Information About Dandelion Pills

The gangly plant known as dandelion grows throughout the world, annoying those of us who may be intent on achieving a perfect lawn. The plant usually shoots up to around 12 inches, and has yellow flowers that bloom year-round. When it becomes mature, a dandelion turns into a puffball filled with seeds that blow in the wind. The leaves and root are used to make herbal supplements.

But eating dandelion greens became linked in this country with the poverty of the Depression. What followed the Depression was a desire for a clear, beautiful manicured lawn, so there went the dandelion.

During the past few years, however, there has been a resurgence in interest in the divine vine by chefs, nutrition scientists, natural foods enthusiasts, alternative medicine entrepreneurs and academics who have begun to re-explore the potential treasures in their own backyards.

Identification

• Dandelion is technically known as Taraxacum officinale, or in other words, "The Official Remedy for Disorders." It is also referred to in any number of ways, including lion's tooth, fairy clock, priest's crown, swine's snout, blowball, milk gowan, wild endive, wet-a-bed, white endive, canker wort, puffball and Irish daisy. Its use as a powerful healing agent is well respected throughout the world. It even appears in the U.S. National Formulatory, and in similar drug formula collections in Hungary, Poland, Switzerland and the Soviet Union. It is also one of the top six herbs recommended in the Chinese herbal medicine chest.

  The U.S. Department of Agriculture describes the dandelion as nature's richest green vegetable source of beta-carotene, from which Vitamin A is created, and the third richest source of Vitamin A of all foods, after cod-liver oil and beef liver. The dandelion is also steeped in fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and the B vitamins, thiamine and riboflavin, and is a good source of protein.

History of the Dandelion as a Medicine

• The actual word, dandelion, first showed up as a respectable medicine is in the works of the Arabian physicians of the tenth and eleventh centuries. They called it a wild endive, like the salad fixings of today. It is also mentioned in the Welsh medical books of the thirteenth century. Chinese herbalists did not catch onto dandelion's medical benefits until the seventh Century. It didn't show up in Europe until 1485.

  American frontier healers recommended dandelion as a spring tonic, and it is said that it saved the lives of the pioneers in winter because of its high vitamin content. Brought to America from Europe, it soon became a weed that would grow everywhere.

  Native Americans made use of the dandelion for treating acne, eczema and hives. The Pillager-Ojibwa Indians would make a dandelion root tea to treat heartburn, while the Cherokee used the tea to calm nerves. The Iroquois used dandelion for everything from anemia, to constipation, to pain and water retention. Many tribes chewed the dried sap like chewing gum and even roasted the root as a coffee substitute.

  In 1748, a man traveling in French Canada discovered that the roots of the dandelion could be used in a salad as a tonic.

  The dandelion was introduced by the Spanish into the New Mexico area of this country around 1820. In the mid-eighteenth century in Pennsylvania, a group of Mennonites brought dandelion with them when they fled religious persecution in Germany. They used the roots for kidney and liver problems. The Shakers, in the mid-nineteenth century U.S., also used the herb for liver problems.

  But despite all this history, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to treat the dandelion as a lowly weed. The agency's official position is, "There is no convincing reason for believing it possesses any therapeutic virtues." But many herbalists of today disagree with that assessment.

Characteristics

• The actual dandelion plant is a variable perennial that grows to a height of around 12 inches. Its leaves are shaped like a spatula with deep ridged edges and arranged in a circle at the base. The yellow blooming flowers exist for most months of the year. The actual flowers are extremely sensitive to light and open with the sunrise and close as the sun goes down. The flowers also respond to the weather, by opening up when the weather is sunny, and closing when the weather is wet. When maturation time occurs, the petals dry up and form a puffball. Inside that ball are seeds light enough for the wind to simply disperse throughout the area, hence the dandelion's reputation for being an unmanageable weed.

  The plant is believed to have originated in Asia and spread throughout the world, choosing cooler climates and moist, nitrogen-rich soils at altitudes of less than 6,000 feet. The root is the part most commonly used, but the leaves and the whole plant can also be used. Many people use dandelion for medicinal purposes, but still more eat it as part of their diet, or make it into a drink. The leaves can be put into raw salads and sandwiches, or can be used to make tea. The dandelion's roots are often used as a coffee substitute, and the flowers form the basis for homemade wine and schnapps.

Effects

• Dandelion supplementation in any form is not recommended for children, adolescents, elderly or chronically ill people, pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding and anyone with acute stomach inflammation, irritable bowel or any digestive ailments or sensitivities, or allergies. Diabetics should carefully monitor their blood sugar since dandelion may affect those levels.

  Doctors who have looked into the dandelion as a medial supplement, have come up with a list of people who should not take the pills or the tea, without consulting them first. The list includes those with gallbladder problems, diabetics, individuals who take medicine to control blood sugar levels, diuretics or anticoagulants.

  Also, before ingesting dandelion, talk to your doctor if you have allergies (especially to plants) or if you have any other medical conditions or take other medicines or other herbal and health supplements.

  Dandelion as a medicine has not yet been evaluated by the FDA for its safety, effectiveness or purity. Also, there are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for these pills. But there have been instances in the past where herbal and health supplements have been sold which were contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. There was a 1966 case of a patient who developed intestinal blockage from ingesting a large amount of dandelion greens three weeks after undergoing a stomach operation. The website, Revolution Health reports that there have been reports of parasitic infection after swallowing contaminated dandelion, which affects the liver and the bile ducts, and is characterized by fever, stomach ache, vomiting, loss of appetite, coughing and ultimately liver damage. Finally, herbal and health supplements should always be bought from a reliable source in order to minimize the risk of contamination.

Dandelion Pills

• Sales of freeze dried dandelion pills, tinctures and extracts have increased by 5 to 10 percent annually over the past three years, and they actually cracked the $1 million barrier in 2000, according to the "Nutrition Business Journal." But the journal's research director, Patrick Rea, says that it is still a small market compared to other supplements.

  Dandelion pills are used as a diuretic, to regulate blood glucose, liver and gall bladder disorders, as an appetite stimulant, to calm an upset stomach (dyspepsia) and constipation. Since it has been touted as having a role in fat metabolism, dandelion is sometimes a major ingredient in herbal weight loss pills.

  There are no medical studies showing that dandelion helps in weight loss. But there are many, many other medicinal benefits from this weed. In fact, dandelion pills are well known and widely accepted throughout Europe. The European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP) recommends dandelion root for indigestion and loss of appetite, and in Germany an expert panel known as Commission E recommends products containing dandelion for treatment of liver disorders, appetite loss, indigestion and fluid retention.

  Women that suffer from premenstrual syndrome may find that the diuretic action of dandelion helps relieve symptoms of bloating and water weight gain.

  Dandelion flowers are also an excellent source of lecithin, a nutrient that elevates the brain's acetylcholine, which helps maintain brain function and may play a role in slowing or even stopping the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Lecithin also helps the body to keep the liver healthy, and it is the recommended herb for liver detoxification.