Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale)
Pricing is by weight, so roots, berries, and seeds will weigh more than leaves and flowers. The price is per 1 ounce (28 grams).
I can't set a Maximum, but please do not order more than 4 ounces at a time!
Taraxacum officinale has a long history of use worldwide as an edible food and restorative tonic. Dandelion leaves can be eaten fresh in spring, and the long taproot is dug for its beneficial properties in the fall. Leaves can also be brewed as dandelion leaf tea, tinctured as dandelion extract, or added to soups. Dandelion was traditionally used in many systems of medicine to support digestive and gastrointestinal health.* Additionally, dandelion was traditionally used to support liver health, healthy urinary funtion and has mild diuretic action.*
Dandelion is a sunny, subtle, yet incredible plant that has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is mentioned in traditional Arabian medicine in the tenth century. Dandelion bears a sun-yellow flower head (which is actually composed of hundreds of tiny flowers) typical of the Asteraceae family, that closes in the evening or during cloudy weather and opens back up in the morning, much like its cousin calendula. Pharmacopeial grade dandelion leaf is composed of the dried leaves collected before flowering and the root collected in autumn or whenever its inulin content is the highest. The use of dandelion was first recorded in writing in the Tang Materia Medica (659 B.C.E.), and then later noted by Arab physicians in the 10th century.In the United States, various indigenous cultures considered dandelion to be a prized edible, a gastrointestinal aid, a cleansing alterative, and a helpful poultice or compress. The Bella Coola from Canada made a decoction of the roots to assuage gastrointestinal challenges; the Algonquian ate the leaves for their alterative properties and also used them externally as a poultice.
Additionally, the Aleut steamed leaves and applied them topically to sore throats.
The Cherokee believed the root to be an alternative as well and made a tea of the plant (leaves and flowers) for calming purposes. It is interesting to note that dandelion was used by the Iroquois as well. They made a tea of the whole plant, and also considered it be an alterative tonic.
It's considered to be energetically bitter, drying, and cooling. According to TCM, dandelion clears heat from the liver and has a beneficial effect on the stomach and lungs, and it can uplift mood and support lactation.
Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar strongly promotes this herb, saying that it is "invaluable to women going through menopause." Dandelion root's benefit to the digestive tract is twofold as it contains inulin and is also a bitter digestive tonic which tones the digestive system and stimulates the appetite. It calms heat and also hot emotions and is thus helpful in those that are irritated.
Precautions
No known precautions. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
*This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.