Herb of the Month:

Dandelion

Root (Liver stimulant):

Let’s start with the root. Dandelion root is a safe and effective liver stimulant. It increases bile flow and hepatocyte activity. This helps you “detox”, but we’re not talking about a “cleanse” here. Dandelion works steadily and gently, not in a forceful, overriding way – it keeps the waste drainage running smoothly, so you clear out what needs to be disposed of. Improving liver function has effects that show up all throughout the body – it can reduce rashes, improve skin presentation, and reduce constipation. It also helps with hormonal balance, because some of the “waste” the liver has to process is in fact excess hormones which need to be eliminated, so dandelion can even help with PCOS and PMS.

Dandelion root is good in a decoction (2-4 cups per day) or tincture (1-4 droppersful, 3 times per day). It works even better when combined with other herbs.

Leaf (Kidney support - this is what is available currently at the office!):

Dandelion is a classic spring tonic herb, with what herbalists call an “alterative” action. This means it improves the quality of the circulating fluids, and in the case of #dandelion, it does this in several ways. We’ve already mentioned the liver effects of the root, so today let’s focus on the leaves and their kidney-supporting actions.

Dandelion leaf is diuretic and kidney-supportive, and quite mineral-rich as well. Though it increases urination and therefore does cause some mineral loss, it provides enough potassium, calcium, and other minerals to replace what is excreted – and then some! So, the net effect is nutritive. You can even just eat dandelion greens as food! They add a bitter note to a salad.

This herb is particularly helpful for chronic stagnant conditions, where the quality of the blood needs improving AND the fluid quantity in the system is excessive. The draining, drying effect of dandelion leaf is very useful to counter the high blood pressure which comes with damp boggy conditions like edema.

Flower (Great mood booster!)

So far as I can tell, dandelion flower is a rather under-appreciated remedy.

A tincture of the dandelion flower is an exhilarant, which means that it lifts your spirits and elevates your mood. (I really wouldn’t use the term “antidepressant” for it, though, due to all the pharmaceutical/pathological/neurotransmitter-centric connotations that term has for people in our culture.) As a bright, yellow, sunny herb, dandelion flower can be particularly helpful in the dull grey months of winter. But dandelion flower is a good ally whenever you feel like everything’s cold and clouded-over, no matter the time of year.

Dandelion flowers can be eaten just as they are, and are great when added to salads along with the greens. They can be infused into honey, which just nearly glows when it’s done, and are a fantastic ingredient in an herbal elixir. When you strain them out, fry those honeyed heads into sweet fritters! And of course, there’s also dandelion wine, made from the flower heads (carefully removing the green bits beneath), sugar, and yeast in a simple home fermentation.

I hope you have enjoyed learning about these amazing herb alongside me so far! Many more to come!