Dandelions Are Beneficial Herbs
We’ve all been known to scurry about our yards pulling dandelions! The bright yellow flowers are very pretty, but this over bearing weed seems to sprout up and multiply right before your very eyes!
What seems like a worthless little weed to us actually has a lot of uses both for food sources and medicinal purposes. Some of the abilities of this obnoxious weed may have you actually picking them to use!
Dandelion’s have more vitamins than many of the vegetables we eat. They’re very nutritious, filled with both vitamins A and C. They contain lots of calcium and are higher in beta carotine than carrots. Plus, they also provide very healthy doses of copper and iron!
The dandelion flowers can be added raw in a salad, herbal wines are made from the flowers and the flowers can also be dipped into a batter and deep fried for a tasty treat.
The roots can even be roasted and ground to make dandelion coffee! If you love coffee, but your doctor has advised you to stay away from caffeine, or if your body just can’t tolerate it this coffee may be the perfect substitute.
Many herbal home remedies using the dandelion have been handed down from generation to generation, but research is confirming the many valuable uses of this plant in medicine. Scientific evidence is proving that the dandelion can be used for almost anything!
Being called a cure for everything, the dandelion has been used as a blood purifier, used to relieve constipation, joint aches and pains, it has even shown to aid in liver conditions like jaundice and hepatitis!
Most diuretics not only relieve the body of excess water, they also relieve the body of potassium. Dandelions have very strong diuretic properties, but they don’t lower the bodies potassium levels.
Dandelions can be used for the treatments of kidney and urinary tract infections, gall bladder problems including gall stones, cirrhosis and even oedema. Taken as a tonic dandelions can actually strengthen the kidneys.
The fresh juice derived from the roots and stems helps to heal wounds and even fights bacteria. This white sap can also give relief from the pain associated with insect stings and bites and also can eliminate warts, remove callouses and clear up acne.
Ingested as a tea, dandelions can actually strengthen the kidneys, gallbladder, spleen, stomach, liver, pancreas and intestines. The inflammation associated with cirrhosis and hepatitis can be reduced using dandelion tea. Just one cup of this miracle tea each day will give you prominent results within a few months.
This amazing little weed may even help to reduce your chances of cancer! Something in the powder from dried roots helps to build up the blood and the immune system, a healthy immune system greatly decreases the chance of cancer.
It is estimated that with chemo the chance for a cure from cancer is only 10%, but even without taking chemo and just using dandelion roots, your chances may increase 75 to 80%! Â
Making your own remedies using dandelions is fairly easy, plants should be dug up when the roots reach about one inch in diameter. There are various ways that you can dry them, they can be hung out in the sun or even hung indoors near a heat source such as a stove or furnace.
The powder can easily be made by breaking the roots into pieces and placing them in a grinder, grind for a few seconds at a time until you get the powder as fine as you want it. The powder can then be stored in an air tight jar and kept in a warm, dry place. The dandelion powder can be safely stored for up to ten months.
It’s suggested that it’s better to just shake the dirt off of the dug roots. The added little bit of dirt can actually be good for you by adding a little extra immunity!
Making your own powder from fresh roots is a healthier way to go, the kind that can be purchased in health food stores often don’t provide as good of results. Taking the root powder full strength can also help prevent the common cold, it builds your blood up and in turn helps you to heal at a faster rate.
Dandelion Medicinal Tea
Add about two ounces of dried root or herb to a quart of water and boil for approximately thirty minutes. Drink some of the tea daily to improve your health.
