Organic Roasted Dandelion Root - 16 Tea Bags

Dandelion

It's hard to believe that the "weed" that aggravates so many "lawn-artists" is actually an important medicinal herb. The proper name of dandelion is Taraxacum officinale. The leaves of the dandelion plant are hooked and pointed, a characteristic that allows this plant to be distinguished from wild lettuce, another common lawn weed. In fact, the name "dandelion" comes from the French "dents de lion", which translates to "lion's teeth", a reference to the shape of the edges of the leaves.

Both wild lettuce and dandelion leaves can be used to make a tasty garden salad, jam-packed with nutrients. The leaves and the root of the dandelion plant have different medicinal properties; the leaves are a diuretic that can help clean the urinary tract, while the roots are a digestive bitter.

Digestive Bitter
Dandelion roots and leaves have a bitter taste that stimulates the release of saliva and stomach acid, thus increasing appetite. It also triggers a cascade of increased secretion of digestive juices throughout the gastrointestinal tract including bile, and pancreatic secretions, both of which promote better digestion.

Liver and Gallbladder Health
The dandelion plant is useful in the treatment of digestive disorders. The root of the plant stimulates the release of bile from the liver and gallbladder, which helps the body to digest fats. It also helps to flush the gallbladder and support the release of toxins by the liver. Because of this, dandelion is an excellent liver cleanser. At the same time, there is some evidence that dandelion may help to regulate cholesterol levels, which is also likely due to this bile flush response.

Urinary Tract Cleanser
The leaves act as a potassium-sparing diuretic, which functions equally to common recommendation diuretics in studies. Thus dandelion leaf can be used to treat water retention such as retention that is due to PMS. This action also allows dandelion leaf to flush fluid through the kidneys making it a good herb for cleansing the urinary tract.

Antimicrobial
Dandelion has some antimicrobial properties that make it useful for infections like abscesses and boils. Because of this, and its liver cleansing abilities, dandelion can help to detoxify the body and reduce skin conditions like acne.

How can I take dandelion?
Dandelion leaf and root can be used as encapsulated herb, dried herb, tincture or liquid extract. The roots contain the medicinal constituents that support liver and digestion, while the leaf contains the substances that support the kidney and urinary tract. Dandelion root is found as a component of many intestinal and liver cleansing formulas. In order to help with digestion, bitter herbs must be tasted, like when you take them in a tincture or tea. Encapsulated herbs are swallowed, thus bypassing the taste buds, and will not stimulate digestion. The dose of dandelion root or leaf is 500 1500mg per day of powdered extract. Liquid can be dosed at 15 30ml of root extract, or 10-30ml daily of leaf extract. Dandelion leaf is often found as a component of kidney cleansing formulas.

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The digestive process takes food material, breaks it down into absorbable pieces and transports it into the body. It is a complex process, involving many organs. Digestion begins with the scent of food stimulating the secretion of saliva. When food enters the mouth enzymes in the saliva begin to break it down.Chewing physically breaks down food pieces and stimulates saliva production. The mucus membranes of the mouth can absorb some nutrients.

Swallowed food travels don the esophagus and into the stomach. The stomach uses muscular contractions to mix the food with digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid. High acid levels kill germs that may be in the food. Food stays in the stomach longer if it contains more fat and shorter if it contains more sugar.

The small intestine attaches to the stomach. Near it's beginning, ducts from the liver and pancreas release digestive juices. Nutrients are absorbed through the thin intestinal wall and transported via the bloodstream, to where they are needed. The remainder of the food is pushed through into the large intestine where water is absorbed. The remaining food is compacted and prepared for excretion as stool.

The liver produces bile, which metabolizes fats and proteins. It also takes the toxic material from food substances, like medications, alcohol, and hormones, and processes them to make them harmless. The liver produces factors for blood clotting and the immune system. The gallbladder is a storage area for bile from the liver. The pancreas manufactures enzymes and hormones, like insulin. Insulin allows cells to take in sugar to burn as fuel.

Many foods that we eat, other substances we consume and our lifestyles contribute to digestive disorders. Highly processed foods, alcohol, medications and tobacco are difficult for our body to break down and cause great strain on our organs, such as the liver and pancreas. They may also physically damage the digestive lining. Processed foods are also deficient in nutrients so not only does the body have to work extra hard to digest the food, but it also gets depleted of the things it needs to do its work. Water and fibre intake is important to have proper moisture and bulk in the stool and make bowel movements regular.