The common dandelion, which grows everywhere and is considered a noxious weed, is actually a medicinal plant. And it blooms beautifully!
In fact, this is a very useful plant—its leaves, roots, and flowers contain many beneficial substances—vitamins, minerals, acids, fiber—I don't think there's any point in listing them all. In this article, I'll briefly describe the benefits of dandelion and the ailments it can alleviate. I'll also share a few recipes for remedies I use myself.
Dandelion is a perennial herbaceous plant with a long taproot, a rosette of green leaves, and bright yellow flowers on long, leafless stems. There's no one who doesn't know what a common dandelion looks like.
When dandelions finish blooming, they produce fluffy white balls containing seeds. When the wind blows, these balls fly away, scattering the seeds everywhere. Children and adults alike love to blow on these balls.
Another fun activity with dandelions is weaving wreaths - girls of all ages love to do this.
Gardeners and summer residents consider dandelions to be vicious, hateful weeds and fight them from early spring until fall. They dig them up by the roots and carry them by the bucketful to compost heaps, weed them with hoes, and mercilessly mow them down with trimmers. But they stubbornly grow and bloom, as if to say, "Oh, come on, we're so useful, pay attention to us." Fighting them is futile; they grow everywhere, spreading their seeds like parachutes. And if there's an abandoned plot of dandelion nearby, all efforts to eradicate them are wasted.
In early spring, before the cultivated plants have sprouted and our bodies need vitamins, dandelion leaves can be eaten—added to soups and salads. To prevent them from tasting bitter, parboil them with boiling water. Even young dandelion leaves, picked before flowering, are almost completely bitter.
You can make healthy honey and jam from yellow flowers.
I'll pick some dandelions before my husband mows them down and make some dandelion honey!
Fresh dandelion stems and leaves are beneficial for those with intestinal and stomach problems. Simply rinse the stems and leaves and eat. The leaves and flowers can be frozen and used in winter to make medicine.
Dandelion is used as a choleretic and cleansing agent for the gallbladder and liver. However, this should be done with caution and only as prescribed by a doctor.
It has a calming and hypnotic effect.
Decoctions are used as a diuretic and laxative.
Decoctions, tinctures, rubbings in alcohol or triple cologne are prepared from flowers, leaves, and roots.
Juice is prepared from all parts of the fresh plant. Dandelion juice cleanses blood vessels and the circulatory system, lowers bad cholesterol, and removes warts.
Tincture on vodka, alcohol, cologne is used for joint pain, used for rubbing and compresses.
Tincture recipe
-100g fresh flowers;
— 500 ml of vodka;
Rinse dandelions under cold running water and let them dry slightly. Pour vodka or cologne over them. Let them steep for one month in a dark place, such as a cupboard, shaking occasionally.
I also prepare this tincture every spring and use it as a rub.
Gardeners will understand: when you've been stomping around the garden all day long since morning, you need this rub in the evening to soothe your aching feet and knees. If desired, the tincture can be strained and consumed internally.
Dandelion infusion:
Pick about 5 grams of fresh flowers, pour boiling water over them, and let steep in a thermos or wrap them in a warm scarf for 2 hours. Drink half a glass three times a day to cleanse the body and relieve joint pain.
At my dacha, I brew tea from 2-3 flowers, pour boiling water over them in a mug, let it steep, and drink it warm. This tea is not bitter and is very healthy.
What else do I make with dandelions?
In the spring, I dig up the roots, wash them from the soil, dry them under a canopy or in an apartment, and break them into small pieces.
I pour one tablespoon of roots into a glass of boiling water and steep it in a thermos. I divide the infusion into three parts and drink it three times a day before meals for one to two weeks. This infusion cleanses the joints.
But an infusion of three roots is more effective.
I have problems with my spine and I periodically drink an infusion of three roots, one of these roots is dandelion root.
If anyone is interested, here's a recipe and treatment plan for osteochondrosis, protrusions and hernias, and for cleansing sore joints. Of course, the infusion alone won't cure the spine and joints, but after a three-week course of treatment, joint and spinal mobility improves.
First week:
Pour 1 tablespoon of creeping wheatgrass root into a glass of hot water. Let it steep for 30 minutes in a thermos or wrapped in a scarf, then strain. Divide into three portions. Drink three times a day for one week.
Second week:
-Dandelion root - pour 1 tablespoon with a glass of boiling water and let steep for half an hour. Use 3 times a day for one week.
Week 3:
Burdock root: Pour boiling water over 1 tablespoon of dried roots and let steep for half an hour. Drink the infusion 3 times a day for one week.
Before using dandelion for treatment, consult your doctor. Any medicinal plant has contraindications!
Don't self-medicate and be healthy!