Herbal Collective Source

By Marilyn Zink

Dandelion is just dandy for cleansing.

I find it interesting that this lowly, ubiquitous herb which is often considered a weed can be so useful for cleaning the liver, the skin and the blood.

The root of dandelion is often used in cleansing and detoxing products. While dandelion is commonly found everywhere, it is not a herb to be used on a daily basis.  This is because dandelion has a powerful effect on the body in two ways - by promoting the formation of bile and by removing excess water from the body in conditions like edema which have resulted from liver problems.  The root also affects all forms of secretion and excretion by removing poisons from the body.

While the root of dandelion is frequently used for cleansing, the root is often roasted and used as a coffee substitute.  The leaves can be eaten in the springtime in a salad. Be sure to use the fresh new leaves and avoid any plants that may have been sprayed with chemicals.

Dandelion leaves help improve vascular blood flow and the leaves also have a diuretic action.

While dandelion is a great herb, it does have some contraindications.  Those with bile duct obstruction, acute gall bladdeer inflammation, acute gastro-intestional inflammation and any intestinal blockage should avoid using dandelion.

Marilyn Zink is a chartered herbalist and the publisher.editor of The Herbal Collective magazine, www.herbalcollective.ca. To learn more about herbs, be sure to sign up for the Free newsletter offered on this page.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 16th, 2009 at 9:42 pm and is filed under Detoxing and Cleansing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.