Dandelion: benefits and harms to humans

Contents

The history of the appearance of dandelion in nutrition
The composition and calorie content of dandelion
Benefits of Dandelion
Dandelion harm
The use of dandelion in medicine
The use of dandelion in cooking
How to choose and store dandelion
Popular questions and answers

In fact, dandelion is a common weed. And not everyone is aware of the healing properties of this plant. What is the benefit and harm of dandelion for a person, how is it used in medicine and cooking, understood ” Healthy Food Near Me”

From early spring to late autumn, dandelions bloom in the fields and meadows.

Tourists check their watches: bright yellow baskets bloom at six in the morning, and at three in the afternoon they are already gathering in buds. Cooks make jam, wine and honey from dandelions, prepare salads and a drink that tastes like coffee. And adherents of traditional medicine use dandelion for the treatment and prevention of diseases.

The CP, together with an expert, will tell you what a dandelion is, what are the benefits and harms of this unpretentious plant.

The history of the appearance of dandelion in nutrition

This recognizable plant is one of the most common on Earth. Dandelions are found on the territory of Our Country, Ukraine, Belarus, the Caucasus and Moldova, in Central Asia. Where they first appeared is unknown to science.

This plant was familiar to the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 1000 years. In the British Isles, dandelion flowers are used to make wine, in France, its leaves are used to make salads, and in Greece, they serve as the basis for the national dish – horta.

About 300 species of dandelions grow in Our Country: the most common is the medicinal dandelion, the rarest is the white-tongued dandelion, which is even listed in the Red Book of Our Country.

The composition and calorie content of dandelion

It is a nutritious plant rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Dandelion leaves and stems are a storehouse of vitamins A, C and K. There are also some valuable minerals in the composition: iron, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.

Dandelion root is rich in inulin, a type of fiber that is good for digestive health. All parts of the plant contain the antioxidant polyphenols. They protect human cells from damage and fight oxidative stress (1).

Caloric value on 100 g	45 kcal
Proteins	2,7 g
Fats	0,7 g
Carbohydrates	9,2 g
Vitamin A	508 mcg – 203% DV
Vitamin C	35 mg – 58,3% DV
Vitamin K	778 mcg – 973% DV
Phosphorus	66 mg – 6,6% DV
Calcium	187 mg – 18,7% DV
Magnesium	36 mg – 9% DV
Hardware	3,1 mg – 17,2% DV
potassium	397 mg – 11,3% DV
Dietary fiber (fiber)	3,5 g – 14% of the daily value

Benefits of Dandelion

By including dandelion in your diet, you can improve your health and mood.

“All parts of the dandelion (roots, leaves and inflorescences) contain a large amount of substances that are beneficial to the human body,” says Gastroenterologist Baver Salikhova. – At the root – mineral salts, fatty oils, inulin, manganese, copper, vitamins A, C and K. The leaves of the plant are rich in phosphorus, iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Interestingly, dandelion leaves are ahead of any other leafy vegetables in terms of phosphorus content. The inflorescences of the plant also contain many valuable trace elements and minerals: potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, as well as saponins, mineral salts, inulin.

The high content of vitamin A in the plant reduces the risk of eye diseases (including age-related macular degeneration, a common cause of vision loss in old age), as well as certain types of cancer (2).

Vitamin C in dandelion is one of the most beneficial nutrients for the immune system. It prevents the occurrence of infectious diseases and heart disease (3).

Calcium, iron, phosphorus and potassium are necessary for a person to maintain the strength of bones and teeth, enrich the blood with nutrients and oxygen (4). And fiber is important for preventing constipation and digestive disorders (5).

Benefits of Dandelion for Men

Circulatory problems often lead to heart attacks and strokes. Often they occur as a result of inflammatory processes in the body.

In 2017, scientists found that certain ingredients in dandelion reduce inflammation in the body, which means they can help maintain health and prolong life (6).

Benefits of Dandelion for Women

Dandelion can also bring many benefits to women’s health. According to the World Health Organization, approximately one in 12 women in the world will experience breast cancer (7).

Today, scientists are conducting promising studies that prove the effectiveness of dandelion in the complex treatment of breast tumors (8). And although scientific research is still ongoing, now you can already include a useful plant in your diet more often.

Benefits of Dandelion for Children

A decoction of dandelion can be added to bathing water: the addition of medicinal plants helps to relieve skin inflammation, calm the child’s nervous system and set them up for good sleep.

Useful recipe

To prepare a decoction, pour 3-5 tablespoons of raw dandelion with a liter of boiling water and let it brew. Before adding the broth to the bath, it must be filtered.

Dandelion harm

Before adding dandelion to your daily menu, you should consult your doctor.

“Contraindications are gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum in the acute stage, acute pancreatitis, hypersecretion of gastric juice, as well as individual intolerance,” warns Baver Salikhova. – Eating dandelions in the presence of these pathologies increases the risk of complications.

Allergy sufferers should also be careful. If you have an increased sensitivity to plants of the daisy family (daisies, marigolds, chrysanthemums), most likely, you will have an identical reaction to dandelion.

The use of dandelion in medicine

Dandelion has fully earned the glory of a medicinal plant.

– It has a positive effect on the body as a whole, increases the level of vitality and strengthens the immune system. Useful substances in the composition of the plant improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, normalize metabolism, lower blood pressure, and help lower cholesterol levels, explains Baver Salikhova. – Juice from fresh dandelion leaves has antispasmodic and antipyretic effects, promotes weight loss, restores liver cells, helps to remove stones from the kidneys, bladder and gallbladder. Dandelion root is used to cleanse the kidneys, as it has a diuretic effect, it is used to reduce pain in arthritis. In addition, the root of the plant has a stabilizing effect on the central nervous system, lowers blood sugar levels. Dandelion flowers improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system, have a hepatoprotective effect, are a means of preventing the development of oncology, activate brain activity, and have choleretic and diuretic effects.

The use of dandelion in cooking

Every part of a dandelion is edible. But the leaves of the plant taste bitter. To remove bitterness, they are soaked in salt water for 10-15 minutes, then boiled for 5 minutes and fried in vegetable oil. In this way, you can get a healthy snack that tastes like arugula.

You can find many interesting recipes on the net and in cookbooks. Let’s give some examples.

Dandelion coffee

The tastier and most aromatic drink is obtained from a plant that is at least 2 years old.

dried dandelion root	1 hours. Spoon
Sugar	to taste

Collect dandelion roots, wash thoroughly, cut lengthwise and leave to dry in a warm place for two weeks. After that, cut the roots into pieces 1 cm long. Fry them in a dry frying pan until a pleasant aroma appears and the roots acquire a dark chocolate color. Grind the roasted roots in a coffee grinder and use to make coffee.

For 1 cup of drink, take 1 teaspoon of raw materials, and add sugar to taste.

Salad of dandelion leaves, chicken and vegetables

Delicious and nutritious salad that will provide the body with vitamins, minerals and fiber, give a long-lasting feeling of satiety

young dandelion leaves	1 beam
Chicken fillet	1 piece.
Quail eggs	4 piece.
Tomatoes	2 piece.
Walnuts	50 g
Salt pepper	to taste
Olive oil	2 Art. spoons
Sunflower oil	for frying fillets
Soy sauce	1 Art. a spoon
Lemon juice	1 Art. spoon.

Cut the chicken fillet into small sticks, pepper and salt. Fry in a pan in vegetable oil until golden brown.

Hard boil the eggs. Rinse dandelion leaves and soak in salt water for 10-15 minutes. Dry them by laying them out on a paper towel.

Put dandelion leaves on a plate, top with quail eggs, cut in half, tomatoes, cut into small slices, and chicken pieces.

Prepare the dressing: Combine soy sauce, olive oil and lemon juice. Pour the dressing over the salad, sprinkle with chopped walnuts on top.

Submit your signature dish recipe by email. [email protected]. Healthy Food Near Me will publish the most interesting and unusual ideas

Dandelion jam with lemon

Save a couple of jars for the cold season. The delicacy will remind you of the aromas of summer and help you resist viruses.

Dandelion flowers (yellow inflorescences)	350 g
Sugar	1 kg
Lemon	2 medium
Water	1 liter

First you need to prepare the flowers: clean fresh inflorescences from greenery and sepals, rinse thoroughly, pour water and leave for 30 minutes. Then change the water and leave overnight – so that there is no bitterness.

The next day, drain the water, put the prepared dandelions in a saucepan. Wash the lemons, peel them, cut into small slices and mix with dandelions. Pour the raw material with water, cover with a lid and bring to a boil over medium heat. Then cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Cool the mixture and strain through several layers of gauze. Mix the resulting liquid with sugar, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and cook the syrup until tender. It’s easy to check: drip on a plate, if it doesn’t spread, it’s ready.

How to choose and store dandelion

You can collect dandelions throughout the entire period of their flowering. But it is better to do it in meadows and clearings, remote from a busy highway, apartment buildings and industrial buildings.

Rinse the collected dandelions thoroughly and leave to dry in a dry, ventilated area.

Dried parts of the plant are most conveniently stored in glass jars or linen bags. It is better to use them until the next season, as over time the concentration of nutrients in the collection decreases.