The yellow, bright flower, which many gardeners consider a useless and dangerous weed, is actually long known for its medicinal properties. In folk medicine, recipes are known in which dandelion root is used. Its useful properties have a beneficial effect on digestion, infusions from this flower help with insomnia. Dandelion is taken as a sedative. Even the legendary doctor Avicenna in his practice used the juice of this plant to treat dropsy, and applied dressings with dandelion leaves for scorpion bites. The powder prepared from the root was used as a remedy for age spots on the skin.
Why is dandelion root so valued? The beneficial properties of the plant are explained by its composition. The roots of the yellow flower contain organic acids, taraxerol, carotene, tannins, sugar, vitamin B, ascorbic acid, inulin, rubber, trace elements and mineral salts. Other parts of the plant that contain many minerals and vitamins are also useful. Juice from its leaves helps with diseases of the bladder. Dandelion roots help to stimulate appetite, protect against scurvy.
Being a medicinal plant, dandelion is at the same time used in cooking. Since it contains a lot of bitterness in the roots and leaves, it is previously recommended to soak it. Before using in various dishes, the root of the plant must be boiled for five to six minutes.
Dandelion is bred for use in gastronomy and for medicinal purposes in countries such as Japan, Austria, USA, India, Holland. This yellow flower is also good as a prophylactic. When preparing to prepare a plant, you must remember an important rule: you can not pick flowers that grow on the side of the road. After all, harmful substances accumulate in them. To prepare a dandelion root , whose useful properties are undeniable, it is better to collect plants growing in ecologically clean places. At the same time, you need to choose young, not yet blossoming dandelions. Harvesting the roots of the plant should be done in the spring - in April or early May, when the flowers are just beginning to grow, or in September-October, when they accumulate a lot of useful substances.
Extracts from the plant are included in the composition of medicines and cosmetics. They know what dandelion is useful for, not only traditional healers, but also certified doctors. Based on this flower, preparations are made for the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. A decoction made from dandelion root helps with constipation, having a laxative effect, it is recommended as a choleretic agent for cholecystitis, hepatitis and cholangitis. The root is brewed in 200 grams of boiling water, insisted and taken three times a day in half a glass. To improve metabolism, the infusion is recommended for patients with diabetes. A decoction of dandelion root has an anti-sclerotic effect.
Knowing about the beneficial properties of dandelion root, you can safely use it in everyday life.