Nutritional Benefits of Dandelion

Nutritional Benefits of Dandelion

Dandelion can also be referred to as:

•       “Taraxacum Officinale” (The Official Remedy for Disorders)

•       “Dent del Lion” (Lion’s Tooth)

This super food ranks in the top four of all green vegetables in overall nutritional value, according to the USDA Bulletin #8 “Composition of Foods” (Haytowitz and Matthews 1984).  It’s the richest green vegetable source of beta-carotene, and the third richest source of Vitamin A of all foods falling short to cod liver and then beef liver.

This is one of our dandelion plants showing off the first edible parts of dandelion, the reddish tangle of leaves.

As HealingThyme Products® ranks itself at the top of all natural beauty and healing products in “the anti’s”, dandelion ranks top as a powerful source of antioxidants:

•       Anti-spasmodic

•       Anti-oxidant

•       Anti-bacterial

•       Anti-hypoglycemic

•       Anti-diarrheal (gallic-acid)

Chemical Compounds

The compounds listed below are not individually unique to only dandelion, but the combination all in one plant, along with high levels of vitamin, minerals, carbohydrates, protein, and fiber account for dandelio9n ranking as a super food.

• Sesquiterpene- This chemical is what can make dandelion bitter, but is partly accountable for the tonic effects on digestion, the liver, the spleen, and gall-bladder; and is also a high anti-fungal.
• Taraxasterol- This chemical helps to regulate liver and gall bladder health, and is also hormone altering.

Now that we’ve learned all of the benefits of this nutritional herb how can we use it?…

Edible Parts of Dandelion:

1. Dandelion Root- can be roasted and ground as a substitute for coffee
2. Dandelion Greens- used as a tonic and or a lettuce or cooked green

The first edible parts of the dandelion is the reddish tangle of leaves (lettuce).  The second edible parts are the dandelion greens that grow above the surface of the plant.  The greens must be harvested before the plant blooms.  You want to harvest the greens as soon as the blossom buds first appear.

Once the greens are harvested, they must be washed and then placed in boiling water.  Drain the leaves and season with salt and butter.  The reddish leaves can also be added to salads, the greens can also be sauteed in olive oil and seasoned to taste.  The bloom buds can also be steeped along with the root and leaves, drained, and used as a detoxifying tonic drink.

Now get out and started a potted dandelion garden for health and self-sufficiency!