Back to Basics

I'm sure you've received or given your fair share of freshly picked dandelion flowers to the one you love? Maybe as a child you placed these lil' yellow flowers under the chin of a sibling to see if they liked butter? Perhaps as an adult, these now pesky weeds have invaded your space, in turn you dig them up, mow them down or shower them with a chemical to end their invasion?

In the springtime, my mom boasts of eating dandelion greens, freshly foraged from her yard. This has always intrigued me, hmmmm, dandelion greens??? Was she meaning the yellow "butter" flowers or something else? What was she truly meaning? To my surprise, she meant the entire plant, from the top of its yellow flower to the root!

So I ask myself, Why did God create this yellow flower called the dandelion, it has to have a purpose.

In my search, I've learned that dents de lion or lion’s teeth, as the French call this jagged-edged green, are among the most nutritious foods known. They contain more fiber, calcium, protein and potassium than any other green.

Dandelion is a natural diuretic for water weight or edema. It helps to stimulant to the system, helping to flush the urinary organs. Dandelion can be used to relieve mild constipation, liver and kidney disorders. It's a great aid to the digestive system and it's high mineral content may help prevent iron-deficiency anemia.

This herb also reduces high blood pressure, probably due to its diuretic action. Dandelion is rich in potassium, which works with sodium to regulate the body's water balance and normalize heart rhythms. This herb is known for inducing the flow of bile from the liver, and it is also known to reduce serum cholesterol. The herb dandelion is also known to reduce uric acid which influences rheumatoid arthritis.

Dandelion is used for: Acne, anemia, angina, arthritis, bed wetting, bladder, boils, breast cancer,
bronchitis, cancer, canker sores, cardiovascular disease, cholesterol problems, chronic fatigue syndrome, cirrhosis of the liver, colitis, constipation, dermatitis, diabetes, edema, gallbladder, gallstones, gas, gonorrhea, gout, hepatitis, hypoglycemia, indigestion, jaundice, kidney disease, liver disease, liver spots, mitral valve prolapse, multiple sclerosis, mumps, oily skin, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, ovarian cancer, parkinson's disease, PMS, prostate cancer, psoriasis, rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, rickets, rosacea, scabies, senility, skin problems, smoking, stomach disorders, ulcerative colitis, urinary tract infection, warts, water retention, weight loss, yeast infections

On a personal note, dandelion has helped my non-pitted edema. I have taken NSI dandelion capsules (6 a day) and have felt great relief in my legs and water retention. My blood pressure was perfect last Dr visit (which may have been dandelion or my new thyroid med?), but I was being monitored for bp. The dandy-lion is not just a weed, God made everything for a purpose :)