Featured Herb: Dandelion

One of the earliest herbs to send out leaves and flower in the spring is the easily overlooked Dandelion. Many people, especially city dwellers, look down on the "lowly" Dandelion, yet it may be one of the most important herbs for our modern times. Larger roots will be found in looser soil. Harvesters should know whether the ground they are harvesting from has had poison applied or not.
The Dandelion is one of the super-nutritive herbs, and should be thought of as a mild-acting, nutritional support for the body. The leaves and root are high in Vitamin A, Calcium and many trace minerals. The leaves can be eaten as a cooked green or made into a tea. The leaves have an overall diuretic effect for fluid congestion in general, water retention, and an aid in such conditions to relieve high blood pressure. The leaves are high in potassium which make them a good alternative to other diuretics that leach potassium out of the body. Otherwise the leaves are a milder version of the Root with the same uses.
The Dandelion Root is dug in the early spring or in the fall and made into tea or extract. The nutrients in the root mildly feed and stimulate the liver, making it a good preventative remedy for our modern times, when the liver is put under so much stress from toxins, faulty diet, etc. Taking a course of Dandelion Root, or using for a few days a week will aid the liver in its many functions. I tend to think of an herb like Milk Thistle for those who have known liver impairment, and the Dandelion as more widely usable for those who wish to keep the liver in good working order. It is an aid in liver congestion, hepatitis, gall bladder problems and formation of stones, and stimulates and promotes healthy bile.Its good effects on the digestive tract make it an aid in food allergies. Helps the body to assimilate fats, making it useful as a diet aid. A preventative in high cholesterol and arteriosclerosis.
Dandelion is thought of as a purifier in toxic conditions, especially with heat. Tendency to boils, sores and ulcers. Tonsillitis. Many types of acute or chronic infections with heat. Chronic viral oinfections. Chronic skin eruptions. A blood purifier for the toxins that aggravate arthritis, rheumatism and gout.
Used in general for chronic metabolic disorders; especially involving the liver, spleen and pancreas: cirrhosis, both high and low blood sugar, anemia.
Some other uses that have been studied for Dandelion include breast conditions (mastitis, breast tumors and cancer); and long-term for chronic sainus conditions. For chronic conditions, Dandelion must be taken over a period of time to get its good effects.
Dandelion is yet another of the herbs I will show folks as being very valuable and know right away that they think of it as too common of a "weed" to fool with; yet it is the very herb that they can gather fresh and free and may do them the most good.