What are the health benefits of eating dandelion?

While dandelion is not traditionally known as a sleep-inducing food, we have found using the liver-cleansing properties of dandelion to be a valuable aid in helping sleep.

A healthy liver will balance blood sugar. Blood sugar fluctuations and drops are a major factor in insomnia and waking at night. Hormonal issues, especially in perimenopause and postmenopause, can also stop a woman from obtaining a good night’s sleep. In Chinese medicine, foods like dandelion can help balance the liver and nourish the yin, which ultimately strengthens the function of the blood, fluids and hormonal balance.

We like our dandelion as part of a good dinner. We often steam or blanch the dandelion first, then sauté with garlic and organic extra virgin olive oil.

Dandelions may be a gardener's nightmare, but if you eat them you can harvest some significant health benefits. Find out what they are by watching this video featuring naturopathic doctor Pina LoGiudice.

Dandelion is a rich source of nutrients and other compounds that may improve liver functions, promote weight loss, possess diuretic activity, and improve blood sugar control. Overall, dandelion is a rich source of medicinal compounds that have a "toning" effect on the body, and both the greens and the roots can be used for this purpose. The digestive tonic properties attributed to dandelion are now thought to be due to a bitter principle researchers have named "taraxacin" and identified as belonging to a class of active substances called guaianolides, which have intestinal antiseptic, germicidal, and expectorant effects. Dandelion root is regarded as one of the finest liver remedies, as both food and medicine. Studies in both humans and laboratory animals have shown that dandelion root enhances the flow of bile, improving such conditions as liver congestion, bile duct inflammation, hepatitis, gallstones, and jaundice.

Dandelion has also been used as a weight loss aid in the treatment of obesity. This fact prompted researchers to investigate dandelion's effect on the body weight of experimental animals. When these animals were administered a fluid extract of dandelion greens for one month, they lost as much as 30 percent of their initial weight. Much of the weight loss appeared to be a result of significant diuretic activity.

Research has also revealed that dandelion root contains a very high concentration-up to 40 percent-of an indigestible carbohydrate called inulin which serves as a food source for, and thus promotes the growth of, the "friendly" colonic bacteria species Bifidobacteriumand Lactobacillus. When these beneficial bacteria are encouraged to proliferate, they crowd out other harmful bacteria, thus acting like a natural protective antibiotic and improving the health of the digestive tract. Inulin is also helpful in improving blood sugar control and diabetes. In one study, dandelion, given to diabetic rats in the form of a water extract, significantly improved the rats' production of antioxidant liver enzymes while decreasing their blood sugar, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and raising their level of beneficial HDL cholesterol.