Did you know the dandelion is a powerful anti-inflammatory healing plant that can relieve pain and help us to detox from the toxic loads that contribute to arthritis?

Dandelions are everywhere and even though gardeners hate them for messing up their laws we shouldn’t be so harsh on them. Our ancestors loved them for their medicinal benefits.
The latest research suggests our ancestors were right to regard this plant as a powerful arthritis healer, and here’s why.

The science backing dandelions arthritis healing power

Dandelions are a powerful anti-inflammatory.

Scientific proof comes from the August 2010 issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food which wrote that “dandelion leaf extract shuts down inflammatory pathways in mice.”

The study concluded…

“The anti-inflammatory effects of TOLs ( Taraxacum officinale leaves) are probably due to down-regulation of NO, PGE(2), and pro-inflammatory cytokines and reduced expressions of iNOS and COX-2 via inactivation of the MAP kinase signal pathway”.

Need more proof?
Here’s what the author of the book “Clinical Naturopathic Medicine”  Leah Hechtman,  says about these underappreciated plants. Dandelion greens “inhibit interleukins and other immune molecules that trigger inflammation. Controlling inflammation by suppressing COX-2 enzymes”.

More evidence comes from Korea med, which carries a study stating that dandelion possesses the therapeutic ability to eliminate heat, alleviate swelling, choleresis, and inflammation.
This nine-day trial found that oral administration of dandelion significantly alleviated arthritic symptoms in rats.
The study stated in conclusion that” dandelion was found to be effective in alleviating the inflammatory response and thus arthritic symptoms in arthritis induced rats.”

“Dandelion was found to alleviate the inflammatory response and arthritic symptoms in rats.”

The anti-cancer protection of dandelion greens

Published in the May 2008 edition of the International Journal of Oncology, the anti-carcinogenic activity of dandelion was investigated. The data suggested that dandelion extracts “may be of value as novel anti-cancer agents.” The most startling revelation was that the extracts of dandelion were found to block the invasion of both prostate and breast cancer cells.

How do I use dandelion?

Dandelion has been used to make medicine since before written records began. People used all of the plant, including the powerful root.
The leaves are undoubtedly the most versatile part of the plant for culinary uses, but there are also some great uses for the root too.

You will need to be selective when picking dandelions because the large older leaves are too bitter to eat and won’t taste good. I go for the smaller new shoots and mix these leaves into salads with lettuce, shallots, chives, clover flowers or anything else I have available.

My advice is to incorporate the leaves into a salad and match them up with whatever else you like!  Do what feels good, because If we had followed the good example set by our ancestors we’d still be eating these nutritious leaves today rather than looking down on them as inferior weeds.

Go easy on the number of dandelions you eat, these things are powerful. That doesn’t mean they are non-toxic if used responsibly but could give you problems due to their powerful diuretic effect.
As a general warning, pregnant women and those on medications need to take extra care when adding powerful healing plants to their diets.
There is an indication that some medicines may interact negatively with dandelions. Please do your research.

The leaves are good in soups, but my favorite way to use the leaves is in teas and smoothies. I like to brew them up and keep them as a cold filler liquid for smoothies, adding them to chia seed gels, or storing the unused tea in the fridge for later use. ~

I never throw anything away, especially not cold teas. 😉

Juicing Dandelions

When juicing I’ll usually add a large piece of fresh root or a small handful of small fresh leaves to the mix.  They can be quite bitter if you use too many so wash them thoroughly and always eat them as fresh as possible.

A nice handful of leaves is plenty for any juice combination but bear in mind that more delicate flavours may be overcome by the punchy dandelion flavour.
For an easy introduction to the world of dandelion eating you could go for a dandelion tea, or just eat the leaves raw as you pick them.
You will soon get hooked on the feeling of eating freshly picked dandelions, but please make sure you only eat dandelions from pristine environments.

Pesticides are everywhere and we still need to be mindful of this when we’re picking fresh foods in nature. Stay off the beaten track, don’t pick near industrial areas or highly farmed areas.

Fancy a tasty coffee alternative without caffeine?

The root of the dandelion can be used as a coffee substitute! And it actually tastes good?

My experiences of “dandelion coffee” have been pretty good and I enjoy the sharp nutty/ burnt flavor.
However, I’m not big on hot drinks or coffee, unless it’s winter,  so this isn’t my favorite year-round use for dandelion.

That’s just my personal preference so don’t be put off trying dandelion coffee because it’s uniquely awesome and free!

You can buy dandelion coffee ready-made or make your own!
Before we can make this delicious brew we need to roast the root to release the full flavor. The taste is quite pleasing, depending on the levels of roasting but trial and error should get you there eventually.

If you’re searching for an arthritis-fighting winter warmer or looking for a healthy coffee alternative then I seriously suggest giving dandelion coffee a go.

Other health benefits of the official remedy for disorders

No post on dandelions would be complete without explaining the origins of the name Taraxacum officinale. This is the really cool part because Taraxacum officinale translates as “the official remedy for disorders!”  How cool is that!

This astounding nod from our ancient past is evidence of the esteemed position this medicinal herb was held in by our ancestors.  Someone certainly knew their stuff all those centuries ago and must have observed the powerful healing effects of dandelion many times over.
The leaves and roots of dandelion are used in traditional healing practices all around the world and are well known to have a host of disease-fighting capabilities.

Internal Healing Applications of Dandelion

• Aid digestion
• kidney tonic
• Liver Tonic
• Antioxidant powerhouse
• cancer fighter
• lower blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Diuretic

External Healing Applications of Dandelions

• Soothe sore muscles
• Relieve achy arthritic joints
• Soften rough and chapped skin

Other Nutrients in Dandelions

One incredible number that sticks out like a dandelion on a perfectly manicured lawn is the extraordinary levels of Vitamin K.  100g of uncooked leaves contains 778.4 μg of Vitamin K.

That’s (741%) of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin K right in your garden for free!

Not impressed? You might be when you consider that Vitamin K is vital for building bone and calcium absorption. This is seriously important news for anyone suffering from arthritis or any other bone-related condition.

Vitamin K is essential to build strong and healthy bones and we should all have an eye on our intake of this vitamin. My supplement regime includes Vitamin K, especially in winter when the variety of fresh produce is reduced and cooking becomes the norm in the northern latitudes where I live.

Dandelions are also packed with organic calcium. 100g of uncooked dandelion leaves contains 20% of your daily calcium needs. Combine this with the vitamin K content and were looking at sure-fire arthritis and bone-building superfood.

The other really surprising nutrient fact is that dandelions have more beta-carotene than Carrots. 100g of fresh uncooked leaves provides about 200% of your daily nutritional requirement for this important antioxidant.

100g of uncooked Dandelions contains 741% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin k!

 

• Healing arthritis with dandelions

  vitamin C

• fibre
• potassium
• iron
• calcium
• magnesium
• zinc
• phosphorus
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin D
• Trace Minerals
• Protein
• Copper
• Beta-carotene
• Niacin
• Folate
• Choline

Dandelion [is] an example of a harmonious combination of trace elements, vitamins and other biologically active substances in ratios optimal for a human organism” (Hobbs 1985).

Conclusion

Herbal medicine belongs to us all!

When we eat plants like dandelions we feed ourselves from nature’s pharmacy, we treat them beautifully,  and in harmony with the resources we have been so generously given.
This rejoining with health and nature is as soothing as it is wholesome.

Take some time to reconnect and enjoy all of the healing beauty of the world around you, it’s so satisfying and the benefits are amazing.

Strange how we spray cancer-causing chemicals on dandelions and show them no appreciation

Precautions

As a general warning, pregnant women and those on medications need to take extra care when adding powerful healing plants to their diets.
There is an indication that some medicines may interact negatively with dandelions.
Please do your research.

References

http://www.koreamed.org/SearchBasic.php?RID=0142EN/2008.17.2.63&DT=1

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:MCBI.0000044364.73144.fe#page-1

http://www.koreamed.org/SearchBasic.php?RID=0142EN/2008.17.2.63&DT=1

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/health-benefits-eating-dandelion-greens-4433.html

 

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