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Do you own a garden? Then you must have definitely seen the weed-plant, ‘dandelion’ grow there each spring. And if you are like most people, you might detest them and get rid of them. But, we’re here to surprise you—the dandelion tea holds keys to great health!
Image Credits: Pexels
In this article, we will cover how the tea made from dandelion can work wonders for your health, how to make dandelion tea, etc.
1. What is Dandelion Tea?
The dandelion plant has traditionally been cultivated by in China and North America for medicinal use. Its scientific name is Taraxacum officinale. Its roots, leaves, and flowers make for great herbal tea.
The dandelion plant is a great source of fiber, protein, and iron. (1)
The great part about preparing dandelion tea is that the nutrition is retained. You get all the health benefits with the dandelion tea blend along with a mild and sweet aromatic taste.
Image Source: Unsplash
2. Can dandelion tea help improve kidney health?
There are many notable benefits of dandelion root for kidney.
Based on research done on cats affected by Chronic Kidney Disease, there have been improvements in their kidney health with consuming dandelion. (2)
The Chinese have been using dandelion tea to heal kidney diseases in humans since the 10th century though.
So, how exactly does fresh dandelion tea affect our kidneys?
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Dandelion has diuretic properties that help us detoxify the kidneys through increased formation of urine. (3)
- Dandelion has been found to lower bacterial and viral infection in the urinary tract and the kidneys. This helps in safely overcoming kidney diseases too, especially in women. (4)
3. Let’s get started with dandelion tea preparation
Can you make your own dandelion tea? Yes! There are many ways to make dandelion tea. You can either make tea from their roots (dried), leaves (fresh or dried), or flowers (fresh or dried). You can make tea using either one, two, or all of them together.
Preparing the roots:
The roots of the dandelion plant are wiry and usually soft. So, you should be carefully harvesting dandelion for tea from the soil using a fork.
Then you can pluck them from the plant and wash them thoroughly under running water. Next, you need to be drying dandelion root for tea. Here are a few ways:
- Dry the roots under the sun.
- Roast them in an oven for 2 hours at 200 degrees.
- Roast them on a pan until they turn dark brown in colour.
You can grind the dried or roasted roots into powder and use it for tea.
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Preparing the leaves:
For making fresh dandelion leaf tea pluck only the tender and fresh leaves from the plant. The mature ones would make the tea bitter. Wash the leaves and pat them dry. Now, cut them into small pieces.
If you want to make dried dandelion leaf tea, let the leaves dry naturally by keeping them in a dry bottle for a few days, or dehydrating them over a dehydrator.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Preparing the flowers:
If you wish to have sweet dandelion tea, you need their flowers. Pick the fresh ones, and remove their stem, leaves, and sepals. For dried dandelion flower tea, you can use the same procedure as the leaves.
4. Health benefits of having dandelion tea from flowers
Dandelion is a storehouse of nutrition. The different parts of the dandelion plant will provide you with different kinds of health benefits. Take a look here:
The Flowers
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The dandelion flowers have a high amount of beta carotene and an antioxidant quality. (5)
Besides, it is also rich in Vitamin C . Due to it, the flowers can help you get relief from:
- Headaches
- Eyestrain
- Aging
- Dull skin
- Low Immunity
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The Leaves
Image Source: iStock Photo
The leaves of the dandelion plant contain a high amount of iron and proteins.
This renders them the ability to alleviate the following conditions:
- Indigestion
- Kidney problems
- Low hemoglobin
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The Roots
Image Source: iStock Photo
The roots of this plant contain minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. It also has diuretic and antioxidative qualities.
It can help you alleviate symptoms of:
- Liver diseases
- Digestive issues
- Obesity
- Cancer
- Kidney disease
- Osteoarthritis
5. Dandelion Tea Recipes
Ready to learn how to make dandelion tea from scratch? Here are the best dandelion tea recipes for you to try:
1. Dandelion Root Tea Recipe
The roasting of the roots makes them aromatic and strong in flavour. You are going to enjoy this strong drink.
- Take a cup of water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
- Add two tablespoons of dried dandelion roots.
- Let the concoction simmer for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the flame and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Strain and serve in a cup
It will have a brown colour and taste similar to coffee. The good part—it contains no caffeine, unlike coffee. To make it more like milk coffee, you may add some milk to this tea.
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2. Dandelion Leaf Tea Recipe
This one is for those who like green tea.
- In a saucepan, take a cup of water
- Bring it to boil
- Add 6 freshly cut dandelion leaves or 1 teaspoon of dandelion leaf powder.
- Let it simmer for up to 10 minutes
- Let it cool
- Strain and serve
Based on your preference, you may add a sweetener like a stevia, or honey. This tea would look greenish in colour and have a mild neutral taste.
You may make it flavorful by adding orange or lime slices.
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3. Dandelion Flower Tea Recipe
Most people prefer fresh flowers for making the dandelion tea as they taste sweeter.
- In a pan heat a tumbler full of water
- Add 6-8 fresh dandelion flowers or half a cup of dried flowers.
- Keep the mixture on a medium flame for 10 minutes.
- Allow it to cool down.
- Serve hot with or without the flowers.
- Alternatively, you can refrigerate it and serve it as iced tea.
The dandelion flower tea would have a yellow hue and a sweet and refreshing taste.
You may add lemon and lime juice to make it tangy. You can also add some mint leaves to it to increase its refreshing quotient.
For more such tea recipes, check out our blog on kidney cleanse tea recipes.
6. Precautions and Side effects
Before picking dandelions for tea, it may be ideal to learn about the correct dosage and the potential side effects of consuming this tea.
Dandelion tea is generally considered safe for moderate consumption on a daily basis. But you need to watch out for these:
- Avoid it if you have allergies to ragweeds, or are suffering from skin disorders like eczema
- The effect of dandelion tea on pregnant and breastfeeding women is not clearly known. So, it is wise to use caution in such a state.
When it comes to interacting with medications for different health conditions, you need to watch out if you are consuming medicines for these:
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Diabetes- Dandelions may lower blood sugar levels. This may lower blood sugar to undesirable levels if consumed with diabetes medicines.
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Liver- Dandelions may cause a double effect on liver functioning if taken along with medicines. Medical advice is recommended before consuming it.
- Antibiotics- Dandelions inhibit antibiotic absorption by the body. So, if you are on antibiotics, you may need to reconsider having dandelion tea.
Have more queries about kidney cleanse? Use our guides to the following topics for support:
2. Corn silk tea for kidney stones
3. Parsley tea for kidney stones
4. Is tea bad for your kidneys?
5. Does tea cause kidney stones?
6. Can coffee cause kidney pain?
7. Conclusion
Dandelions are one of the super herbs that freely grow in people’s gardens as weeds.
But this herb has high nutritional content. When in tea form, it can help improve kidney and liver health, relieve stress, and even fight cancer.
It is definitely worth learning how to make dandelion tea from its various parts like roots, leaves, and flowers. With the recipes we shared above, it would be easy to make your homemade dandelion tea. Enjoy a healthy and refreshing cuppa!
