Dandelion Tea Benefits
Dandelion flowerDandelion plant
Dandelion tea benefits to health are slowly getting the attention of health enthusiasts the world over.  While many consider the dandelion to be an aesthetic nuisance to a well-balanced garden, its defenders swear to the efficacy of its health benefits. Various parts of the dandelion part are known to possess antiseptic, anti-microbial, laxative, and diuretic properties.

The Herb

Also known by its scientific name of taraxacum officinale, the dandelion plant is a perennial herbaceous plant that commonly grows in the temperate regions of North America and Southern Europe.  While the genus contains a number of species, the dandelion plant known to many is typically distinguished by a flower that spans in color from a bright yellow to an equally-vibrant orange.  These flowers are resplendent during the daytime but are closed during the night.  The flowers are typically mounted by a leafless white stem that rises above the leaves.

People typically use dandelions as salad greens or as constituent parts of soups and other viands.

Components of Dandelion
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The common dandelion is an exceptionally nutritious food. Dandelion leaves and roots contain substantial levels of the following nutrients:
  • vitamin A;
  • vitamin C;
  • vitamin D;
  • vitamin B complex;
  • iron;
  • magnesium;
  • zinc;
  • potassium;
  • manganese;
  • copper;
  • choline;
  • calcium;
  • boron;
  • silicon  

In addition to these nutrients, the dandelion also contains a wide array of pharmacologically-active compounds that further add to the healing properties of the plant.  Among these are flavonoids (such as apigenin, isoquercitrin and luteolin), triterpenes, terpenoids, and sesquiterpenes.

How to make Dandelion Tea

The above healing elements are transferred to dandelion tea when the leaves or the roots are infused in a pot of hot water.  

Dandelion tea from the leaves of the plant is made by steeping it in hot water for about 15 minutes.  Dandelion tea can also be made by soaking the roasted roots of the plant for about 10 minutes. 

The medicinal actions of dandelion tea from either the leaves or the roots seem to generally target the digestive and eliminative systems of the body.
 
The following are Dandelion Tea’s more well-known health benefits:

  • Dandelion Tea is an agent for keeping optimum liver and kidney functions.
 
  • Dandelion Tea may help enhance detoxification by stimulating urination, as well as replacing the potassium lost to the increased volume of urine.

  • This drink, made from the leaf, is believed to be an agent for stimulating the release of bile from the liver into the gallbladder, hence aiding in the digestion of fat.
 
  • Dandelion tea is used to help in the health maintenance of those suffering from Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes.

  • Dandelion tea may be used for treatment of such liver disorders as hepatitis and jaundice.
 
  • Dandelion tea may be used for purifying the blood and cleansing the system.
 
  • It may also aid in relieving digestive disorders such as constipation and diarrhea.
 
  • Dandelion tea has properties that can help cleanse and improve the skin. 

  • Dandelion tea made from the roots may have potential promise in the area of fighting cancer.  Studies done in 2011 suggest that this drink may help induce apoptosis or cell death in melanoma cells while keeping non-cancerous ones safe.
"Dandelions, like all things in nature, are beautiful when you take the time to pay attention to them."
~ June Stoyer,
Journalist and Host
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