Natural products from New York's beautiful Finger Lakes Region and Adirondack Mountains
Dandelion - Taraxacum
Dandelion, Taraxacum, is a common, flowering herbaceous plant of temperate regions worldwide. It populates lawns and fields and provides an early resource for bees and other pollinating insects. There are thousands of species of Taraxacum but the most common is Taraxacum officinale, which is primarily what I harvest.
Dandelion was used by indigenous peoples as an astringent, expectorant, and diuretic. It has traditionally been used for liver and spleen issues, gout, diarrhea, and as a Spring tonic. The entire plant is edible, and it is widely utilized in traditional Chinese medicine.
Scientific studies have shown that it is antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-rheumatic. Ethanol extract of Taraxacum officinale contains anti-angiogenic, acute anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities.In other words, it calms inflammation and pain and helps prevent formation of new blood vessels in cancerous tumors.1
It is being investigated as an alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of UTIs in women. It has been shown to be effective against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus mirabilis.2
Studies have shown Taraxacum is active against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Vibrio harveyi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Paracoccus bacillus, and other microorganisms. It can also inhibit the growth of Candida albicans.3
Tincture Dosing is 4-5 ml 3 times a day. 1 ml is about 25 drops. Start slowly as allergies and intolerances are always possible.
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose or treat any illness.
1Hye-Jin Jeon, Hyun-Jung Kang, Hyun-Joo Jung, Young-Sook Kang, Chang-Jin Lim, Young-Myeong Kim, Eun-Hee Park, Anti-inflammatory activity of Taraxacum officinale, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 115, Issue 1, 2008, Pages 82-88, ISSN 0378-8741, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2007.09.006
2Díaz K, Espinoza L, Madrid A, Pizarro L, Chamy R. Isolation and Identification of Compounds from Bioactive Extracts of Taraxacum officinale Weber ex F. H. Wigg. (Dandelion) as a Potential Source of Antibacterial Agents. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 Jan 1;2018:2706417. doi: 10.1155/2018/2706417. PMID: 29507587; PMCID: PMC5817818.
3Di Napoli, A., Zucchetti, P. A comprehensive review of the benefits of Taraxacum officinale on human health. Bull Natl Res Cent 45, 110 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42269-021-00567-1
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