Dandelion tea is made by infusing the plant's leaves, roots or both in hot water. Although dandelions are a nuisance to most gardeners and lawn-care enthusiasts, they do contain a surprising number of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B-complex, C and D, plus manganese, potassium, copper, calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium. All of these substances are transferred into the water when making dandelion tea, according to the website Tea Benefits. Dandelion is also known as white endive, wild endive, lion's tooth, blowball, puffball, pu gong ying and cankerwort, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
How to Make Dandelion Tea
It's a fairly straightforward process to prepare your own dandelion tea from leaves, according to the website Dandelion Tea. Find fresh, yellow dandelion flowers growing in the grass. Pick 6 large dandelion leaves or 12 small ones, pinching them off at the base of the plant. Remove the stem from the leaves. Cut or tear the leaves into small pieces and place them inside a tea infuser as you would loose leaf tea. Place the infuser into approximately 1 cup of boiling water and steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Dandelion tea is quite bitter, so you may want to add some honey or another sweetener to make it more palatable.
History
Ancient Chinese medical practitioners used dandelion to treat appendicitis and digestive problems, according to the website Amazing Green Tea. Colonial Americans and Native Americans both enjoyed dandelion tea. Ojibwa tribes used dandelion tea to treat heartburn, Mohegan tribes drank it daily as an energy drink and the Iroquois ate the boiled leaves to help prevent indigestion.
Benefits
A U.S. Department of Agriculture study found that dandelion greens have more vitamin A than carrots and more vitamins B, C and D than many other vegetables. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has identified several benefits of drinking dandelion tea. It is purported to stimulate the appetite, treat eczema and digestive disorders, help soothe the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, stimulate lactation and promote urination. Dandelion extracts have shown bactericidal and antimicrobial effects in vitro and have tumor-fighting properties, according to Sloan-Kettering. Researchers at Sloan-Kettering have not found any psychological benefits of drinking dandelion tea, however.
Scientific Studies
In 1927, researchers in Europe found that dandelion tea contracted the gall bladder and increased the flow of bile in dogs, aiding the digestive process, according to Amazing Green Tea. In 1938, another study showed that dandelion tea could be used to treat liver congestion, bile-duct inflammation and gallstones. In 1958, a German company began selling an over-the-counter herbal supplement made primarily of dandelion to treat gall-bladder problems. In 2007, Japanese researchers at the Osaka City Graduate School of Medicine found that dandelion increased hormone receptors in mice, which may mean it could also help relieve PMS symptoms in women, according to Amazing Green Tea.
Warnings
The health benefits of dandelion tea are not well understood by scientists, according to Amazing Green Tea. Most of the scientific studies were conducted on animals and not humans. Dandelion tea should never be used as a substitute or replacement for medical advice. Be sure your physician is aware of all herbal remedies you are using, especially if you take medications.
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