Many of us have the misconception that the Dandelion is just a common weed. Not even in your wildest dreams would you expect a dandelion tea in your morning routine. Though most landscapers find them a nuisance, dandelions have a lot to offer, despite being somewhat neglected. This pesky weed is due for a reputation makeover as the benefits of Dandelion tea include gut healing and liver support.
In this article, we have presented you with the list of benefits of Dandelion tea you can get by incorporating it into your daily routine. Read on!
Health Benefits of Drinking Dandelion Tea:
The scientific name of Dandelions is Taraxacum officinale, and these weeds have many medicinal properties making them popular ingredients in traditional medicine. Let us go through the benefits of dandelion tea in detail.
1. Acts as a Coffee Substitute:
Most of us start our morning with a hot cup of coffee. But if you are worried about the excess caffeine content, it is time to switch to dandelion tea. One of the benefits of dandelion tea includes that it acts as a coffee substitute.
The resemblance of roasted dandelion root pieces and the beverage to coffee is uncanny without all the caffeine in it. The reason why people consider dandelion tea as a coffee substitute is because of its appearance and taste.
2. Helps reduce water weight:
Dandelion tea is good for reducing water weight because it helps eliminate excess water from your body through kidneys and urine by acting as a diuretic. In addition, this tea can signal your body to flush out sodium from your body because of its high potassium content (1). You can relieve fluid retention, bloating, and PMS with diuretics.
3. Lower Your Blood Pressure:
If you are looking to lower your blood pressure, including dandelion root tea can be beneficial. This tea helps your kidney filter toxins and improve blood flow, thereby reducing blood pressure. This is because the potassium content of this root acts like electrolytes for the body (2).
4. Maintains Good Kidney Health and Improves Blood Flow:
Though dandelion tea has diuretic properties, unline other diuretics, this root replaces enough potassium in our body. Potassium is a mineral that can help your kidney filter toxins effectively (3). This meral is present abundantly in Dandelion. This mineral also helps improve blood flow by acting as an electrolyte.
Dandelion tea also improves digestion and minimizes kidneys’ waste by stimulating bile production, also called kidney tonic.
[Read: Amazing Benefits Of Using Dandelion]
5. Helps to Detoxify the Liver:
Detoxifying the liver is another health benefit of dandelion tea. The liver produces bile which helps enzymes in the body break down fats into fatty acids. It also detoxifies and filters blook efficiently. Dandelion tea helps cleanse and maintain the proper maintenance of the liver with the help of vitamins and nutrients.
By drinking dandelion tea, you can not maintain liver health by cleansing it thoroughly. It also supports the ability of the liver to produce bile and reduce stress on the liver with the help of polysaccharides present in Dandelion (4).
6. Help Control Diabetes:
There is a risk of health issues like type-2 diabetes in the modern world irrespective of age. So, it is necessary to take steps for prevention, and this is where dandelion tea comes into the picture. Dandelion tea can help improve insulin tolerance and moderate blood sugar levels with its anti-diabetic properties (5).
According to a study, dandelion tea significantly reduced fasting blood glucose when the subjects were supplemented with dandelion root powder. Though the results where dandelion tea stabilizes blood sugar levels are promising, more research is needed.
7. Treat Urinary Tract Infection:
Urinary tract infection is one of the common issues faced by many of us, irrespective of age and gender. According to studies, dandelion tea helps battle all kinds of infections, including UTI’s because this root contains incredible antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties (6). In addition, the natural diuretic properties of dandelion tea also contribute to dealing with urinary tract infections.
8. Help with Digestive Issues:
If you are looking to deal with digestive issues naturally, trying a cup of roasted dandelion root tea can be beneficial. According to research, dandelion tea helps increase the most common species used as probiotics associated with gut health, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. It also improves digestion as this root is full of gut-friendly fiber.
You can also deal with general digestive discomfort, bloating, gas by drinking dandelion tea. It helps soothe the stomach lining and helps your gut absorb all the minerals by finetuning your bile flow (7).
9. Fighting Flu:
It is never fun if you come down with flu, whether elders or children. However, the beneficial effects of Dandelion tea include fighting flu helping you come back into form. In addition, according to in vitro studies, you can reduce virus levels by consuming dandelion root extracts tea. However, human studies are needed (8).
Dandelion Tea Side Effects:
We have discussed the benefits of drinking dandelion tea in the above section. Although it is beneficial, there are some side effects associated with Dandelion tea for some people. If you find yourself having any of the following side effects, stop drinking dandelion tea immediately and consult a doctor.
- Stomach inflammation or heartburn.
- Digestive issues like diarrhea.
- Hypoglycemia.
- Allergic reactions.
- Some medications might react with Dandelion. They are:
- Blood-thinning medication.
- Antacids.
- Lithium.
- Diabetes medication.
- Diuretics.
If you are thinking of adding dandelion tea into your daily routine, consult your doctor. Especially if you are pregnant, nursing, are on any medication or have kidney issues.
How to Prepare Roasted and Fresh Dandelion Tea Recipe:
1. Roasted Dandelion Tea Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 4 ½ tbsp of dried dandelion root.
- Two cups of water.
- 1 to 2 tbsp of butter.
- Sweetener.
- One tbsp of fresh minced ginger.
Preparation:
- Place the dried dandelion root in a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
- Roast the dandelion root until it turns golden brown and aromatic.
- Now add water and minced ginger to it.
- Bring water to a boil and then simmer it for 40 minutes.
- Now strain the roots and pour the liquid into a glass.
- Add honey and butter to it.
- Combine thoroughly and drink it.
2. Fresh Dandelion Tea Recipe:
Ingredients:
- Dandelion roots.
- Coffee grinder.
- Roasting pan.
- Kitchen knife.
Preparation:
- Wash the dandelion roots and take the stringy, fibrous bits.
- Cut the roots into small pieces and rinse them again.
- Bake the roots at 250 degrees for about two hours on a roasting pan.
- Make sure all sides of the roots are roasted.
- Try to chop them even smaller once they are cooked.
- You can make it more refined by placing them in a coffee grinder.
- Now place the fresh root powder in a tea infuser.
- Let it steep for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- You can add other elements such as cloves or cinnamon to the tea as per your taste.
- Take an airtight container to store the remaining root powder.
[Read: Is It Safe To Take Dandelion Tea While Pregnant?]
We hope the benefits of Dandelion tea mentioned in this article are enough for you to try this beneficial tea. If you like it, incorporate it into your routine. Make sure to consult your doctor before trying dandelion tea if you have any health issues. Don’t forget to let us know if you found this article helpful!
Disclaimer: The information we have provided in this article is based on pure research and not a replacement for professional advice. The website is not responsible for the authenticity and accuracy of the information.
FAQ:
Is it ok to drink dandelion tea daily?
Ans: Yes! You can build up all the health benefits of Dandelion tea mentioned in this article by drinking a cup of dandelion greens daily.
Can anyone drink dandelion tea?
Ans: There are no side effects of drinking dandelion tea for most people. But if you have had allergic reactions to ragweed or under medications for kidneys and antibiotics, consult a healthcare professional before drinking dandelion tea.
What is the dosage limitation of Dandelion in a day?
Ans: Initially, start with a cup of dandelion tea, and then you can slowly increase the count if your body allows it. It is essential to let your body adjust to it first and be gentle because Dandelion has diuretic properties.
