AKA: Taraxacum officinale, Leotodon taraxacum, blowball, puffball, canker wort, irish daisy, lion’s tooth, wild endive.

Scientific names: Leotodon taraxacum, taraxacum officinale

The Dandelion is a hardy member of the sunflower family that can be found just about everywhere in the Northern hemisphere. It is a perennial plant whose yearly appearance is erratic. It maxes out around twelve inches and the flower that it grows is a bright yellow that turns into a puff of milky white spores, which are proliferated through the wind. The name dandelion is a corruption of “dents de lion”, which is French for “teeth of the lion”.  The shiny, hairless green leaves have a jagged, notched look that is somewhat akin to the canine teeth of a Lion.

People have been dining on all the different parts of the Dandelion for many generations. The leaves will add some zip to your salad and its flowers can be used for making wine. Even the roots can be used as a substitute for coffee. The dandelion is a plant that is a nutrient powerhouse. Potassium, sodium, phosphorus and iron are all found in abundance in the herb and the leaves have more vitamin A than a carrot. Dandelion is also sold as a supplement in 460 mg capsule form which can be taken twice a day during meals. The dandelion is considered a very safe herb that has many benefits.

Uses and Benefits

Dandelion is on the FDA's list of safe foods and is approved by the Council of Europe.

The dandelion is a safe, natural low tech remedy that is often over looked in the uber tech world of ours. The leaf and root are mild laxatives and have been used for centuries to treat problems in the excretory system (liver, kidneys, gall bladder). The bitter compounds that they contain help increase bile production in the gall bladder and bile flow to the liver. They will also stimulate a weak digestion and help with rheumatism. The dandelion can also help get rid of warts and soothe bee stings, sores and calluses.

Dandelion is probably at its most beneficial when it comes to the liver. It has been used as an effective treatment for even the most extreme cases of liver cirrhosis. It is also really beneficial for the stomach, spleen, kidneys, and pancreas.

Side effects and Warnings

While dandelion has been generally tolerated in the small number of studies that have been conducted, the effects of long term use past 4 months has never been looked at. Some adverse side effects have been reported including skin allergies, eczema, and sensitivity to sunlight. Other reported discomforts include gastrointestinal disorders such as stomach pain, heartburn and diarrhea.
In one animal study that was conducted, dandelion was shown to lower the blood sugar levels. While no human trials have reported the same result, people with diabetes or who are hypoglycemic are encouraged to use the utmost caution when taking dandelion. It may be necessary for a healthcare professional to monitor your serum glucose levels, and then adjust your medication.

Because of dandelion's diuretic effect, women who are pregnant or breast-feeding may want to avoid it.

Avoid if your doctor has advised you that you have a gallbladder problem, a blockage or inflammation of the bile duct, or an obstruction of the bowel (often signaled by persistent constipation or lack of bowel movements). Also, don't use dandelion during an acute gallstone attack; this requires professional medical treatment.

Owners of nice yards everywhere view this common plant as aweed that they must kill by any means necessary to keep it from messing up the look of their nice green grass. However, the next time you get ready to pull or spray, you should be aware that those hated dandelions are actually loaded with potential health benefits. Once dried, the dandelion is  edible from root to its flowery tip and its green parts will bring a nice bitter element to any salad, or can be brewed as a tea. It is rich in vitamins C and K and has antibacterial properties. With the ability to ease digestion and to stimulate the liver, the dandelion can be a great addition to your meals. Which is more than I can say about the grass in your yard.

Aside from being a great thing to toss into a salad, taking dandelion has long been considered a good way to help cleanse the body of toxins. The detoxifying nature of the plant makes it an ideal herb to take as an tea during a fast, or as a way to help clear up skin problems that are caused my toxins leaking out into your skin. The coolest thing about using dandelions to make a detoxifying tea is that it does not have to cost you anything, giving you all kinds of health benefits without you having to go to take out a second mortgage.

DANDELION TEA

What you need:

• Some Dandelions washed and dried
• A cup of Water: Boiling hot
• Optional natural sweetener

 First: Get your hands on a handle of young green dandelion from a place (such as your own yard) that you know to be pesticide free. Wash them in cold water to remove any dirt or grime from the outdoors. After you have collected and washed them, now lay them out to dry. Once dried, pick the leaves out and then crush them up. Add two teaspoons to a cup.

Now: pour in a cup of boiling water and let it steep for ten minutes. If you cannot handle the bitter taste of dandelion tea in the raw, feel free to add an apple or orange slice, honey, agave, or even a sprig of mint to sweeten it up a bit. Drink and feel the detoxifying effect of the herb go to work. Drinking a cup or two of dandelion tea each day for a few weeks can help open up your pores and clear up your skin, giving you renewed hope in your fight against acne, eczema or any other mild for of skin irritation. It can also be used as an topical to help heal scars or as a daily natural face wash.

DANDELION BEAUTY MASK

Possessing many skin building blocks (Vitamins K, and C, rutin and iron) you can also use dandelions to make a great natural face mask.

What you need:

• 5-8 leaves of the dandelion
• Two teaspoons of egg whites or skimmed milk curd

Take the leaves and cut them into little pieces and then pestle them into a powder. For dry skin, mix with the curds, for any other skin, use the egg whites. Make a paste and then apply it to your face, leaving it on for 15 to 20 minutes. Later, wash your face with sour milk.

DANDELION WINE

Another great use for dandelions, is using them to make dandelion wine.  For about twenty bucks and several ounces of patience, you can take those unsightly weeds in your back yard and turn them into something nice to be opened or given during those special occasions. The only drawback to it, is that you need to plan ahead, since it takes six months to a year before your dandelion wine is drinkable.

What you need to make a good batch of dandelion wine:

• Dandelion Flower Heads : Three quarts
• Pure Water: One Gallon
• Granulated White Sugar: 2.5 to 3 pounds
• Four Oranges
• Yeast
• Yeast Nutrient
• Bottles
• Dried fruits (optional)

Instructions:

Find a good place to pick your dandelions, one that is free of chemicals, pollution and pesticides. Pick them on the same day you are going to make your wine in the morning or in the afternoon. You need only the tops, so save the rest of the plant for other use. Once you get enough flower heads (about three quarts worth), now comes the fun part. Since the green parts of the plant, including the flower’s core, will give your dandelion wine a bad bitter taste, only the petals should be used. So get nice and comfortable and start plucking those petals, until you have two quarts worth ready for your wine. Once down, give them a good washing.

Once the petals are plucked and washed, place them in a large bowl and pour one gallon of boiling water over them . The water should be extremely pure, since any impurities will effect the taste. To give their wine a sweeter or more distinctive taste, some people might also add a handful of rose petals or a bit of clove at this point, but this is strictly optional. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 48 hours, then pour the contents into a pot and boil it again.

As the pot is boiling, add the outermost peelings of four medium oranges (or 2 oranges and 2 lemons). To keep the wine from being to bitter, be sure not to add any of the white part of the peel. Boil for ten minutes and then strain into a large container. If you like your wine dry, add 2.5 lbs of granulated white sugar. If you like your wine sweet, add 3 lbs. Stir until the sugar dissolves, and then let it cool.

Once your dandelion hooch is cool, add the juice of the four oranges, the yeast, and the yeast nutrient. Gently stir and then pour the mixture into your bottles or whatever other container you choose to use. At this point, some people like to add a few fistfuls of dried fruits such as golden raisins, apricots or figs to give the wine more body, but just like the rose petals and clove, this is strictly optional.

Now seal your containers and then wait for the wine to fully ferment. After about three weeks, the wine will have “fallen clear” as the say, and then you can rack it by straining it into another container. After no more clumps or solids form in the wine for 60 days, you can rack it a second time. Let the wine age for at least six months, and it will be even better if you can hold off for a full year. Serve it icy cold on a hot summer day alongside salads and fish dishes. It also makes a great sparkling wine.

WARTS

Dandelion is a very effective herbal remedy for warts. You will need the juice from the dandelion. Cut the stem of the dandelion plant, squeeze out the white liquid juice and apply it directly to the warts.