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Articles The
Healing Properties of  Our
Local Weeds - Dandelion By Tania Tyler "What is a weed? A plant whose virtues
have not yet been discovered." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Many of our local weeds
contain valuable healing properties. As the warm weather approaches,
weeds will be filling our gardens and as time permits, these
same weeds will be pulled out and discarded (hopefully at least
composted). This article will highlight some of the usefulness
of our most common "weed". One of our most invasive garden weeds is the common
dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). The common name is derived
from the French "dent de lion" or lion's teeth, because
of the shape of its spiked leaves. As we all have have noticed,
the dandelion is one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring
and also lasts the longest into the fall season. Because of this
long season, dandelions are an important source of food for the
bees and honey  production.
The physical structure of the plant is interesting. Dandelion has
a long central root (tap root) with its leaves arranged to catch
water and direct it downwards to the root. Medicinal plants that
have a long root system have the ability to pull valuable minerals
and nutrients out of the soil and into the plant itself. The bright
yellow of the flowers attract bees and just under the flower head
are leaf-like petals (bracts) that help deter ants and other bugs
from damaging the flower or acquiring the pollen and nectar. It's
also amazing to note that as wide-spread as dandelion is, the plant
is not native to North America. The first mention of the medicinal qualities of
dandelion date back to Arabian physicians of the tenth and eleventh
century. The genus name, Taraxacum, is derived from the
Greek taraxos (disorder) and akos (remedy) due
to the plant's recognized healing actions. The species name, officinale,
means, "used in the office or the workshop." Both the
roots and leaves are used medicinally. Dandelion is most commonly used as a diuretic
(increases the flow of urine), hence its English nickname of "pissabeds".
Medicinal plants contain a balance of properties and constituents
whereas pharmaceuticals provide just the required chemicals to
create the desired effect (and in many cases, side-effects). Pharmaceutical
diuretics deplete the body of necessary minerals and nutrients,
especially potassium. The dandelion plant is very high in potassium
and other minerals so the body is not being robbed of vital nutrients
when dandelion is used as a diuretic. Dandelion is a very safe, valuable and useful
plant with many medicinal uses. It is considered a tonic (tones
the body), reduces water weight gain, a mild laxative, helps to
eliminate toxins from the blood, promotes healthy digestion and
will soothe an irritated stomach, acts as an anti-rheumatic, helps
support the liver and kidneys, keeps the bowels in a healthy condition,
stabilizes blood sugar, reduces blood pressure, has shown anti-tumor
properties and clears the skin of impurities. The milky juice from the stems and leaves acts
as a fungicide and has antibacterial properties. The juice has
been shown to be effective in the treatment of warts, corns, stings
and blisters. The dandelion plant contains one of the highest
levels of vitamin A of all greens and also contains high concentrations
of vitamin C, iron, calcium, potassium and electrolytes. Although dandelion is considered a "bitter",
and it is bitter, acquiring a palate for the flavor is easy. The
roots take on a kind-of nutty flavor when used as a tea. It is
important to note that bitters provide their healing qualities
from being bitter, they get the gastric juices flowing starting
at the mouth downward. To provide the most benefit, herbs considered
as bitters should not be sweetened or taken in capsule form. The young leaves can be used as salad greens or
cooked as you would spinach, the roasted roots as a healthy coffee
substitute or raw as a tea. Dandelion root tea is made with one
ounce of root to one pint of boiling water and steeped about 15
minutes. The flowers have been used throughout history to make
dandelion wine, they can be stir-fried as an interesting and colorful
change of vegetable or added raw to a salad. Dandelion flower tea
with a little honey can provide relief for headaches, menstrual
cramps, stomach aches and mild depression. When collecting any wild plants, there are a few
pointers to keep in mind. First and foremost, make sure you have
positively identified the plant. A valuable reference for identification
is a good field guide such as "A
Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central
North America" (Peterson Field Guides) by Steven Foster
and James Duke. Do not collect plants from areas where fertilizers
or pesticides have been applied and do not collect close to roadsides
as car exhaust creates toxins in the plants. This article may not help with your weeding woes,
but hopefully you look upon dandelion a little differently now
and maybe even give it a try for its health benefits. 
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