Dandelion Can Alleviate Health Problems

North America's most common garden weed has the reputation of a nuisance more than a potential herbal remedy. Dandelion, or Taraxacum officinale, is part of the composite family and is famous for sprouting up within a week of a good lawn-mowing. These yellow-headed flowers are good for a lot more than cluttering up your grassy fields, though. China, France and Germany all utilize this plant for various herbal remedies by using the leaves for tinctures, teas and tablets.

The components of the Dandelion are utilized at different points of their life according to what form of remedy you're looking for. The young leaves of the flower are used mostly for tonic salads and are harvested in the springtime. Summer leaves are used mostly for medicinal teas and tinctures, and roots of plants that are two years old are used for tablets and are harvested in the fall, when they have the highest concentration of the complex carbohydrate, inulin.

The roots of the plant are most often utilized for their work as a blood purifier. When consumed, it helps the kidneys and liver remove toxins from the blood stream, improving overall health and body function.