A dandelion is a short plant, usually with a yellow flower head and notched leaves. A dandelion flower head
consists of many tiny flowers. The dandelion is native to Europe and Asia, and has spread to many other places. The
dandelion is also known by its generic name Taraxacum. In Northern areas and places where the dandelion is not
native, it reproduces asexually.
While the dandelion is considered a weed by many gardeners, the plant does have several culinary and medicinal
uses. Dandelions are grown commercially at a small scale as a leaf vegetable. The plant can be eaten cooked or
raw in various forms, such as in soup or salad. They are probably closest in character to mustard greens. Usually
the young leaves and unopened buds are eaten raw in salads, while older leaves are cooked. Raw leaves have a
slightly bitter taste. Dandelion salad is often accompanied with hard boiled eggs. The leaves are high in vitamin A,
vitamin C and iron, carrying more iron and calcium than spinach.
Dandelion flowers can be used to make dandelion wine. The recipe usually contains citrus fruit. Another recipe
using the plant is dandelion flower jam. Ground roasted dandelion root can be used as a coffee substitute. Drunk
before meals, it is believed to stimulate digestive functions. Sold in most health food stores, often in a
mixture, it is considered an excellent cleansing tonic for the liver.
Dandelion root is a registered drug in Canada, sold as a diuretic. A leaf decoction can be drunk to "purify the
blood", for the treatment of anemia, jaundice, and also for nervousness. The milky latex has been used as a
mosquito repellent; the milk is also applied to warts, helping get rid of them without damaging the surrounding
skin. A dye can also be obtained from the roots of the plant. A new mixture of roasted roots is sold as a product
called DandyBlend which tastes like coffee after the inulin in the dandelion is roasted.
The dandelion is approved by the Commission E for dyspeptic, liver and gallbladder complaints, infections of the
urinary tract, and loss of appetite. Other unproven uses include treatment of disturbances in bile flow, inflammation
of the efferent urinary tract, dyspepsia, hemorrhoids, congestion in the portal system, gout, rheumatic disorders,
eczema and other skin disorders.[1]
The dandelion is considered to be very safe and sometimes carries the slang term, “pee in the bed,” referring to
its diuretic ability in increasing water and waste products in the urine. Dandelion has a high potassium content
and replaces potassium lost in normal urine secretion, leading to a net gain in potassium levels[2]; this fact is
worthy of note because that is not the case with the use of over-the-counter diuretics.
Dandelions are also thought to be effective in helping to ease the ailments of many other conditions including
herpes, genital warts, and even obesity. Studies on both rats and humans that involved injecting them with
dandelion have resulted in them losing up to 30% of their body weight.
The medicinal and nutritional uses for the dandelion are the main reasons there are so many dandelions
today. Dandelions have been purposely cultivated and widely used throughout history. The Celts introduced it
to the Roman legions when Caesar invaded the north. The Anglo-Saxons and the Normans used it to prevent
scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) and monastery gardens used it for both food and medicine in the middle ages. The
Puritans used it only as a vegetable. As different crops became more popular, dandelions were no longer
considered a staple, primarily because of the bitter taste.
