You have seen those yellow flowers in spring popping up all over the place. Dandelions (Taraxacum Officinale) are a plant that grows rampant in many places.
Unfortunately, when people see dandelions in the wild, they often wonder about their purpose and erroneously think them useless. They appear to be weeds with little practical use, yet there are numerous dandelion recipes for tea and other uses that might surprise you.
Is dandelion tea good for you?
If you look up the dandelion tea benefits, you are in for a big surprise.
Dandelion is a mighty plant with a huge array of benefits.
If dandelions were rare and fragile, people would knock themselves out to raise them by hand in greenhouses, and form dandelion societies and all that. But, they are everywhere and don’t need us and kind of do what they please. So we call them weeds and murder them at every opportunity.
Robert Fulghum
Curious about how you might be able to use dandelions in your food or drink?
Or maybe you are skeptical about the other uses of dandelion and if you can go outside and chomp on the plants, you may be wondering:
Is there a special process or part of the dandelion plant to use?
Here we will list of some dandelion root health benefits.
We will also talk about the dandelion tea leaf and root benefits and ways you can make this seemingly useless plant work wonders for your wellbeing with some easy dandelion recipes.
Potent Dandelion Health Benefits and Properties
The list of dandelion health benefits is impressive.
You would’ve never guessed it can boast the following health benefits for so many body parts and systems.
So, if you’ve wondered:
What’s dandelion tea good for?
Here are some amazing dandelion tea properties and health benefits.
Dandelion has 650% of the daily recommended vitamin K dosage. Vitamin K naturally found in dandelions has bone strengthening and osteoblastic activity benefits that have shown promising signs of limiting neuron damage in the brain and stopping the progression of Alzheimer’s symptoms.
This super plant has health boosting levels of potassium for cell body fluid health.
Additionally, calcium and iron found in dandelion boost red blood cell production and improve your body’s health.
Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale) is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory superfood that is a wonderful addition to your wellness routine for immunity and overall health.
Vitamin A, flavonoids, and Zeaxanthin help with everything from lung and oral cancer suppression to retina health.
In addition, the prebiotic characteristics of dandelions help to support digestive health and the regular flow of bile through your system to keep the body flushed out. Dandelion tea detox is highly recommended!
Regular daily intake of dandelion tea has been proven to help in the maintenance of diabetes. Studies have shown that dandelion root benefits include lowering blood sugar and being a good supplement for those with sugar imbalance concerns.
The nutrient composition of dandelion has been noted to improve the gallbladder and liver concerns.
If you have urinary tract concerns such as infections, adding dandelion to your diet can help support health in this area of the body.
Knowing exactly what dosage of the dandelion root or dandelion leaves you need is important to claim all these powerful dandelion tea benefits.
Dandelion Recipes and Uses
Dandelion Leaves Recipes – Tea or Flavoured Dish?
Apart from making tea from dandelion leaves, you can also eat them, like any other salad green, or cook them for a unique flavoured dish.
However, this bitter, earthy-tasting green is better when picked early as they get more bitter as their growing season progresses.
When foraging wild dandelions, be sure they are in non-chemically treated areas. Many places do spray for mosquitos or weeds to manage landscapes. You do not want any of those detrimental chemicals on the dandelions you wish to consume, so be super diligent if foraging these yourself.
Sauté dandelion leaves with a simple olive oil, salt, and pepper for an amazing side dish.
Or, as a pesto, just grinding up the dandelion leaves and adding them to your favourite pesto recipe works great!
Finally, use raw green dandelion leaves in your salad to add a bit of flavour.
Try a little experimenting with this green for the best flavour and your personal preferences.
We’re sure you’re going to love it!
Dandelion Tea Recipe for Weight Loss
One of the great uses of dandelion tea is for weight loss.
The latex in dandelion is a wonderful natural laxative, without any processed chemicals that many laxatives on the market contain today.
Additionally, the dandelion tea for weight loss has many active ingredients that promote lower cholesterol and weight loss properties.
Dandelion leaf extract diuretic properties should also encourage you to use dandelion tea to lose weight.
Now, of course, this is not a magic fat-burning cure but combined with a healthy diet and exercise routine, dandelion root tea or dandelion root extract would help weight loss efforts.
The question you could be probably asking now is:
What does dandelion tea taste like?
Sure, most health items can be horrid to eat or drink.
Don’t worry!
We have a few amazing dandelion recipes that are sure to make your tastebuds happy.
Dandelion Recipes Favourite: How to Make Fresh Dandelion Tea
Dandelion tea is a wonderful caffeine-free alternative to coffee.
However, this tea has a similar bitter taste, and when roasted, it can even have a similar taste like coffee!
Below you will find some wonderful recipes for dandelion tea.
How Much Dandelion Root to Take
Knowing how much dandelion root to take is important to ensure the best dandelion tea health benefits.
If you pick fresh dandelions, they should be taken from areas that have not been sprayed with chemicals. Then, do the following:
- Wash the dandelion roots.
- Boil for 2 minutes, then peel the tough outer layer.
- After removing the outer shell of the dandelion root, you will want to boil for another 5 minutes up to 8 minutes for exceptionally large roots.
- At this stage, you can add them to other greens and consume them.
- Daily recommendation: About 2 to 8 grams of fresh dandelion roots can be eaten daily.
- If you are going to dry dandelions out and use them for tea infusion, about 1 to 2 tablespoons made into a tea, extract, or the like is recommended.
In case you are not a fan of DIY, you can buy Dandelion Root tea here.
The best rule of thumb for dosing is to look at why you are taking dandelion and look at recommendations listed above.
Remember that overdosing can be just as detrimental as doing nothing for your health, so be sure to read about dandelions and assess your needs before adding this or other any other herbs to your routine.
Of course, even if you did the research but experience anything out of the normal when you start using dandelion root or leaves for tea, discontinue usage and consult a professional for feedback and adjustments in dosage.
Roasted Dandelion Root Tea Recipe
- Get a cup of dandelion root and roast in the oven for approximately 4 to 5 minutes in a 350-degree oven. The roasting is complete when dandelion root has a strong roast aroma.
- Then, using your favourite fresh press or tea diffuser, allow the roasted dandelion root to be steep in water before pressing or draining.
- Roasted dandelion root tea is bitter, so add your favourite creamer, sweetener, or the like to your best flavour profile.
Enjoy your dandelion tea…or dandelion coffee, right?!
Every-part Dandelion Tea Recipe
Do you have fresh dandelion leaves and roots?
- Before you begin boiling or drying, you can throw some of those dandelion leaves, flowers, and root pieces into boiling water.
- Add a little hibiscus and cinnamon as you let it simmer for 3 minutes.
This makes for a milder-tasting fun dandelion tea.
Iced Lemon Dandelion Recipe
- Add a quart of dandelion leaves to a cup of hot water.
- Then, add 2-3 dried stevia leaf (to taste if you like);
- Add ½ cup raspberry leaf (optional)
- And then prepare 3 quarts of cold water and 3-4 juiced lemons.
- Pour the hot water over the sweetener and raspberry leaves and let the mixture steep for up to 8 minutes.
- Pour in cold water with lemons, and mix the steeped liquid together, adding the dandelion leaves.
- Cool for a few hours and serve fresh!
A Few Other Delicious Dandelion Recipes
Tempura Dandelion Blooms
For this tempura dandelion blooms, you will need:
One egg, three tablespoons of white rice, a pinch of sea salt, four tablespoons of ice-cold water, and two cups of fresh dandelions.
- Heat a deep fryer and bring it up to 350 degrees.
- Mix all the ingredients into a runny mixture.
- Dip the tops of dandelions in the mixture and drop them into the deep fryer. This will only take a couple of seconds and then remove with a slotted spatula.
- Dip into your favourite sauce and enjoy!
Dandelion Pizza Recipe
For this dandelion pizza, you will need:
One pizza crust made as you prefer, tomato sauce or pesto, cheese (optional), fresh steamed dandelion blossoms, dandelion leaves, onion, and garlic.
- Spread tomato or pesto on the crust.
- Sauté onion, garlic, and dandelion together until onions are translucent.
- Then sprinkle atop the cheese and add pine nuts or even edible wild mushrooms.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
This one is sure to add a unique flavour!
A Field of Dandelions as a Natural Way to Your Vibrant Health
The next time you pass a field of dandelions, remember they aren’t just nice to look at, but a healthy addition to your wellness routine.
So if you’ve ever wondered:
What are the health benefits of dandelion leaves and roots?
We hope we’ve answered that question.
Dandelions pack a nutrient-rich punch from lowering cholesterol, supporting the urinary tract, digestive systems, and even eye health.
A wonderful vitamin-packed plant whose both leaves and roots can be consumed, dandelion can meet a big part of the daily recommended doses of various vitamins.
Sure, the dandelion roots might be bitter to consume, but that can be overcome with some creative dandelion recipes we’ve listed in this post.
If you’re picking dandelions yourself, remember to harvest earlier in the growing season for best results.
The picking, processing, and drying of dandelions can be time-consuming, though.
When looking for already processed dandelion root and leaf, be sure to pick the most natural, non-additive sources to ensure you get the best health benefits of the dandelion roots and leaves you purchase.
Loose Dandelion for Sale
Dandelion Liquid Extracts (Tinctures) for Sale
