Benefits of Juicing Dandelion
Most people envision dandelions as the little yellow flowers that dot lawns in the spring and summer. Many don’t know dandelion can be a food, let alone a powerful ingredient full of health benefits. It contains amazing nutritional benefits and vitamins that fortify the immune system, liver, kidneys, and every system of the body. If you drink dandelion juice each day, it can greatly improve your overall health.
What are dandelion greens?
The entire dandelion plant can be eaten – flowers, leaves, stem, and root. Dandelion greens, the leaves of the plant, were once considered herbs. Dandelion leaves have been used in both cooking and medicine for centuries, and they are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Dandelion leaves have an array of remarkable properties and are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They can be harvested wild – as long as you can be certain they haven’t been sprayed with pesticides, chemicals, or dog waste – or they can be grown with little trouble. Dandelions and dandelion greens are becoming more readily available in health food stores.
Dandelion greens can be sauteed, made into a pesto, braised, or eaten raw in a salad. To get the maximum concentration of nutrients, though, you can also put dandelion greens in your juicer
Health Benefits of Dandelion
The health benefits of dandelion greens have been known to the Chinese for thousands of years. They were also used by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans to treat fever, flush toxins from the blood, aid in digestion, and even acne, toothaches, and other conditions. They were made into tea, tinctures, or poultices.
Today, the compounds that grant dandelion juice its nutritional and medicinal properties are better understood, and it seems the ancients were right. Dandelion leaves have an array of potential benefits to offer, and your juicer is one way to get to them.
Dandelions are Highly Nutritious
Dandelion leaves are an excellent source vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, folate, iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Dandelions are Full of Antioxidants
Free radicals are produced through normal metabolism, but they can also cause damage to cells. Antioxidants fight free radicals, and in doing so, can prevent the signs of aging and chronic conditions. Dandelions contain high levels of beta carotene, a strong defender against free radicals, oxidative stress, and cellular damage. Another category of antioxidants prevalent in dandelions, polyphenols, are present in the root, leaf, and flower.
Dandelion Juice May Fight Inflammation
Polyphenols in dandelions have anti inflammatory characteristics. Because inflammation eventually damages the body’s tissues and cells, it can cause disease, even cancer. Animal studies have demonstrated the anti inflammatory prowess of fresh dandelion.
Dandelion Juice May Help Regulate Blood Sugar
Chicoric and chlorogenic acid are found in all parts of the dandelion plant, and they can help to regulate blood sugar. Preliminary studies have indicated the acid limits the digestion of carbohydrates and improve insulin secretion by the pancreas. These results are encouraging, though more studies are needed.
Dandelions Can Help Lower Blood Pressure
Dandelions are a diuretic – you may have heard the folktale that they make you pee the bed – and they help rid the body of excessive fluids. Many prescription blood pressure medicines work the same way, and practitioners of natural medicine also swear it can remove toxic substances. Some research indicates dandelion has a positive effect on cholesterol too.
Can Support Healthy Liver Functions
Some studies have shown dandelion to aid the liver and kidneys through protecting tissues against the toxic substances they remove from the body. Others indicate dandelion extract can reduce excessive fat stored in the liver and protect against oxidative stress.
Can Facilitate Healthy Skin
The antioxidant components in dandelion and dandelion juice already benefit the skin by fighting the free radicals that destroy skin cells and combat the aging process. One study showed dandelion root extract reduced skin inflammation and irritation while even aiding in the regeneration of skin cells. These amazing results could point to wonderful possibilities, but more research is needed.
Making and Drinking Dandelion Juice
Despite its nutrients, not many people know how to juice dandelion, and for some, the natural bitter taste of fresh leaves and stems is unappealing. Young dandelion greens are more tender and less bitter than older leaves. They can be used in juicing by those hoping for a slightly milder flavor. Other ways to produce an appetizing juice is to mask the flavor of the dandelion with something sweet like apple or pineapple, or a strong flavor like lemon juice. If you find yourself not in love with the taste of dandelion juice but still want to avail yourself of its vitamins and minerals, look for recipes with other flavors, or create those recipes yourself.
Try This Green Juice Recipe With Fresh Dandelion
- One cup of fresh dandelion leaves
- One inch of ginger root
- Half a large pineapple, peeled
- One green or granny smith apple
- One lemon, peeled
When you drink this refreshing juice recipe, you will hardly notice the bitter flavor of the dandelion, but it will serve to provide all the benefits dandelion is known for.