Wild Harvesting - Dandelions

I went on a fantastic wild herb walk yesterday with a local Herbalist. I'm feeling so inspired! I've decided to dedicate my next few posts to a few wild edible/medicinal plants that can be found in the Canadian Boreal forest - The first one something that is common almost everywhere. Dandelions which according to the USDA rank in the top 4 green vegetables in overall nutritional value.

Nutrients: Dandelions are a great source of beta-carotene, and the third richest source of Vitamin A of all foods, after cod-liver oil and beef liver. They also are particularly rich in fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and the B vitamins, thiamine and riboflavin, and are a good source of protein. Dandelion heads are also rich in micronutrients such as copper, cobalt, zinc, boron, and molybdenum, as well as Vitamin D. The sodium in dandelion roots is believed important in reducing inflammations of the liver.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) -
acts as a tonic and gentle diuretic to purify your blood, cleanse your system, dissolve kidney stones, and otherwise improve gastro-intestinal health also great for the liver and skin.

Flower Heads

• Very high in vitamin D when eaten (tea, tincture or pull apart and sprinkle over salads)
  
• Good dried in the winter months as a source of vitamin D (teas)
• Excellent for the skin in washes or skin creams - cleanses your skin and eliminate acne
• One of the only plants in the Boreal that carries vitamin D

Root

• A good liver cleanser
• Best gathered in late summer or in the fall.
  
• Wash well and chop do not peel! - most of the nutrients are in the outer layer
  
• Dry and store in jars for tea

To harvest the roots... Avoid breaking the roots, use a long trowel or a fork, lifting steadily and carefully. Shake off as much of the earth as possible and then cleanse the roots, the easiest way being to leave them in a basket in a running stream so that the water covers them, for about an hour, or shake them, bunched, in a tank of clean water. Cut off the crowns of leaves, but be careful in so doing not to leave any scales on the top. Do not cut or slice the roots or the valuable milky juice on which their medicinal value depends will be wasted by bleeding.

Leaves
Bitter - you can toss them into a salad or dry them and use in teas or to remove some of the bitterness soak the in water for an hour or two - also great steamed with other greens oil, garlic and salt. Best leaves are the young ones (less bitter)

• Good for digestion
• Excellent for gas
• improve your bowel function, works equally well to relieve both constipation and diarrhea
• lower your serum cholesterol by as much as half.

A few more points:

• Dandelions contain Inulin, which converts to fructose in the presence of cold or hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Fructose forms glycogen in the liver without requiring insulin, resulting in a slower blood sugar rise, which makes it good for diabetics and hypoglycemics.
• Taking Dandelions extract (tinctures) have been proven to doubling of bile output with leaf extracts, and a quadrupling of bile output with root extract.
  
• In studies from 1941 to 1952, the French scientist Henri Leclerc demonstrated the effectiveness of dandelion on chronic liver problems related to bile stones. He found that roots gathered in late summer to fall are most effective, when they are rich in bitter, white milky latex.
• Dandelion sap, also known as dandelion milk, is useful in treating skin diseases which are caused due to microbial and fungal infection, as this sap is highly alkaline and have germicidal, insecticidal and fungicidal properties. Care should be taken while using this sap as to avoid its contact with eyes. This sap can be used on itches, ringworm, eczema etc. without risk.
• The fresh juice of Dandelion is applied externally to fight bacteria and help heal wounds. The plant has an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Staphococcus aureus, pneumococci, meningococci, Bacillus dysenteriae, B. typhi, C. diphtheriae, proteus. The latex contained in the plant sap can be used to remove corns and warts.

As Food

• In Wales, they grate or chop up Dandelion roots, two years old, and mix them with the leaves in salad.
• The young leaves may also be boiled as a vegetable, spinach fashion, thoroughly drained, sprinkled with pepper and salt, moistened with soup or butter and served very hot. If considered a little too bitter, use half spinach, but the Dandelion must be partly cooked first in this case, as it takes longer than spinach. As a variation, some grated nutmeg or garlic, a teaspoonful of chopped onion or grated lemon peel can be added to the greens when they are cooked.
• Dandelion can be fermented and made into a nice stout beer or wine.
• The roasted roots can be used to make Dandelion Coffee, (clean well first!), dry, and slightly roast till they are the tint of coffee, then grind in a coffee mill.

Precautions: (information from the University of Maryland Medical Center)
www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/dandelion-000236.htm

The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, contain components that can trigger side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, you should take herbs with care, under the supervision of a health care provider.

Dandelion is generally considered safe. Some individuals, however, may develop an allergic reaction from touching dandelion, and others may develop mouth sores. If you have an allergy to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigold, chamomile, yarrow, daisies, or iodine, you should avoid dandelion. In some people, dandelion can cause increased stomach acid and heartburn. It may also irritate the skin if applied topically.

People with gallbladder problems and gallstones should consult a health care provider before eating dandelion.

Possible Interactions:

Dandelion leaf is a diuretic and may increase the excretion of drugs from the body. If you are taking prescription medications, ask your health care provider before taking dandelion leaf. If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, you should not use dandelion preparations without first talking to your health care provider:

• Lithium -- Animal studies suggest that dandelion may worsen the side effects associated with lithium, a medication used to treat bipolar disorder.
• Antibiotics, quinolone -- One species of dandelion, Taraxacum mongolicum, also called Chinese dandelion, may decrease the absorption of quinolone antibiotics (such as ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and levofloxacin) from the digestive tract. It is not known whether Taraxacum officinale, also known as common dandelion, would interact with these antibiotics in the same way. As a precaution, dandelion should not be taken at the same time as these antibiotics.
• Antacids -- Avoid antacids and other medicines that lower stomach acid, such as Pepcid, Taganet, Zantac, and others.

posting sources (besides our local herbalist :)

• http://www.leaflady.org/health_benefits_of_dandelions.htm
• http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/d/dandel08.html
• http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-benefits-of-dandelion.html
• http://vitaminlady.com/Articles/Dandelion.asp

Recipes to follow in a day or two!