Dandelion
Let us imagine a field full of dandelions. The powerful sun-like yellow color emites energy, reminding us that the dandelion is not just an ordinary garden herb, but it is one of nature’s miraculous treatments.
Description
Dandelion or “Taraxacum officinale” is a well known herb that came from Greece. Old books about herbal medicine state that in order to have a shiny complexion, women used to use an infusion obtained by boiling the herb and its root. Nowadays, dandelion is consumed mostly in Japan, Italy, France, India and the USA. The whole herb has a curative effect. Raw or dry dandelion roots eaten with tea have a cleansing effect, stimulating digestion and the urinary system. They fluidize the blood and are considered to be an excellent remedy against thickened blood. A high appreciated salad with a distinctive bitter taste and containing more nutritive substances than spinach or tomatoes is prepared from its fresh leaves. With its 45 cal/100g, dandelion contains 2,8% protids, 7,5% glucids, vitamins (A, B2, C, D and G) and minerals (potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus and iron). It is widely used either as a laxative or a natural diuretic or as an ingredient in the process of preparing the coffee (it can be added to regular coffee in order to enrich its taste or to prepare a drink similar to coffee or tea).
Properties
From a pharmaceutical point of view, the herb has many qualities: cholagogus, choleretic, alkalizing, laxative, diuretic, venotonic and astringent. The root contains a bitter compound – taraxacina – pectins, and sterols, vitamins B1, C and D, inulin, tannin and reshines. With a high amount of vegetal fibers, dandelion prevents the unwanted assimilations of glucose and facilitates the elimination of feaces. The contained potassium is responsible for the diuretic action. Dandelion also contains curative substances which are very important for treating metabolism disorders.
The substances contained by dandelion stimulates the stomach’s activity as well as the liver’s and bile’s, causing a high diuresis and helping an organism to eliminate, trough urine, the toxic products of metabolism. Dandelion can be successfully used in cases of hypoacid gastritis, dyspepsia, biliary dischinesis and for preventing the formation of renal calculi. The diuretic effect also helps eliminate the renal calculi. Trough the diuresis it causes, dandelion eliminates toxins and indirectly helps treat eczema and other skin diseases.
Because of the contained vitamins A and C, dandelion is also known as an anti-oxidant and anti-cancer agent.
Mixtures and treatments
Dandelion is recommended as an adjuvant in all the diseases that involve a glandular disequilibrium. Because of these qualities, the specialists are using it to successfully treat liver diseases. And its effect? It increases the biliary secretion, regulates the blood circulation and stimulates the appetite when in convalescence periods. Because of its diuretic action, it eliminates toxins efficiently. This way, it indirectly treats eczemas and other skin diseases, gout, rheumatism, atherosclerosis, varices, etc. It reduces the level of cholesterol. Dandelion is also efficient in treating the hepatic dermatosis, cleaning the blood from impurities and calming rheumatic pains. Here are some of its uses:
Consumed as a drink or as salad, dandelion is a great remedy. A healthy salad can be prepared from a handful of dandelion leaves mixed with parsley and dill, oil and vinegar. It can be consumed two or three times a day, before primary meals.
Decoct for lowering the cholesterol level: 15g of leaves and 15g of roots must be boiled in one liter of water for 30 minutes and it can be consumed a cup before each primary meal.
Dandelion juice is obtained from hashed and pressed dandelions. If it’s consumed immediately and in high quantities, the juice has a remarkable effect over the blood, by purifying it and enriching it with iron.
In cases of liver disorders the following recipe can be applied: 25g of leaves and 25g of roots must be boiled in one liter of water for 30 minutes. It must be consumed before each meal, one cup only.
Against anorexia and constipation, 20g of leaves and 20g of roots must be boiled in one liter of water and the product must be left for 24 hours, before consuming it, one cup before each meal.
To ameliorate the acne and cellulite 25g of leaves and 25g of roots can be boiled for 5 minutes in one liter of water and left to infuse another 10 minutes.
The decoct obtained from the hole herb is used to treat cataract. 10g of leaves, roots, flowers and stalks must be boiled in 3/4 liter of water for 20 minutes. The fresh mixture is then used to wash the area around the eye 4 or 5 times a day.
For treating greasy hair, the following recipe can be applied: fresh and hashed dandelion leaves must be applied on the dry hair and left there over night. The following morning, the hair must be washed with shampoo.
For attenuating freckles it is recommended to use dandelion juice or a lotion prepared as follows: 15g of fresh flowers and leaves, boiled for 10 minutes in 1/2 liter of water.
