Dandelion — the yellow flower which is not simply growing everywhere. It is the real live drugstore which contains many valuable nutrients; thanks to them the plant has high therapeutic potential. Let's get acquainted closer with properties and application of the acquaintance by all since the flower childhood.
Structure and the operating components
The botanical name of a plant — a dandelion medicinal or ordinary (Taraxacum officinale W., Taraxacum vulgare). It is a grassy perennial, its bush grows from 5 to 40 cm in height.
Hollow tubules stalks support yellow fluffy flowers without leaves. The green, long and extended leaves with gear edge are collected in the socket. The plant in the first of May blossoms, blossoming continues 10–14 days.
The plant is considered a weed and meets everywhere — on meadows, fields, roadsides of roads. Grows in the countries of Europe and Asia, preferring a temperate climate. People use it in food, but first of all — as a source of various drugs.
Whether you know? The dandelion lives in one biological rhythm with the person: its flowers open to greet morning, and are closed for night rest in the evening.
Substances which are contained in roots:
- Sesquiterpenes (bitter substances): tarakasin, germakranolida.
- Triterpena and sterols: beta sitosterolglikozidy, taraksasterol, arnidol, faradiol.
- Flavonoids: glucoside of an apigenin, glucoside of a lyuteolin.
- Plentiful slime and salt of potassium.
- Inulin (from 2% to 40%).
Substances which are in leaves:
- Vitamins B and Page.
Medicinal properties
Than it is useful to an organism:
- The main pharmacological actions of a dandelion are: bile-expelling, diuretic, clarification of kidneys. Polyphenols are responsible for its bile-expelling and diuretic properties, their action amplifies inulins and salts of potassium.
Diuretic properties also leaves of cowberry, a wild strawberry, blackberry, a root of a parsnip, lyubistka have.
- From roots of a plant receive an extract for performing infusional therapy of diabetes.
- The cleaning and hepatoprotective properties of roots can be used for removal of toxins from blood and protection of a liver against the degeneration caused by food or chemical poisoning.
- Contained in a plant gelenin and vitamin A stimulate light absorption with pupils and are used for treatment of a night blindness.
- Inulin renders soft, osmotic laxative effect on work of an intestinal path.
- The cleaned and dried up young roots of a dandelion can be used as replacement of coffee. Drink from a root of a dandelion does not increase pressure, but reduces the level of cholesterol and sugar in blood.
From what helps:
- Insomnia, disorders of nervous system.
- Joint, bones and muscles pain.
- Eye diseases.
- Diseases of respiratory organs (bronchial asthma, tuberculosis).
- Skin diseases (eczema).
- Dysfunction of kidneys, liver and bladder.
- Atherosclerosis of blood vessels, hypertension, anemia, diabetes.
- Lack of a lactation at women during breastfeeding.
- Treatment of wounds, ulcers.
- During removal of toxins from an organism.
- At the exhausted immune system.
- Weak appetite.
Important! The dandelion can help to reduce sugar level in blood, but the patients taking medicine for treatment of diabetes have to be careful because their combination with some herbs can even lead to a hypoglycemia. Before beginning to use this plant, it is necessary to consult with the doctor.
Dandelion root: application in traditional medicine
The root contains such connections:
- inulin;
- tannic components;
- triterpena;
- essential oils;
- phytosterol;
- ascorbic acid;
- carotene;
- group B vitamins;
- it is well-cared also mineral salts (in particular, potassium).
Roots gather in the fall or in the spring. Backs are cleaned from the soil and washed out, big roots divide into small pieces, then dry. For drying the product is placed on paper in 1 layer. Drying is carried out on a draft in a shadow or in the drying camera at a temperature of 40-50 °C. An expiration date — up to 5 years.
Infusion from a dandelion root
Application: as the diuretic and all-strengthening means.
How to prepare:
- The tablespoon of the cut roots is filled in with 200 ml of boiled water.
- Liquid has to infuse for what it is covered and leave for 40 minutes.
- Infusion is filtered then in it add hot boiled water so that to fill amount of liquid to 200 ml.
- To accept 50–60 ml, 3 times a day in 20 minutes prior to food.
- Treatment has to be carried out within 30 days.
Ointment from a dandelion root
Application: at eczema, at knee pain.
How to prepare:
- To wash out twenty grams of roots (dry or fresh) under flowing water, to cut or pound small in a mortar.
- To add 80 g of olive oil to roots and it is good to mix.
- To leave ointment for 12 hours in the dark place at the room temperature.
- The received ointment should be stored in the fridge.
- To apply by method of rubbing in of ointment in a sore point, twice a day.
For weight loss
Human urine contains about 4% of fat, and the more it comes out an organism, the it is more than water and fat is removed. The dandelion which is natural diuretic thereby promotes loss of excess liquids.
In addition, it has few calories, but a set of useful nutrients; in particular, does not contain harmful carbohydrates.
At pancreatitis
Pancreatitis (inflammation of a pancreas) it is possible to treat by means of traditional medicine too. For a pancreas the dandelion is an excellent stimulator of production of insulin and therefore it is widely used in prevention and treatment of diabetes.
Learn how at pancreatitis recommend to apply oats, a train three-separate, an acorus root, repeshok ordinary, fennel seeds.
Usually resort to grass infusions and broths after knocking over of a phase of exacerbation of a disease or if the patient has a chronic pancreatitis of an initial form. Infusion from pancreatitis
Ingredients:
- 2 glasses of water;
- 50 g of a fresh root or 2–3 tablespoons of dried.
How to prepare:
- Add backs to hot water then bring to boiling, switch off fire and cover capacity for insisting within 2 hours.
- To accept ready broth on a half-glass shortly before food, 3 times a day. Course of treatment of 5 days.
Whether you know? The highest dandelion was found by Norwegian Byyorn Magne from the County of Hordaland. Height of a stalk of the green giant reached 108 centimeters. The plant was found during a Sunday campaign to the forest.
From cholesterol
High level of cholesterol is one of the main reasons provoking coronary heart disease. Cholesterol can collect in blood vessels, forcing arteries to harden and be narrowed that complicates blood circulation. Change of a diet is one of the easiest ways to prevent increase in level of cholesterol. Along with restriction of consumption of the products containing bad fats and inclusion in the menu of fruit and vegetables, it is possible to lower cholesterol the use of roots of a dandelion. During scientific research their impact on a living organism was studied.
At rabbits which were kept on such diet the content of the general cholesterol in blood, triglycerides and the LPNP bad cholesterol significantly decreased and also the amount of the LPVP useful cholesterol increased.
To keep health of heart and to prevent development of heart diseases it is possible a combination of regular physical activity and healthy food to daily reception of a root of a dandelion.
At oncology
The dandelion is rich with antioxidants thanks to what harmful effects of free radicals on an organism are prevented — free radicals are one of the major factors causing cancer. Lutein has strong impact on components of cancer cells, constraining their development. Results of clinical trials show that the root of a dandelion helps with treatment of a melanoma and leukemia. The endurance from a root kills cancer cells. Also the plant assists in cancer therapy of a mammary gland and prostate.
Important! Scientists it was revealed that at treatment of oncological diseases extract of a root of a dandelion works selectively and does not injure healthy cells of an organism.
From an ovary cyst
Backs of a dandelion are recognized as physicians, remedy for a cyst, effective for women. Broth from this root will promote reduction of volume of liquid in a bag of a cyst and will not allow them to be formed further. It is easy to prepare curative broths in house conditions.
Broth from a dandelion root for treatment of a cyst
How to prepare:
- To grind backs of a dried or fresh dandelion in powder.
- To fill up 1 h a spoon of the turned-out powder in a glass and to fill in up to the top with boiled water.
- To cover a glass with a saucer and to insist within 15 minutes.
- To filter broth through a small strainer or a gauze.
- To accept 1/3 glasses twice a day, for an hour till a breakfast or in 2 hours after a lunch.
- To drink for five days, to repeat a course of treatment monthly.
The broth prepared on a water bath for treatment of a cyst
How to prepare:
- Crush 2 averages of the size of a root of a dandelion a knife.
- Roots pour out in a saucepan, there add water half of liter.
- The saucepan is installed on a water bath, preparation continues 3 hours.
- Ready broth is cooled, filtered and poured in the closed capacity.
- Store broth in the fridge.
- To drink 3 tablespoons three times in a day. Reception time — in 60 minutes prior to food within 5 days monthly.
Whether you know? Each sunflower seed of a dandelion has the personal parachute thanks to which they are transferred to distance up to 5 km from a parental plant.
Whether it is possible to use a dandelion root at pregnancy
Not to do harm to the child, future mothers should apply drugs with care and under control of the doctor — even those which before pregnancy the woman could use without problems. Fortunately, the nature provided a number of herbs which are safe for pregnant women, in particular a dandelion. It is very useful source of vitamin A, calcium and iron thanks to which:
- supports work of a liver and kidneys;
- cleans an organism from harmful toxins and products of exchange;
- promotes emergence of milk and increase in a lactation in nursing mothers.
How to use a root for hair
The weak and splitting hair can be strengthened by means of a curative mask. This means not only treats hair, but also adds them gloss and health that will be visually noticeable after the first procedure.
Mask for improvement of hair
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of the crushed dandelion root;
- 2 tablespoons of seeds of a flax;
- 2.5 glasses of water;
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice;
- 1 tablespoon of honey;
- 1–2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar.
How to prepare:
- The crushed roots of a dandelion are boiled in 0.5 glasses of water within 4–5 minutes then they remove from fire and put aside aside.
- Seeds of a flax boil in 2 glasses of water within 4–5 minutes then remove from fire and filter for removal of sunflower seeds from the turned-out semi-fluid kissel.
- Add honey to hot linen broth and allow mix to cool down within 10 minutes.
- Unite linen broth, broth from dandelion roots, apple cider vinegar and juice of a lemon then well mix.
Instruction for application of a mask:
- Apply the prepared remedy on the washed-up hair.
- Hair wrap up in a plastic bag and hold mix on hair within 5 or 10 minutes.
- Hair wash out under warm water.
Important! To fixing of result and obtaining long-term effect this curative mask for hair is applied at every second washing of the head.
Coffee from dandelion roots: advantage or harm
As it was told above, this plant is an owner of mass of useful substances, vitamins and minerals. Therefore its consumption for the healthy person absolutely safely is also very useful. The only thing that can stop the consumer, is a peculiar bitter taste of drink. A recipe for coffee from dandelion roots
Ingredients for two portions:
- dandelion root — 4–5 teaspoons;
- cardamom — 2–3 pods or 1/2 teaspoons crushed in powder;
- cinnamon — a pinch;
- milk — 2–4 teaspoons;
- hot water — 200 ml for the portion.
How to prepare:
- To process a root of a dandelion and pods of cardamom in the coffee grinder (if cardamom powder is used, it is added later).
- The turned-out powder is filled in with boiled water, as well as at preparation of usual coffee, and brought to boiling.
- Add milk and a pinch of cinnamon to ready drink.
Contraindications and harm
Despite a variety of useful properties, a root of a dandelion it is safe not for all:
- It is contraindicated to use this plant at obstruction of bilious channels and an empiyema (pus accumulation) in a gall bladder.
- The latex which is available in juice of fresh plants can cause contact dermatitis.
- The dandelion can become the reason of excessive acidity of a stomach because of the stimulating action on a gastric secret — in this case it is recommended to use it together with mucous medicine in the form of oat kissel.
- At a hypertension or heart diseases before the use of this plant for obtaining diuretic effect it is necessary to consult surely with the doctor.
The elegant flavovirent dandelion stores the whole drugstore in the leaves, flowers and roots. But correctly to use this curative perennial plant and positively to influence the disease course, patients need previously to learn the opinion of the qualified doctor.