I said in my last supplement talk post that I was going to be doing them on the weekends. Well that didn't happen. So now I will be doing one today!
No that it really matters though because no one reads my blog...
As I have stated before, I love to do research on things these days. I have taken a lot of different herbs/supplements before and I should have done research on them back then. All I did was look at a "blurb" of what they could do for me and immediately bought them.
Doing this could have been very dangerous. I do consume colostrum, ginger, b6 and green tea daily so I guess I am still being dangerous.
A few years ago I consumed dandelion root on a semi regular basis. I took it because it was said to get bloating down and help with acne. In this post I wanted to take a closer look at it in regards to the alleged benefits, scientific evidence and my experience with it.
What it is and alleged benefits
Dandelions are considered to be weeds by many. They have the ability to spread across lawns which make a lot of homeowners unhappy. This makes them go out and buy things that will kill them all off.
A lot of people don't know that dandelions are actually edible. A quick look around the internet will turn up many delicious looking recipes that use them (see here for one example: https://www.abeautifulplate.com/sauteed-dandelion-greens-with-eggs/ ). It is important to buy them organically from a farmer's market to avoid the consumption of harmful pesticides.
Dandelions have also been used in hopes of healing various health ailments. Some of the alleged benefits of them are as follows:
1. Gets rid of bloating
2. Helps with gas
3. Helps with appetite (increases it)
4. Helps with constipation
5. Helps control blood sugar
6. Supports the liver
7. Lowers cholesterol
Taking too much of dandelion might cause stomach discomfort. Also, It should probably be avoided altogether if you are allergic to other plants in the daisy family.You can find dandelion on Amazon sold in tea, capsules, powders and liquid extract forms.
What the research shows
My looking on the internet for dandelion research turned up a few studies. There are probably more studies out there but I am guessing they show similar things to the ones I found.
All of the studies I looked at showed dandelion to be high in potassium. Because of this I am going to go ahead and say that it is most likely true. That means you need to be careful when you consume it because it easy to get too much potassium.
In one study I found, there showed increased fluid loss with an extract of the leaf. This study and possibly other studies (presumably) that show this kind of result seems to be a big reason as to why people want to supplement with it.
There was a study showing its potential as an anti-diabetic treatment. It is important to realize that just because there may be some potential doesn't mean that one should rely on it to treat their diabetes. There is not even close to enough evidence for this.
One study showed some limited evidence of dandelion helping with digestion. This might be part of the reason why it is marketed as helping with bloating, gas, appetite and constipation.
Overall, there is limited evidence that dandelion actually helps with health related issues. As with many supplements and herbs there needs to be more research done which may or may not ever happen.
There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that it helps with certain things though. If you are thinking of supplementing with dandelion, do some research and proceed at your own risk.
My experience with dandelion
I used to consume dandelion root tea from the Traditional Medicinals brand. Three cups a day was the maximum, recommended amount and that is what I stuck to. As I said before, I was taking it for bloating and acne.
I didn't mind the taste of the tea after I put in Splenda. Without it I definitely would not be able to stand drinking it. The taste is pretty bitter and kind of like coffee to me.
One of the things I noticed from it was that I felt less bloated after meals. It did make me urinate a little more than normal, so for me the de-bloating benefit was true.
Something else I noticed was that drinking it after meals made me slightly hungry again. One of the alleged benefits I listed was that it might help with increasing the appetite. I guess I can say that that was true for me.
In regards to my acne, I actually do recall having clearer skin during that time. That could have been just a coincidence though. Either way I was happy with it.
In conclusion
I found limited research-based evidence and a lot of anecdotal evidence that supplementing with dandelion has benefits. My personal experience with it was positive although I do not feel the need to take it anymore.
Have you tried dandelion as a supplement or in recipes before? Let me know!
Thanks for reading!
Comments