Brew Yourself A Cup Of Goodness- A Guide To Making Dandelion Tea

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Tea is one of the few beverages that were originally consumed for its medicinal properties and has now become a popular beverage.

Almost everyone enjoys a hot cup of tea to de-stress or take a break. What is also catching up fast are herbal fusion teas made with things such as flowers, roots, bark, dried fruits, and more.

One such tea that has been getting a lot of attention is dandelion tea for its holistic health benefits.

Let’s get to know this superfood powerhouse and what does dandelion tea do to keep you healthy. We will also talk about how to make dandelion tea and include it safely in your routine.

 

What Is Dandelion Tea?

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There are few flowers as pretty as the magnificent golden-yellow dandelions. The term ‘Dandelion’ loosely translates to ‘ dent de lion’ meaning ‘lion’s tooth’ in French due to the tooth-like marks on their leaves.

According to the National Library of Medicine, the flower, officially known as Taraxacum officinale has been used since the 10th-century in traditional Southeast Asian medicine systems to treat digestive and liver problems. (1)

Dandelions make a great cup of tea too.

If you are wondering what is dandelion tea, it is a herbal, caffeine-free tea or tisane made with these parts of the dandelion plant:

• Roots
• Leaves
• Flowers

A fun fact: Dandelion tea is often called a coffee! This is because the taste and appearance of roasted dandelion root tea are similar to the smoky and bold aroma of the coffee, but minus the caffeine.

 

Why Is Dandelion Root Tea Good For You?

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Botanists consider dandelion as a herb, mainly for its medicinal properties. It is chock full of essential nutrients that make it a worthy addition to your routine to prevent several health conditions.

Before we answer your questions about the health benefits of dandelion root tea, here’s a quick summary of the nutrition value per 100 grams of dandelion herb greens. (2)

Nutrient	Percent of RDA
Energy	2
Carbohydrates	7
Protein	5
Dietary fibre	9
Vitamins
Folates	7
Niacin	5
Vitamin A	338
Vitamin C	58
Vitamin E	23
Vitamin K	649
Electrolytes
Sodium	5%
Potassium	8%
Minerals
Calcium	19
Iron	39
Manganese	15
Magnesium	9
Phosphorus	9
Zinc	4
Phytonutrients
Carotene-a
Carotene-B
Crypto-xanthin-B
Lutein-zeaxanthin

All these nutrients help your body grow and repair, prevent diet-related diseases, keep you refreshed and rejuvenated.

 

What Is The Difference Between Dandelion Roots and Leaves?

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A wonderful thing about the dandelion plant is that every part is edible. This includes:

 

Dandelion leaves

Also known as dandelion greens, dandelion leaves have a bitter edge and taste similar to arugula. They can be steamed or stir-fried for use in a salad or boiled to make dandelion tea.

According to the Plant Foods for Human Nutrition Study, they are amongst the most nutritionally dense greens in the world, even more than spinach and kale. (3)

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Dandelion roots

Dandelions grow from thick taproots that are unbranched, similar to those in rhizomes. They can be roasted, steamed, or boiled and eaten like root vegetables such as carrots.

These roots can also be dried and roasted to make tea or add to your cup of coffee to dilute its caffeine content.

 

What Are The Benefits of Dandelion Tea?

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Depending on whether it is made from the leaves or the roots, your cup of fresh dandelion tea may have a delicate and sweet taste or a toasty and robust flavor. But that’s not all there’s to love about this tea.

It has some amazing evidence-backed benefits for your health and wellness. Here are some of the benefits of drinking dandelion tea:

 

1. Lowers blood sugar levels 

Bioactive compounds such as chlorogenic acid and chicoric in dandelion tea help regulate blood sugar levels and improve the secretion of insulin.

A trial published in the Journal of Nutritional Ecology and Food Research demonstrates that dandelion tea has a hypoglycemic effect and helped reduce the fasting blood glucose levels of the participants. (4) 

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2. Reduces cholesterol

A National Library of Medicine animal study says that dandelion roots and leaves have antioxidant and hypolipidemic effects, which is one of the most important dandelion tea benefits. (5)

Regular administration of these ingredients showed a positive correlation between lower plasma enzyme activities, lipid profiles, and reduction in oxidative stress. In the long run, this helps prevent the risk of coronary heart disease.

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3. Regulates blood pressure

Dandelion root tea diuretic effects help expel unwanted and excess fluids and salt (sodium) from the body. By regulating the fluids flowing through your arteries and vessels, it reduces blood pressure.

This in turn reduces the load on the cardiovascular system to pump more, helping ease hypertension. 

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4.   Optimizes weight

Obesity is much more than not fitting into your clothes. The Journal of American Heart Association says that it is a serious and complicated systemic disease that contributes directly to type-2 diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease. (6)

One of the top dandelion leaf tea benefits is that its potassium content acts as a diuretic and helps lose water weight and reduces bloating.

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5.     Improves immunity

One of the top health benefits of dandelion leaf and root tea is that it improves the levels of cytokines and nitric oxide in the body.

The Bulletin of the National Research Centre says that this leads to a reduction in the risk of autoimmune disorders and improves the body’s immune response to diseases and infections. (7)

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6.   Kills cancer cells

Dandelion extract tea or juice has anti-cancer potential, particularly of the prostate and colon. The Oncotarget Journal says that its bioactive phytochemicals make this tea a non-toxic and therapeutic anti-cancer alternative. (8)

 

Is Dandelion Tea Good for Kidneys and the Liver?

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The kidneys and liver in your body are the most hardworking organs. Your liver is the largest solid organ in your body. About the size of a football, it is responsible for several diverse metabolic functions necessary to keep you healthy.

The kidneys, on the other hand, help in removing wastes and excess fluids from the body and maintaining its chemical balance.

In normal functioning of the body, both these organs function harmoniously with each other.

Abnormalities in one impact the other and vice versa. For instance, if someone has non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, it increases their risk of chronic kidney disease.

Dandelion has been used for thousands of years for the treatment of chronic liver diseases. Let’s look at some benefits of dandelion tea for liver:

1. Dandelion tea has a hepatoprotective impact on liver damage. It is anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative and prevents conditions such as liver fibrosis. (9)
   
   
2. It increases the flow of bile and helps detox your liver, preventing and relieving liver diseases.
   
   
3. One of the most important dandelion spice tea benefits is that it fortifies your diet with polysaccharides. This improves overall liver functioning.

 

Including dandelion in your diet is a safe, side-effect-free, and gentle way to keep your kidneys functioning optimally.

Here are some benefits of dandelion tea for kidneys:

1. One of the best kidney health benefits of dandelion root tea is that it reduces the occurrence of urinary tract infections. It contains enzymes that reduce E.coli bacteria, which is the major cause of UTIs.
   
   
2. It is an excellent source of potassium. This helps in prevention of kidney stones.
   
   
3. One of the greatest health benefits of drinking dandelion root tea is that it contains glycosides, iron, carotenoids, and other minerals. This cures fluid retention in the kidneys.

 

Why Should You Detox With Dandelion Tea?

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Our modern lifestyles have completely changed the way we all eat. The paucity of time and availability of easy and instant options have pushed us towards fast foods and drinks that often make our liver and kidneys work overtime.

Dandelion tea detox is an easy and effective way to get rid of accumulated toxins and revitalize your body. Some benefits of this detoxification process are:

1. Dandelion leaf root tea, by enhancing your liver health and metabolism, increases your body’s natural capacity to detoxify itself and flush out the toxins.
   
   
2. A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine confirms the role of dandelion tea as an effective diuretic. (10)
   This helps reduce water weight and keeps your body feeling light.

 

How To Make The Perfect Cup of Roasted Dandelion Root Tea?

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Now that the wonderful health benefits of dandelion root tea have been established, it’s time to know how to brew a cuppa of this rich and creamy tea.

The recipe for roasted dandelion tea couldn’t be easier. Just follow these steps to prepare that perfect cup:

Ingredients:

• 4 ½ tablespoons dried dandelion root
• 2 cups of water
• 1 tablespoon butter or cream to taste (optional)
• 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tablespoon of fresh minced ginger, or vanilla extract to taste (optional)
• Your choice of sweetener 

 

Instructions:

• If you are using dried roots, place them in a pot over medium heat
• Toast them until they become fragrant and golden-brown
• If you are using fresh dandelion roots, scrub and chop them before drying them out. Then roast them in a dehydrator for about 12 hours at 95-degrees
• Add water, sweetener, and the flavorings
• Once the water starts boiling, reduce the heat and allow the tea to simmer for 30-40 minutes
• Strain the roots and serve hot.

 

How To Brew A Great Cup of Dandelion Leaves Tea?

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Dandelion tea can also be made using fresh leaves picked from your garden. Follow this easy recipe to make a flavourful cup of refreshing tea:

Ingredients:

•  6 dandelion leaves. Make sure that the leaves are not dry or old
• 2 cups of water
•  Lemon juice, maple syrup, or honey to taste (optional)
• Sweetener of your choice

 

Instructions:

• Pour the water into a pan and let it boil
• Add the leaves and steep
• Strain and pour

 

How Does Dandelion Tea Give You Fabulous Skin?

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The humble dandelion’s benefits don’t just end here. When consumed regularly, it has an incredible impact on the quality and health of your skin. Here’s a roundup of some of the dandelion leaf and root tea benefits for the skin:

1. According to the Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity Journal, dandelion tea significantly reduces the effect of UV rays on the skin and prevents cell death. (11)
   
   
2. Dandelion tea is a great source of vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins prevent premature aging and even reverse signs of aging.
   
   
3. One of the most important dandelion leaf and root tea benefits is that it reduces skin irritation and inflammation. Its antioxidant content soothes acne, rashes, and eczema-related skin issues.
   
   
4. Since one of the roasted dandelion tea benefits includes detoxifying your liver, it clears your skin of imperfections and improves its elasticity.

 

Is There a Best Time To Drink Dandelion Tea?

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Dandelion tea can be savored any time of the day.

The best dandelion tea time is early morning. You can start your day with this healthy drink and add on a cup or two more during the day.

To gain the benefits of drinking dandelion tea, there are a few times of the day when you may want to avoid it.

These include:

• Dandelion root tea before bed. Since it is a diuretic, you don’t want to spend the night making endless trips to the bathroom.
  
  
• Don’t use dandelion tea to wash down any medications that you might be taking. You don’t want the same diuretic effect to wash away the benefits of the medicines.

 

Is It Safe To Drink Dandelion Root Tea Daily?

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Many people wonder ‘is dandelion root tea safe?’

The short answer is that dandelion tea is absolutely safe to have every day. You will start seeing its benefits only when you include it regularly in your routine and continue it for a specified period.

 

Are There Any Risks of Dandelion Tea?

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Dandelion tea is considered to be the gentlest beverage with rarely reported reactions. At times there could be rare dandelion tea detox side effects in some people such as:

• Hives
• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling on the lips, throat, face, or tongue

 

There are some categories of people who should never take dandelion tea without consulting their physician:

• Pregnant women.
• Breastfeeding mothers.
• People allergic to seaweed, daisies, marigolds, latex, iodine, or chrysanthemums.
• Those who are taking medications such as diuretics, antibiotics, blood thinners, or sedatives.

 

Here are some pro tips on how to make dandelion tea work for you:

• If you are picking dandelion roots or leaves from your garden, make sure that they are pesticide-free.
• Avoid picking up dandelions from places frequented by animals.
• Pick the youngest leaves if you don’t like bitterness in your tea.
• Always wash dandelions under running water.
• Look for stuck pieces of soil or bugs.
• Store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh for longer.
• Avoid consuming dandelions that are showing signs of drying or decay.
• In case you are buying dried dandelion powder, make sure to read dandelion root tea detox reviews and know that it is manufactured by a credible seller.

 

The Bottom Line 

The fact that dandelion tea has been used for centuries for keeping people healthy is proof in itself of its efficacy. All you need to do is to add the goodness of dandelion tea to your routine.

Be innovative and experiment while you use its roots, leaves, or flowers and find your perfect blend. To make sure that you get all the health benefits of dandelion tea, let your doctor advise its appropriate dosage.