Common Name: Dandelion
Parts used: The whole plant
Identification Notes:The leaves are hairless unlike similar looking plants.
How used:
This humble backyard herb provides (%of RDA/100g)-
9% of dietary fiber,
19% of vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine),
20% of Riboflavin,
58% of vitamin C,
338% of vitamin A,
649% of vitamin K,
39% of iron and
19% of calcium.
Dandelion herb health benefits
-
Fresh dandelion greens,
flower tops, and roots contain
valuable constituents that are known to have anti-oxidant, disease
preventing, and health promoting properties.
-
Fresh
leaves are very low in calories; providing just 45 calories per 100
g. It is also good source of dietary fiber (provide about 9%
of
RDA per 100 g). In addition, its latex is a good
laxative. These
active principles in the herb help reduce weight and control
cholesterol levels in the blood.
-
Dandelion root as well as
other plant parts contains
bitter crystalline compounds Taraxacin,
and an acrid resin,
Taraxacerin. Further, the
root also contains inulin
(not insulin) and levulin.
Together, these compounds are responsible for various therapeutic
properties of the herb.
-
Fresh dandelion herb
provides 10161
IU of
vitamin-A per 100 g, about 338% of
daily-recommended intake, one of the highest source of
vitamin-A among
culinary herbs. Vitamin
A is an
important fat-soluble vitamin and anti-oxidant, required for
maintaining healthy mucus membranes
and skin and vision.
-
Its
leaves are packed with numerous health benefiting flavonoids such as
carotene-β,
carotene-α, lutein, crypto-xanthin and
zea-xanthn. Consumption of
natural foods
rich
in vitamin-A and flavonoids (carotenes) helps body protect from lung
and oral cavity cancers. Zeaxanthin has photo-filtering functions and
protects retina from UV rays.
-
The herb is good source
of
minerals like potassium,
calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium.
Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids, which
helps regulate heart rate and blood pressure. Iron is essential for red
blood
cell production. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the
antioxidant enzyme, superoxide
dismutase.
-
It is also rich in many
vital
vitamins including folic acid, riboflavin, pyridoxine, niacin, vitamin
-E and vitamin-C that are essential for optimum health. Vitamin-C is
a powerful natural antioxidant. Dandelion greens provide 58% of
daily-recommended levels of vitamin-C.
-
Dandelion
is probably the
richest
herbal
sources of vitamin
K;
provides about 650% of DRI. Vitamin-K has
potential role in bone mass building by promoting osteotrophic
activity in the bones. It also has established role in the treatment of
Alzheimer's
disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in the brain.
This humble backyard herb provides (%of RDA/100g)-
9% of dietary fiber,
19% of vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine),
20% of Riboflavin,
58% of vitamin C,
338% of vitamin A,
649% of vitamin K,
39% of iron and
19% of calcium.
Dose: As you can see it is packed nutritionally and can be taken in many forms. In salads, in soups, dried and made into a tea. The raw leaves are less bitter in the spring but cooked like spinach it is less so.
Document Results:We make a tea from the dried leaves, cook the spring leaves with spinach, and currently have a Tincture in the cupboard..
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