Can Fresh Dandelion Be Brewed Directly as Tea? An Analysis of Its Benefits and Galactagogue Effects
Dandelion, also known as guguding, popodding, huanghuamiao, huanghuadiding, naizhicao and so on, is a perennial herb of the genus Taraxacum in the Asteraceae family, and is a variety recently listed by the National Ministry of Health as both medicinal and edible. Dandelion tea is made from finely cut and dried roots or leaves, and is rich in vitamins and minerals, has the effect of strengthening the liver, and can lower cholesterol. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, dandelion can clear heat and toxins, resolve food toxins, and disperse malignant swellings. So can fresh dandelion be brewed directly as tea? What benefits does it have?
1. Can fresh dandelion be brewed directly as tea?
Fresh dandelion can be washed clean and brewed directly as tea, but the dosage must be scientific. Generally, for fresh dandelion the adult dosage is 50-60g at a time, requiring about 500ml of water; for dried dandelion the adult dosage is 9-15g at a time, likewise requiring about 500ml of water.
Method 1: Take 1 teaspoon of dried dandelion leaves, or 3 teaspoons of fresh dandelion leaves, and steep in 1 cup of boiled water.
Method 2: Take two teaspoons each of dandelion leaves and roots and mix them, then steep in 1 cup of boiling water.
Method 3: Take 28 grams of dried dandelion root, or 112 grams of fresh dandelion root, crush it first, then steep in 0.6 liters of boiling water, and drink after filtering.
2. What benefits does dandelion tea have?
Tang Bencao, Shennong Bencao Jing, Zhongyao Dacidian and other medical monographs from successive dynasties all gave it high praise. The latest research by the famous American nutrition and health expert Dr. Earl Mindell shows that dandelion is a natural diuretic and a sovereign remedy for aiding digestion; it is rich in minerals, which not only help prevent anemia caused by iron deficiency, but its large amount of potassium can also work together with sodium to regulate the body's water-salt balance and keep the heart rate normal; it is rich in lecithin, which can prevent cirrhosis and strengthen the function of the liver and gallbladder.
1. Folk use for treating sore toxins, meningitis, influenza, and liver and gallbladder diseases.
2. Promotes the secretion of breast milk. Women after childbirth can drink dandelion tea, which has a galactagogue effect after drinking, but the dosage must be scientific.
3. Multiple benefits such as clearing heat and detoxifying, dispersing abscesses and nodules, antibacterial, anti-tumor, weight loss, and aiding digestion.
4. Dandelion tea is made from finely cut and dried roots or leaves, and is rich in vitamins and minerals, has the effect of strengthening the liver, and can lower cholesterol.
5. In Europe, dandelion is known as “wet-the-bed grass”, which shows how strong its diuretic effect is, making it suitable for people with edema problems to drink.
6. Relieves indigestion and constipation, and purifies the blood.
3. What are the contraindications for drinking dandelion steeped in water?
1. Allergic reactions
Dandelion is not suitable for everyone, because a small number of people will experience allergic reactions after steeping dandelion in water and drinking it. For example, after taking dandelion water or dandelion wine, the body develops hives or itching all over, and these are allergic reactions. In addition, some people develop a pale or purplish face after intravenous drip of dandelion injection, and may even experience shivering, and these are also allergic reactions; the medication must be stopped immediately, and then a proper hospital should be visited for examination and treatment. Related recommendation >> The Five Major Benefits of Drinking Dandelion Steeped in Water
2. Unscientific dosage
Many people, in order to obtain better and faster results, like to increase the dosage of dandelion on their own initiative, but this is actually very unscientific. If a large amount of dandelion is taken, it is very easy to cause various gastrointestinal discomforts, such as nausea, the urge to vomit, abdominal discomfort, and diarrhea, among others. This is mainly because after taking a large dose of dandelion, the renal tubules in the body narrow, and the liver cells and the epithelial cells of the renal tubules show mild turbidity and swelling, which leads to various diseases in the body.
3. Yin-cold syndrome
Medicine not matching the syndrome is mainly reflected in the failure to distinguish cold from heat, using dandelion directly without syndrome differentiation of the body's disease, which will lead to various problems in the body. Most infection cases now belong to heat syndromes, so using dandelion for treatment will not produce adverse reactions or worsen the condition. However, a small number of infection cases belong to yin-cold, and at this time the body will not show fever, and the course of the disease is also relatively long, and the patient's physical constitution is relatively poor; if a large dose of dandelion is used to treat the disease at this time, then not only will it fail to improve the disease, but the patient may even experience decreased appetite, deteriorating health and fatigue, and even night sweats and a pale face, and the body will become worse and worse. Therefore, dandelion must be used with caution in daily life, and one must never simply regard dandelion as an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory medicinal herb, otherwise the harm to the body is relatively great.
Appendix: Dandelion folk remedies
1. For acne: use 2 liang of dandelion, boil in water and drink, one dose a day.
2. For cholecystitis: 15 grams each of dandelion and yinchen. Decoct in water and take, three times a day.