Dandelion is one of the plants that you can always find in your back yard, garden, or even in the cracked sidewalks around your neighborhood. The survival instinct of dandelion is pretty high as high as the health benefits of dandelion leaves.
Who like to puff dandelion??? I think it’s some relaxing and fun stuff to do. Some people even puffing dandelion while making a wish. Well if your wishes are for gain more body health, it may come true.
The nutrients which are contained inside can help you to boost your health. Even it has been used a traditional medicine for generations to generations.
To add this herb to you daily diet you can make creations to mix some dandelion leaves and put it in your smoothies or salad. Or you can even make it to a herbal tea and coffee.
Nutrition Information
Dandelion leaves are one of the richest herbal plant of all. Below is the nutrition that contained in dandelion leaves that you may interested in reading.
Nutrition Information Table
| In a cup (55 grams) serving contain 25 calories | |||
| No. | Nutrition Name | Weight | % Daily Value* |
| 1 | Total Fat | 0 g | 1% |
| 2 | Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| 3 | Sodium | 42 mg | 2% |
| 4 | Total Carbohydrate
·        Dietary Fiber ·        Sugar |
5 mg
2 g 0 g |
2%
·        8%
|
| 5 | Protein | 1.5 g | 3% |
| 6 | Vitamin A | 5588 IU | 112% |
| 7 | Vitamin C | 19. 3 mg | 32% |
| 8 | Vitamin K | 428 mcg | 535% |
| 9 | Calcium | 103 mg | 10% |
| 10 | Iron | 1.7 mg | 9% |
| 11 | Magnesium | 19.8 mg | 5% |
| 12 | Phosphorus | 36.3 mg | 4% |
| 13 | Potassium | 218 mg | 6% |
| 14 | Sodium | 41.8 mg | 2% |
| 15 | Water | 47.1 g | |
*The % daily values are based on a 2.000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Nutritions in its leaves could be some important purpose to keep our body healthy. Â Health benefits of dandelion leaves which have proven evidence as follows
- High Calcium
Dandelion leaves contain rich calcium. Just one cup of extract dandelion leaves can give you 10 percents of the recommended daily intakes. You enjoy dandelion leaves benefits, you can mix about 2 or 3 cup extract dandelion leaves to your favorite high-calcium fruit such as kiwi, papaya, or orange. It can help you strengthen your bones and teeth and won’t give you fat.
- Great for Kidney
Dandelion leaves can replace some lost potassium while helping your kidney function. It’s diuretic properties work great to increase urine production and detox toxins from your body.
- Promote Liver Function
Many studies have shown that the elements contained in dandelion leaves have the ability to remove toxins. Besides, by consuming dandelion leaves body can restore hydration and electrolyte balance. As the result your liver function will be improving. It can also rising the release of bile.
- Incredible Antioxidants
As we know that antioxidants can help us with free-radical damage to our cell and DNA.
Free-radical is often found in some big cities and develop countries due to the air pollution caused by vehicle or even factories.
Inside dandelion leaves lots of vitamin A and C found. It can act as beta-carotene and boost the liver’s production of super-oxide dismutase. Super-oxide dismutase or SOD is some enzyme which can fix damage cells and reduces the damage due to super-oxide –the most common free radical in human body.
In addition, the antioxidants also can act as anti-aging agent.
- Anti-Cancer
After well-done studies and observations in a long term it has been confirmed that dandelion leaves may slow down cancer’s cell to develop while preventing it from spreading. It is because the antioxidants and phytonutrients are contained. Those elements act as the fighter of cancer cell.
- Diabetes Treatment
Not only its leaves, but also health benefits of dandelion root as remedy for diabetes is very potent. Based on research and experiments on animal, dandelion leaves have the ability to regulate lipid levels, blood sugar, and insulin levels.
- Lower Blood Pressure
Dandelion leaves contain fiber and potassium which can regulate blood pressure and diuretic properties which can increase urination. The increasing urination also help blood to regulate the high pressure.
- Weight Lost
The latex inside dandelion leaves is a mild and incredible laxative. Moreover in each 100 grams of dandelion leaves provide 9% dietary fiber which can help you to reduce weight.
- Reduce Cholesterol
There have been studies to animal as the object. Inside dandelion leaves contain dietary fiber that can lower and control cholesterol level while rising good cholesterol (HDL).
- Great for Gallbladder
For people who have gallbladder problems, consume dandelion leaves may recommended as a natural treatment. To help people with gallbladder problems and blockages, dandelion will increase bile production and reduce inflammation.
- Reduce Inflammation
The substances are contained in dandelion such as essential leaves fatty acids, phytonutrients, and lots of antioxidants can reduce inflammation throughout your body and relieve pain. The anti-inflammatory contained in dandelion leaves also can help asthma and other inflammatory disease.
- Boost Immune System
A number of studies confirm that dandelion leaves have some ability to eliminate microbes and fungi. There lots of vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin E which are the essential elements for optimum body condition.
- High Source of Vitamin A
Vitamin A is needed by body to maintain good vision, health skin and healthy mucus membranes. In 100 grams of dandelion leaves contain about 338% vitamin A of daily recommended value. It’s one of the highest container of Vitamin A.
- Alzheimer Treatment
Alzheimer may be a quite serious disease if do not be treated as well and soon as possible. The vitamin K that is contained in dandelion leaves provide about 650 percents of daily recommended intakes. That the highest number over all herbal source. The established role is limiting neuronal damage in Alzheimer’s patients brain.
- Low Calories and High Iron
Inside 100 grams of serving dandelion leaves contain only 45 calories. But actually dandelion leaves also have a very rich iron that is essential for your red blood production. It’s good for anemia patients.
Those benefits i mention above may bring you better health safely. It has almost no side effect. It’s just for people with several condition may result lower health. Here are the condition when you need to avoid consuming this herbal plant:
- Anyone who have allergic to chrysanthemum, daisy, yarrow, chamomile, and ragweed.
- Pregnant women,and
- Anyone who take prescription drugs
People with those conditions above should not consume this herb. Particularly for those who have another prescription drugs, they should discuss to every diet plan changing.