Taraxacum officinalis, Dandelion

Common names

Pissenlit, pee-the-bed, lion's tooth, fairy clock, blowball, cankerwort, priest's crown, puffball, swine snout, white endive, wild endive

French= dent-de-lion & Pissenlit German= Löwenzahn Norvegian= Løvetann

History

Medieval uses as a diuretic/ Stomach tonic
Roots used stomach & liver disorders
Herba: infusion of the leaves drank cold
Promote appetite in case of Tuberculosis. Against inflammations
For intermittent fevers
For jaundice. Pain in the joints. To staunch blood

Medicinal uses   

Leaf: gentle diuretic, choleretic. Root: Bitter, mild laxative, digestive and hepatic tonic, cholagogue, diuretic, antirheumatic (please see Glossary)

Benefits

Leaf: oedema, oliguria. Root: cholecystitis, gall-stones, jaundice, atonic dyspepsia with constipation.

Taraxacum leaf is a very potent diuretic and is an excellent remedy for water retention and oedema, particularly when it is of cardiac origin, or hepatogenous oedema (ascites). Its action comparable to the drug Frusemide. The usual effect of a drug which stimulates kidney function is a loss of potassium from the body, which aggravates any existing cardiovascular problem. A high level of potassium is particularly desirable when digitalis heart drugs are being prescribed, because if potassium levels fall, the drugs will produce irritability of the heart muscle. Luckily, Taraxacum is one of the best natural sources of potassium and therefore is a perfectly balanced and safe diuretic. Taraxacum leaf may be applied to urinary disorders in general, especially where worsened by the presence of oliguria. It also has similar actions to the root, but to a lesser extent. 

Taraxacum root is a gentle liver tonic and may be used to treat inflammation and congestion of the liver and gall bladder. It can be applied to gallstones, cholecystitis, hepatic and post-hepatic jaundice, congestive dyspepsia with constipation and other toxic conditions such as chronic joint and skin inflammations. The root contains bitter substances which are beneficial to the digestive process and also have an aperient effect. The sesquiterpene lactones may produce the choleretic action. The active principle is taraxacin, which is found in the whole herb, particularly the root, and stimulates bile secretion. The white sap may be applied directly to warts.

Other 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.. 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.

Warnings

Taraxacum is contraindicated where there is occlusion of the bile ducts or gall bladder empyema.

References

Bartram, T. 1995 Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, 1st edn.,Grace Publishers, Bournemouth.

Bremness, L. 1994 Herbs, Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Handbook, London.

BHMA 1983 British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, BHMA, Bournemouth.

Chevallier, A. 1996 The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants, Dorling Kindersley, London.

Grieve, M. 1931 A Modern Herbal, (ed. C.F. Leyel 1985), London.

Hoffmann, D. 1990 The New Holistic Herbal, Second Edition, Element, Shaftesbury.

Hyperhealth 1996 Natural Health and Nutrition Databank, v.96.1 CD-ROM, ©In-Tele-Health, available from Healthworks, Leeds. ISBN 0-646-30942-0

Lust, J. 1990 The Herb Book, Bantam, London.

Mabey, R. (ed.) 1991 The Complete New Herbal, Penguin, London.

Mills, S.Y. 1993 The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine, Penguin, London (First published in 1991 as Out of the Earth, Arkana)

Mills, S.Y. 1993 The A-Z of Modern Herbalism, Diamond Books, London.

Ody, P. 1993 The Herb Society's Complete Medicinal Herbal, Dorling Kindersley, London.

Polunin, M. and Robbins, C. 1992 The Natural Pharmacy, Dorling Kindersley, London.

Vickery, R. 1995 A Dictionary of Plant Lore, Oxford University Press.

Weiss, R.F. 1991 Herbal Medicine, Beaconsfield Arcanum, Beaconsfield.

Wren, R.C. 1988 Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations, C.W.Daniel, Saffron Walden.

Special thanks to www.purplesage.org.uk