Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
Personality:
This is a tenacious plant which can regrow successively from its strong, deep tap root, when the leaves and flowers are cut. It has a long flowering season and is adaptable to a wide range of habitats. Dandelion is a very common plant and a difficult weed but also one of our most useful herbs, with distinct actions from its roots and its leaves.
Sources:
Dandelion is easy to find, to identify and to harvest. It would therefore be a pity to buy it when you can find a fresh source without any problem. The root can be a little difficult to dry, but if you cut it into small pieces and dry it in a warm airy place, you should have no problems, building up a supply.
Anecdotes:
I have experimented with using dandelion (leaf and root) in the ‘detox tea’, which I give to the drug users and alcoholics, who I see as patients. Its cleansing action on the liver and kidneys seem ideally suited to this purpose.
Uses & Actions :
The leaves are used to increase the output of urine through the kidneys. During this process (diuresis), valuable potassium is normally lost from the body. When one uses dandelion leaves, potassium levels actually increase, because they are a rich natural source of this mineral. The root is regarded as a tonic for the liver and increases the output of bile, which is produced in the liver, and contains metabolic waste products. The overall use of the plant is therefore as a detoxifying herb and the root and leaf may be taken together for the combined cleansing action on liver and kidneys.
Dosage & Preparations:
The leaves are usually taken as an infusion and the root as a decoction (boiled in water for several minutes). I sometimes powder chunks of root in a coffee grinder and make a root infusion this way. I feel that this gives a better extraction. Tinctures of both the root and leaf are available, but it seems a pity to take alcohol with a remedy aimed at assisting the liver. Dose 1 tsp/cup.