Dandelion

Taraxacum officinalis i– Dandelion, common dandelion
Asteraceae, formerly Compositae – Aster family, formerly composite

The raw material is the dandelion root – Taraxaci radix, the dandelion root and herb – Taraxaci radix cum herba and the dandelion leaf – Taraxaci folium. The root is harvested in the late autumn, cleaned and dried in natural conditions (shaded and ventilated) or in drying rooms in max. 30° C. The leaves and the root and herb are harvested before blooming, cleaned and dried whole or cut in the same conditions.

Dandelion – appearance and origin:

The plant is commonly found in temperate zones of Europe, Asia and North America; in Poland it is a common weed on lawns, meadows, roadsides and wastelands. The plant contains a white, milky juice. The taproot is thick, weakly branched. The shoots grow up to 50 cm, hollow, leafless, erect or rising. The leaves are basal, lanceolate, deeply serrated, up to 15 cm long. The flowers are yellow rays, embedded in the flat bottom of the flower head. Blooms from April to September. Melliferous.

Dandelion – effects and use:

The root contains bitter sesquiterpenic compounds (glycoside of the taraxin acid and taraxadiol), triterpenes (β-amyrin, taraxasterol, taraxacoside), inulin, phytosterols, potassium salts.
The milky juice from the fresh root contains polyterpenes, resins and bitter compounds, which are not fully known.

The dandelion leaf, apart from triterpene compounds, contains apigenin- and luteolin-derived flavonoids, phenolic acids (caffeic acid), carotenoids, potassium, magnesium and silicon compounds; young leaves contain vitamin C and B vitamins.

The dandelion root and products made from it have choleretic and cholagogic activity, are beneficial for the liver (i.a. in cirrhosis), the small intestine and the duodenum. They remove excess cholesterol and triglycerides and prevent the formation of gallstones. They also remove excess water from the body and the sensation of swelling, cleanse the blood from deposits and residuals after poisoning; they stimulate the removal of toxins created in metabolic processes (e.g. during weight loss).

Dandelion improves digestion, reduces fat absorption, binds food fats and facilitates fat burning. Dandelion root, herb and leaf infusions have diuretic activity and stimulate the appetite. They help to cleanse the body from toxins and nitrogen compounds. Due to a high inulin content, both the root and leaf of dandelion can be used in combinations for diabetics as they reduce the blood glucose level, especially in the beginning stage of diabetes.

The dandelion root is an ingredient of products with choleretic, anti-diabetic, laxative and metabolism-enhancing activity, used in respiratory catarrhs.

The dandelion flower as an infusion or syrup can be used for chronic upper respiratory cattarhs. Fresh root juice is used for indigestion, liver and vesicle failure, and as an aid in kidney failure.

Dandelion also has a toning effect on the skin and counteracts liver dermatosis (dark spots on face, hands), skin illnesses (herpes, psoriasis, dandruff, eczema, acne, boils, mycosis), hemorrhoids, paradontosis, rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, gout. It can be used for diseases of the hematopoietic system.

In the spring, the dandelion leaves and root produce a substance used for treating pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. The renowned Planta Medica journal published results from a 1974 study that confirmed the beneficial, diuretic effect of dandelion, and a German 1959 study proved the plant's cleansing activity on liver tissue and bile secretion stimulation.