Are there dandelion benefits? Don't mow them down yet! There are many benefits of this common plant and several ways to use it.
What are the Health Benefits of Dandelion?
Dandelion root has long been held as a liver tonic in folk medicine. Studies suggest this is due to its ability to increase the flow of bile. Although it's known as a weed, dandelion has a range of health benefits. The leaves have long been used as a diuretic. The root is good for the liver. The key actions of dandelion are diuretic, detoxifying, and bitter.
Dandelion leaf's diuretic action is used for high blood pressure and reducing the volume of fluid in the body. Dandelion root is one of the most effective detoxifying herb. It works primarily on the liver and gallbladder to help remove waste products. Dandelion also stimulates kidneys to remove toxins in the urine. It encourages steady elimination of toxins due to infection or pollution. This helpful plant can be beneficial for many conditions including
- constipation
- skin problems
- acne
- eczema
- psoriasis
- arthritic conditions
- osteoarthritis
- gout
How to Make Dandelion Tea
- Leaf – Dandelion leaf can be used to make a tea or infusion. To make one cup of dandelion leaf tea use one teaspoon of dried or 2 tsp of fresh herb and add it to one cup of just boiled water. Let this steep for 10 minutes to receive the maximum benefits.
- Root – roots are best people prepared as a decoction due to their tough nature. To make a dandelion root decoction use 20g of dried or 40g of fresh dandelion root to three cups of water. Simmer on low and reduced to two cups of water.
- Flower – you can also make it tea with dandelion flowers. Use a handful of fresh picked flowers, rinsed well, in a cup of 8 oz. of just boiled water.
Dandelion Tincture
Another wonderful way to take advantage of dandelion benefits is to make a tincture. Dandelion tincture is typically made with dandelion root. You can follow the below directions to make a dandelion root tincture. To use for detoxifying or skin conditions mix a half a teaspoon of the tincture diluted in a half a cup of water and drink three times per day.
Herbal Tincture
Materials
Instructions
- Place herbs in a large, clean glass jar and pour on the solvent ensuring that the herb is covered.
- Close and label your jar with the name of the herb, solvent, and the date.
- Shake the jar for 1-2 minutes.
- Store in a cool dark place for at least 10-14 days (or longer), shaking the jar every 1-2 days.
- After 14 days you are ready to strain out the herbs. Pour the jar through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth. (There are some new fancy tools for this I have found like this herb press that helps make it less messy and extracts every last drop).
- Squeeze out the herb to get all remaining liquid.
- Discard or compost your herbs.
- Pour your finished tincture into a clean dark class bottle using a funnel.
- Close and label your jar with the name and date of your tincture.
Dandelion Leaf Greens
Many people eat dandelion leaf like any other edible green in a salad. Make a dandelion leaf salad for it's cleansing benefits. Both the leaf and flower are a good source of minerals. Many enjoy this salad in early spring with the young tender greens. You can add the greens to a juicer when juicing other vegetables as well as smoothies. The leaf of the dandelion plant is particularly diuretic. Dandelion greens are a great source of vitamins and minerals such as:
- Vitamins A, C and K.
- Folate
- Calcium
- Potassium
Dandelion Benefits for the Skin
Lastly many skin conditions have a root cause from within the body. Detoxifying the body can often resolve many skin issues. Due to dandelions detoxifying properties it is a good choice for healing your skin.
Follow the below instructions to make a dandelion root decoction. Even better and step it up a notch and add burdock root as well. Make a decoction of 5g of burdock root and 10g of dandelion root. Divide this into three doses and drink throughout the day to heal skin conditions.
Herbal Decoction
Equipment
Materials
- 3 tbsp dried herbs
- 1 quart filtered water
Instructions
- Place 3 tablespoons of dried herbs into a small sauce pan.
- Cover the herbs with a quart of cold water.
- Slowly heat the water to a simmer and cover.
- Allow to gently simmer for 20 to 45 minutes.
- Strain into a quart jar, but do not discard the herbs. Some water will have evaporated, so your strained liquid will not fill the jar.
- Pour additional hot (but not boiling) water over the herbs in the strainer until your jar is full.
- Once your decoction is finished simmering, you can infuse more delicate leafy herbs or flowers into the hot water that cannot stand up to the lengthy simmer time, straining the mixture again after another 10 to 15 minutes.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe to stay in the loop. If you are looking for some of the healthy tools and resources mentioned in my articles, take a look at my healthy shopping guide.
Some of our links are affiliate links, which means if you click and buy, I earn a small commission. The price is the same for you, though. Thank you!
You might also like these posts...