You may think of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) as just a bright yellow common weed overtaking your lawn, but this plant has long been heralded in the East and West for its culinary and medicinal value. The use of dandelion, most often as a diuretic (a substance that promotes excretion of salts and water from the kidney) or weight-loss agent, has played a role in traditional, Chinese, and herbal medicine for centuries.

Dandelion leaves contain the highest vitamin A content of all greens, and are rich, as well, in vitamin C. You can eat the young leaves fresh in salads or sandwiches, or use herbal preparations that contain them. Some wines, beers, and coffee substitutes are made from dandelion.

Hundreds of subspecies of dandelion grow in the temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. Dandelion is a hardy, variable perennial that can grow to a height of nearly 12 inches. Its short root divides at the crown into a tapered, multi-headed taproot. Dandelions have a distinctive rosette of deeply notched, toothy, spatula-like leaves that are shiny and hairless. Each rosette is capped by a head of composite bright yellow flowers. The grooved leaves funnel the flow of rainfall into the tapered root.

Dandelion flowers are light-sensitive, characteristically opening in the morning and closing in the evening and during gloomy weather. The roots are fleshy and brittle, with a dark brown exterior, and filled with white milky latex that is bitter and slightly odorous.

Dandelion leaves produce a diuretic effect, while the roots act as an appetite stimulant and digestive aid.

Dandelion is a natural diuretic that increases urine production by promoting the excretion of salts and water from the kidney. Dandelion may be used for a wide range of conditions requiring mild diuretic treatment, such as poor digestion, liver and gallbladder disorders, high blood pressure, and congestive heart failure. One advantage of dandelion over other diuretics is that dandelion is a source of potassium, a nutrient often lost through diuretic use.

Dandelion is available in a variety of forms, including tinctures, prepared tea, capsules, and dried or fresh leaves or roots.

Pediatric

• To increase stomach acid and bile flow in a child, adjust the recommended adult dose to account for the child's weight. Most herbal dosages for adults are calculated on the basis of a 150 lb (70 kg) adult. Therefore, if the child weighs 50 lb (20 to 25 kg), the appropriate dose of dandelion for this child would be 1/3 of the adult dosage.

Adult

Dandelion may be used in a variety of available forms:

• Dried leaf infusion: 4 to 10 g three times a day
• Dried root (infusion or decoction): 2 to 8 g three times a day
• Herb: 4 to 10 g three times a day
• Leaf tincture (1:5) in 30% alcohol: 5 mL three times a day
• Powdered solid extract (4:1): 250 to 500 mg per day
• Root tincture (1:2) fresh root in 45% alcohol: 5 mL three times a day

Dandelion is generally considered safe even in large quantities. You can use dandelion for an unlimited duration. Some individuals, however, may develop allergic reactions from touching dandelion, and others may develop mouth sores. People with health conditions involving bile (a thick fluid secreted by the liver that helps with digestion) and gallstones should consult a health care provider before eating dandelion.

Although the components of dandelion have diuretic effects, no noteworthy interactions (positive or negative) between this herb and diuretic or other medications are known to have been reported in the literature to date.

Another species of dandelion, Taraxacum mongolicum, also called Chinese dandelion, may decrease the effectiveness of quinolone antibiotics. It is not known whether Taraxacum officinale, or common dandelion, would interact with these antibiotics in the same way. As a precaution, you should not take dandelion at the same time as these antibiotics.

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