Dandelion is a Eurasian flowering plant which is cultivated for not only for its beauty but because of its numerous medicinal and health benefits.
This plant maybe more popular as an ornament, but it is one of the top six herbs Chinese herbal medicine. It even earns the official name Taraxacum officinale which literally means “Official Remedy for Disorders.”
Here are some of the known health benefits of dandelion:
1. It helps to promote bone health.
Dandelion is loaded with calcium which is an important mineral for bone health and development. It is also rich in vitamins C and Luteolin. These are potent antioxidants that help to protect your bones from deterioration and damage due to the effects of free radicals.
2. It helps to protect your liver from disorders.
This plant is also rich in substances which help to keep your liver in top shape. These substances include vitamin-C, Luteolin, Triterpenes and Taraxasterol.
Dandelion also helps to reduce the effects of fatty foods that can trigger heartburn and indigestion.
3. It helps to lower your risk from diabetes.
Dandelion juice helps to stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin to keep your blood sugar level low. Its bitter taste also helps to lower the sugar level in the blood, and its diuretic properties induce frequent urination which can help to remove excess sugar from the body.
4. It helps to protect you from urinary disorders.
Being packed with diuretic and disinfectant properties, dandelion helps to clean your kidneys and urinary tract from toxic substances which can cause urinary disorders. It also helps to protect your urinary system from infections by inhibiting the growth of microorganisms in the urinary tract.
5. It helps to keep your skin in good health.
The sap of dandelion, known as dandelion milk, is highly alkaline in nature and it contains fungicidal, germicidal and insecticidal properties. It is highly effective in treating microbial and fungal infections of the skin such as ringworm, eczema and other skin diseases.
6. It helps to treat acne.
Being rich in detoxifying, diuretic, stimulant, and antioxidant properties, dandelion juice is useful in treating acne. It works by regulating the proper secretion of hormones that help to facilitate the removal of toxic substances through urination and increased sweating.
7. It helps to facilitate weight loss.
Being an effective diuretic, dandelion helps to facilitate weight loss through the excretion urine that contains four percent fats.
8. It helps to lower your risk from cancer.
Being rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C and Luteolin, dandelion neutralizes the effect of free radicals which are the main contributors of degenerative diseases such as cancer.
9. It helps to lower your risk from anemia.
Dandelion is loaded with iron, protein and lots of B vitamins which are necessary in the formation of red blood cells and other components of the blood.
10. It helps to lower your risk from jaundice.
By promoting urination, dandelion helps to remove excess bile from the body to protect you from jaundice. It also helps to maintain the health of your gall bladder and keeps it protected from oxidants and infections.
11. It helps to lower your risk from high blood pressure.
Frequent urination and the increased volume of urine are believed to be a factor in lowering blood pressure. With its diuretic properties, dandelion helps to lower your risks from hypertension.
It is also loaded with fiber and potassium which play different roles in regulating your blood pressure. Fiber helps to reduce cholesterol levels in the body while potassium works to keep your blood pressure under in the low.
