Healthy Facts About The Dandelion Plant

When I was a little girl my grand-mother would take me into the back yard and show me how to pick this plant. Whenever she felt a little irregular she would pick the leaves and sauté them in butter. To her, this plant in all of it's parts is one of the best blood purifiers. What a lot of people don't realize is that this is not just some annoying weed, but a medicinal plant full of nutrients including vitamins A, B, C, D, iron and loads of potassium. In the states the plant parts are separated (leaves, roots, stem) but in China the whole plant is used.

Dandelion Flower
Making a tea from the flower not only helps to balance your moods, but it makes a very good pain reliever as well. For years in Korea, this flower has been used to prevent boils and other skin infections. Vitamins A and B12 contained in the flowers are not only good for your eyes, but is good for night blindness as well. The flowers can be battered and fried for a healthy treat. Because of the bitterness of the leaves and roots, I would recommend that anyone who wanted to try this tea for the first time to use the flowers first.

The leaves contain iron, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, sodium…...the vitamin C aids the iron absorption and makes it a worthy tea to drink if you are anemic. The leaves contain nearly as much iron as spinach. And 4 times the pro-vitamin A as lettuce.

An excellent tea to drink if you are someone battling water retention. Hands, fingers, ankles, calves....where water might be retained will benefit from this tea. Unlike most diuretics which flush the needed potassium from the system dandelion leaves restores it. A mild laxative, it helps with constipation and bloating, flushing waste from the body. It is said that this tea is best drank cool or iced, although I tend to drink mine hot.

The root of this plant is awesome. One of the best detoxifiers you will ever find. You can dry the roots then grind them and use this in place of coffee.This root is known to be able to remove chronic toxins from the body. Pollutants, waste, pesticides, contaminants are amongst a few of the conditions that can be treated with dandelion root. It is because it removes that toxic junk that collects around the joints that makes this root a good defense against arthritic inflammation. China and India have a long history

of using this root to make a tonic to detoxify the liver as well as boils, abscesses, hepatitis, jaundice......It is also used to dissolve urinary stones. Because it stimulates the pancreas which in turn increases insulin production this root makes a healthy tea for the diabetic. The root is also used to dissolve gallstones.

In France, blanched young leaves are used in salads. In Britain, dandelion wine is made from the flowers.

Benefits:

Diuretic, Anti-rheumatic, Laxative,Digestive Tonic, Detoxifier, Liver Cleanser