Dandelion - application, recipes and medical science

Dandelion is not only omnipresent, many gardeners even see it as a "weed" and despair of the deep roots, which can be excavated only with difficulty. But that is a mistake: People's names such as heart indicate that this asteroid not only gives an excellent salad, but also acts as a remedy. The most important facts:

• Dandelion is a pioneer and ruderal plant. Its up to two meter deep tap roots also reach leachate.
• Dandelion contains a lot of potassium, stimulates digestion and helps with liver and gall bladder problems. It inhibits the growth of malignant tumors.
• The dandelion can be processed in many ways, for example as honey or salad.

contents

• ingredients
• effect
• applications
• Biology of dandelion
• Dandelions in the kitchen

ingredients

Dandelion contains carotenoids, phylosterin, choline and tannins. The root contains the alkaloid taraxin and the bitter substance taraxacin. In the root, scientists detected antimicrobials, as well as phenolic acids and flavonoids. Mainly present are: phenolic inositol esters, triterpene acetates and sesquiterpenoids.

Dandelion not only makes an excellent salad, but is also effective as a remedy. It contains a lot of potassium, stimulates digestion and helps with liver and gall bladder problems. (Image: Swapan / fotolia.com)

Extremely much potassium

Particularly high is the concentration of potassium with up to 4.5 percent. This makes dandelion highly suitable for balancing the functions of the kidneys, regulating the water balance in the body and balancing acids and bases. Our muscles can not work without potassium.
Dandelion also inhibits the development of cancer cells in the breast, prostate, liver and blood.

effect

The bitter substances of the plant promote the secretion of the digestive glands. Dandelion cleanses the body and stimulates the functions of the liver, kidneys, intestines and bile, it promotes digestion and appetite, has a laxative effect and relieves pain in hemorrhoids. The plant helps against bloating as against flatulence.

Dandelion has a hematopoietic and toning effect, against cough, brochitis and fever as well as stomach weakness and rheumatic complaints.

Folk medicine also uses the plant to drive the urine and stimulate the sweat flow. Although these effects are not scientifically proven, they could be due to the high potassium content.
As a home remedy dandelion is used against: warts, eczema, pimples, acne, corns and rash.

In serious diseases dandelion is a remedy for liver weakness, jaundice and gallstones, gout, bile weakness, kidney stones, arteriosclerosis, dropsy and chronic joint disease.

applications

When dandelion overlaps the application as a medicinal plant with the consumption as food. The flower heads can be put into oil, the young leaves taste cooked or raw as a salad and thus cleanse the organism. The roasted roots served our ancestors as coffee substitutes and also contain more healing substances than the leaves.

The flower heads can be put into oil, the young leaves taste cooked or raw as a salad and thus cleanse the organism. The roasted roots served our ancestors as coffee substitutes. (Image: creativefamily / fotolia.com)

Internally we use the rhizome. From the squeezed juice we drink up to four tablespoons a day, from the dried root we can draw three grams in 100 milliliters of water and drink a maximum of four cups per day - but not directly before or after the meal. One tincture is applied with 20 grams of the root per 100 milliliters of 20 percent alcohol for two weeks. Of these, adults can also take up to four tablespoons a day.

Biology of dandelion

Everyone knows what dandelion looks like. Biologically speaking, it is a perennial plant that forms a cylindrical rootstock that ends in a taproot. It is fleshy and dark brown to black. The up to two-meter-deep root not only makes the daisy family hardy against predators, which usually only consume the leaves, but leave the root intact - they also allow the plant to tap deeper water resources. This makes the dandelion an all-rounder: It grows all over Europe, on meadows, pastures, on roadsides, in hem biotopes, gardens and on fields.

Green sawtooth leaves

The stems are hollow inside, do not bear leaves and grow up to 40 centimeters in height. If they are cut off, the typical white juice comes out. He brought the plant the name Milchblume. The milk juice is present in all parts of the plant. The leaves stand upright in a rosette or lie on the ground. They are lancet-shaped with eponymous incisions reminiscent of a saw blade - or "dandelion".

Golden yellow flowers

The golden yellow flowers are in cups together, and each individually at the top of a stem. The flowers are called ray florets, because the individual petals have the form of tongues. They are surrounded by bracts, outside small and triangular, inside elongated bent outward.
The fruit finally has the shape of a spindle with a pointed base and a long stem at the top, where there is a hair crown. Their bristles are horizontally as "umbrella".

The roots, which are up to two meters deep, not only make the daisy family hardy against predators - which usually only consume the leaves, but leave the root intact - they also allow the plant to tap deeper water resources. (Image: Madeleine Steinbach / fotolia.com)

taxonomy

Dandelion is a biological mystery. There are plants that produce seeds without fertilization and thus clone the mother plant, and others that fertilize each other. Both occur in the same populations. The different forms of reproduction justify starting from clearly differentiated species. Either these are constantly hybridizing or we regard all dandelion plants as a major species.

distribution

The dandelion originated in Europe and western Asia but was trafficked to the entire northern hemisphere by humans and now even grows south of the equator. Dandelion is a classic Rural and Pioneer plant. It grows in cracks, on scree and fallow land.
It withstands average temperatures of five to 26 degrees as well as a pH of 4.2 to 8.3. In the high mountains, he strikes himself wacker up to a height of 2800 meters.

Cow flower and bed shearer

This Hansdampf carries on all meadows, its distribution appropriate, various names. Only the German language knows several dozen. Cow flower is called the dandelion because the grazing livestock loves it and prefers it to banal grass. The names Maiblume and Maischöpfl are a reminder that the seeds of the plant are flying through the air this month. "Dandelion" stems from the unique flight seed itself, sitting on a stalk like a sailing umbrella and are carried by the wind to possible germinal sites. Blowing children now like the wind, they see the seeds fly. Its diuretic effect is reflected in names like bed drench, bed piss, bed slipper, piss flower, piss or Pisser.

The name Dandelion stems from the unique flight seeds themselves, which sit on a stalk like a sailing umbrella and are carried by the wind to possible germinal sites. Blowing children now like the wind, they see the seeds fly. (Image: Aliaksei Lasevich / fotolia.com)

confusion

Ordinary dandelion is easily confused with its relatives of the genus Taraxum. Even the common piglet is superficially very similar. But it has no hollow inflorescences. In addition, the seeds of piglets do not carry flying umbrellas and do not sit on a stalk.

Bienenweide

Dandelion grows early and flowers in April. It is an important insect pasture. Economically, the plant is of great importance, because where it occurs in masses, it guarantees an early honey harvest. Dandelion honey is also valuable with strong-dry taste, golden color and viscous consistency.

Dandelions in the kitchen

Dandelion is versatile in the kitchen. The flowers serve as the basis for a honey-like jelly or the dandelion syrup and thus for a sweet and spicy spread. The young leaves are cooked in Southern Germany and served with fried bacon and cream sauce. The roots are also edible, can be cooked, roasted or prepared as a salad. After World War II, a powder of dried root served as a coffee substitute.

dandelion salad

For a dandelion salad, we collect young dandelion leaves on non-fertilized meadows and not next to roads. We cut an onion into fine cubes and also a garlic clove.
We wash the leaves very thoroughly, because dandelion is full of earth and stones. We put the washed leaves in lukewarm water so that the bitter taste softens. Caution: If you use dandelion as a medicine to stimulate digestion, you should refrain from putting it in water, because it is these bitter substances that promote the secretion of the digestive glands. We drain the water after ten minutes and repeat the process.

For the sauce we mix a little vinegar and sour cream with two teaspoons of sugar or better the appropriate amount of stevia. You can also use honey, the only important thing is to balance the harsh taste. Now we cut the leaves into small pieces and put them under the sauce. Enjoy your meal (Dr Utz Anhalt)