Dandelion Uses and Benefits

Crunchy Christian Podcast

Join Julie Polanco on this episode of Crunchy Christian Podcast as she discusses dandelion uses and benefits. Find out how this common weed has been used for centuries to help with many health issues.

Some Facts About Dandelion

Pretty much everyone knows what a dandelion looks like, with its toothed leaves gathered around the round, almost furry yellow flowers. What looks like one flower is actually hundreds of tiny, single petal flowers arranged in a Fibonacci spiral. These flowers are an important source of nectar for bees during most of the year. In fact, more than 93 different insects have been known to visit dandelion blooms.

The dandelion is pretty abundant in all the northern climates. Some say that it came to North America with the pilgrims and new settlers, but that’s hard to prove. The first recorded use as a medicine is by Arabian physicians in the 10^th century. It is so abundant that most people consider it a weed and use all sorts of herbicides to rid their lawns of it. But, one of the dandelion uses and benefits is that it is an important food source. The young greens make a delicious and nutritious salad, providing good amounts of vitamin C, A, folate, and K and also the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium.

Aside from the leaves, you can also make dandelion wine from the flowers and dandelion coffee from the roots. Listen in to hear Julie talk about how you can make these drinks.

Dandelion Uses and Benefits

Dandelion is usually prepared as a tea or tincture and used internally, taking care to use 2-year-old roots in making the tincture. Dandelion uses and benefits include mostly kidney and liver conditions. It clears obstructions in the kidneys and gall bladder and helps the liver get rid of toxins in the body. It is also useful in urinary tract infections and jaundice. Dandelion acts as a powerful diuretic without flushing potassium out of the body because it is a rich source of potassium itself. However, these folk uses are not the only dandelion uses and benefits. Some recent research shows promise for using dandelion root extract in helping patients with certain forms of cancer. Additional studies show dandelion’s effectiveness against viruses.

Warning

Dandelion root extract can cause allergic reactions in some individuals. Also, some people with type 2 diabetes may experience negative side effects from using dandelion root extract. However, eating the greens in a salad poses no risks to anyone and can form an important part of your daily diet.

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