflammation.

Non-Caffeinated Coffee Substitute

Spring dandelions and their roots are the best for making non-caffeinated beverages. Make sure to dig them before the aerial portion of the dandelion's plant develops. Make sure to scrub the root very clean, then split it lengthways, and stem the roots for five minutes. You can also boil them for as long as it takes for the congealing of the root sap. Cool and chop the roots into small pieces and place them into a 300-degree Fahrenheit (150 degree Celsius) oven with the oven door slightly open. When the root pieces are chocolate brown and crackling dry, take them out of the oven and let them cool. In order to make your beverage, grind up the pieces in a coffee grinder and use one teaspoon per cup of boiling water. It is delicious and also good for you!