Dandelions vs Cancer

Dandelions vs Cancer

We’ve all seen them before, a lot of us use anything we can get our hands on to get rid of them, but why?  Dandelions are amazing!  They are commonly used around the world as food and medicine.  We have them in salads (did you know that?), we use the flower and the root as a detox tea, and it can even be disguised as coffee for those of you who are trying to avoid the caffeine.   Dandelions are packed with an amazing source of nutrients that are key in the proper function of your liver.  They cleanse the liver and increase bile production, therefore they are used mainly for liver diseases like Hepatitis, cirrhosis and jaundice.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) dandelion is cold, bitter and sweet and it benefits the liver and stomach.  One of it’s main amazing features is that it helps to flush the toxins from the body…ok, meaning…Weight loss!  It acts as a diuretic to the body, it reduces swelling dissolves clots, helps in food poisoning cases, clears the liver, gallbladder, and kidney of stones.  And you want it out of your lawn, shame on you!  Grow it and embrace the love that spring has to offer.  But, there is so many of them, why you ask?  Spring is a time of regeneration, new beginnings, and a renewal of spirit.  Spring is the ideal time for cleansing and rejuvenation for overall health and well-being.  As spring is represented by the wood element and includes the liver and its complementary organ, the gallbladder, these two organs are usually the primary targets for springtime cleansing and health regimens.

Not only are dandelions an amazing plant for cleansing and detoxing they are also very popular when it comes to Cancer.  Dandelion tea directly affects the cancer cells in such a way that they can dissolve within 48 hours and the healthy cells are not affected.  Scientists recently found that the plant actually works better than chemo killing only the cells affected by cancer.   It contains a huge amount of vitamins and minerals such as: magnesium, folic acid, thiamin, iron, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and riboflavin. It also contains about 110% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A and a whopping 535% of the required daily intake of vitamin K.

So we start with the most abundant source, the dandelion.  It’s everywhere, but be sure that you stay away from fertilized areas, best is from a clean and wild environment.

Once you’ve got your dandelions, what should you do with them?  For a tea, rinse the whole plant, clean off all the dirt and put it outside to dry for 2- 3 days.  Once dried, store in an air tight container and enjoy daily for the rest of the spring.  For a salad, clean all the dirt off the leaves and use the leaves only the rest of the plant dry and have as a tea.  Its bitter tasting, but it can do wonders for our health.

To extract the medicinal compounds for the roots, they must be decocted or tinctured. To make a tincture, place dandelion root in a jar and cover with 80 proof (40%) vodka.  Cover tightly and allow to steep 4-6 weeks, shaking daily.  Strain out plant material and store in a dark glass bottle.

To make a decoction place one ounce of dried roots or two ounces fresh roots (by weight) in a pan with one pint of water.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Strain and compost the spent roots.  Root decoctions can be used to make simple healing teas.  Enjoy!

 

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