3 Health Benefits Of Eating Dandelion
Okay, we get it.
Sometimes Bestie likes to go off the beaten path when it comes to health and nutrition
facts and tips.
Chances are a good number of you aren’t even listening to this video right now; you
took one look at the title of the video and immediately flocked to the comments section
to tell us how ridiculous and laughable it is that we really expect you to be eating
the weeds that grow in your front yard.
For those of you that are still with us, just try to hear us out.
Yes, dandelions are a pesky weed you probably associate with gardening more than you do
with dinner.
However, dandelions are not only edible for human beings but also packed with a surprising
amount of nutritional value.
Today, we’re going to see why you should be eating more dandelions.
Before we start, it would be “dandy” pf you to click on the subscribe button and ring
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While the thought of a dandelion salad might not sound particularly appetizing to most
of you, dandelions are in fact edible and mostly safe for human consumption.
The green parts of the dandelion, such as the leaves, can either be eaten raw or cooked,
and the roots of the dandelion can be dried out and ground up to be used in tea or as
a substitute to coffee.
Additionally, nutritionists have experimented with using dandelion as a primary ingredient
in a variety of supplements, extracts, powders and tinctures, although research into things
such as dosage guidelines for these dandelion-based supplements are currently limited.
The only people who may want to hold off on ingesting dandelions are those who are susceptible
to plant-related allergies such as ragweed, and in some cases, people with sensitive skin
may find that dandelion can potentially be a trigger for contact dermatitis.
Additionally, dandelion may have some undesired side effects for people who are currently
taking certain types of medications, such as certain types of diuretics and antibiotics.
For this reason, it’s important to consult a medical professional before taking any sort
of dandelion-based supplement or additive in order to ensure your comfort and safety.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s take a look at some of the more positive
ways in which dandelion and the products derived from it can potentially make an impact on
your health and wellness:
Vitamins, Minerals and Antioxidants Looking to add more greenery to your daily
diet?
As it turns out, dandelions are in fact a significant source of various beneficial vitamins,
minerals and other nutrients.
Dandelion greens contain a considerable concentration of vitamins A, C, K, and E, as well as folate,
iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium.
Additionally, the root of the dandelion is also a rich source of a specific type of carbohydrate
known as inulin.
Inulin is a type of prebiotic fiber that benefits your digestive system by promoting a healthy
culture of bacterial gut flora.
Studies into the potential medicinal properties of the dandelion root have indicated that
inulin may potentially be highly effective at reducing constipation and assisting with
healthy digestion.
Inulin is also a soluble fiber, and if you’ve seen our videos in the subject, you already
know that soluble fiber is a welcome addition to any diet.
For more information, check out our previous video “Why You Should Eat More Fiber”
to learn more about fiber in your diet as well as the reasons why you’re probably
not getting enough of it already.
In addition to these vitamins, minerals and fiber, dandelion is also a rich source of
antioxidants as well; specifically, dandelions are a rich source of an antioxidant known
as beta-carotene.
For those not in the know, antioxidants are important to your body due to the fact that
they protect your body’s cells from oxidative damage by regulating your body’s concentration
of free radicals.
To put it a little more simply, antioxidants protect you from the type of cell damage associated
with things such as accelerated aging.
In other words, the nutritional value of dandelion can not only keep you healthy, but also help
you look and feel younger as well.
Another powerful type of antioxidants found within dandelions are known as polyphenols;
these antioxidants can be obtained from various parts of the dandelion plant but are most
abundantly found in the dandelion flower.
According to some test tube studies, the polyphenols found in dandelions may also help reduce markers
associated with inflammation within the body, and in another study, lab mice with inflammatory
lung disease were found to have significantly reduced inflammation in their lungs as a result
of dandelion-based treatments.
However, a greater amount of research is required to determine whether or not the anti-inflammatory
properties found in dandelion have any significant effect on the human body.
2.
Dandelion May Help With Weight Loss While a dandelion supplement or extract is
no substitute for a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise, some research appears
to indicate that the bioactive components found within dandelions could potentially
be useful when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight.
According to some theories, dandelions may factor into weight loss due to certain properties
that allow them to improve carbohydrate metabolism and reduce the absorption of fat.
In another animal-related study, a compound found in dandelions known as chlorogenic acid
was found to reduce body weight in mice as well as diminish certain types of fat-storing
hormones.
Before you get too excited by these findings, it’s worth mentioning that any possible
links between dandelions and weight loss are still currently based on inconclusive evidence,
and more research is required in order to get a more complete picture of the real effect
that dandelions and their derived products can have on our weight.
For now, the notion of dandelions as a weight loss superfood is still just a theory.
3.
Dandelions Might Prevent Disease According to some test tube and animal-related
studies, it’s been theorized that the chicoric and chlorogenic acids found within dandelion
can help with the production of insulin in the body as well as reduce blood sugar levels,
thus increasing the body’s insulin sensitivity and lessening the risk of conditions such
as diabetes.
Some of the bioactive compounds found within dandelions may also reduce cholesterol as
well as triglyceride within the body, which might also be useful in staving off the effects
of heart disease.
If that’s not enough, researchers have also speculated on the possibility that dandelions
could have the potential to prevent the growth and spread of certain types of cancer cells
as well.
According to one test tube study, the use of an extract made from dandelion leaves was
found to be noticeably effective when it came to slowing down the growth of prostate cancer
cells, though extracts made from the flowers or roots of the dandelion were found to be
significantly less effective in this regard.
Similar test tube studies have found that dandelion root extract may be effective at
slowing the growth of other types of cancer cells, particularly the types of cancer that
affect the colon, liver and pancreas.
Ultimately, and not to sound like a broken record, while these studies appear to be promising
we should also bear in mind that more research will be necessary in order to fully determine
the effectiveness of dandelion-based extracts to combat cancer.
Last but certainly not least, some research has indicated that dandelion may be able to
fight off disease by providing a beneficial boost to your body’s immune system.
While research is (unsurprisingly) still inconclusive, certain properties associated with dandelions
may be useful when it comes to preventing infection by reducing the ability for viruses
to spread through the body as well as by protecting against more harmful types of infectious bacteria.
As luck would have it, it appears that those weeds you’ve thoughtlessly tossed into your
compost bin may, in fact, be a lot more valuable than you originally thought.
While many of the potential health benefits associated with dandelions are still in need
of further evidence, the fact remains that dandelions are a rich an abundant source of
various vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and dietary fiber, all of which makes this humble
plant a surprising source of nutritional value.
Maybe this is yet another reason why we should never judge a book by its cover.
Or in this case, judge a plant by its...leaves?
Okay, it’s not an airtight analogy by any means, but hopefully you see where we’re
coming from.
Did you find this video interesting or informative?
Did we manage to change your perception on dandelions, or are you still convinced that
these yellow flowers are still nothing more than a nuisance for gardeners and landscapers
everywhere?
We’re always interested in hearing your feedback, so please feel free to scroll down
and leave a comment in the section below to help us keep the conversation going.