Top Ten Medicinal Herbs to grow in your garden!

# 3 in our mini series: Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) This article has two parts this is part two and the last. IT'S AND AMAZING C !" AND #$ HA%$ #$ $ TA&GHT T! S"A ' IT #ITH !&ND(&") Medicinal: (of a substance or plant) havin healin properties. !medicinal herbs! curative" healin " remedial" therapeutic" restorative" corrective" health# ivin . $earn about%discover&" stud& for &ourself % confirmation and clarification" research for &ourself" compare notes from or anic resources. 'row" use(experience and share with others) Dandelion and its uses! Throu hout histor&" dandelions have had a reputation as bein effective in promotin wei ht loss and laborator& research indicates that there is some support for this reputation. *ontrolled tests on laborator& mice and rats b& the same +omanians indicated that a loss of up to 3,- of bod& wei ht in 3, da&s was possible when the animals were fed dandelion extract with their food. Those on rass extract lost much less. The control roup on plain water actuall& ained wei ht. .e&ond nutritional richness" however" are the active chemical constituents contained in dandelions which ma& have specific therapeutic effects on the bod&. These include" as reported b& /obbs (0123): 4 5nsulin" which converts to fructose in the presence of cold or h&drochloric acid in the stomach. 6ructose forms l&co en in the liver without re7uirin insulin" resultin in a slower blood su ar rise" which ma8es it ood for diabetics and h&po l&cemics9 4 Tof# *6r" a lucose pol&mer similar to lentinan" which :apanese researchers have found to act a ainst cancer cells in laborator& mice9 $entinan is a &east lucan ( lucose pol&mer) that increases resistance a ainst proto;oal and viral infections.9 4 <ectin" which is anti#diarrhea and also forms ionic complexes with metal ions" which probabl& contributes to dandelion=s reputation as a blood and astrointestinal detoxif&in herb. <ectin is prescribed re ularl& in +ussia to remove heav& metals and radioactive elements from bod& tissues. <ectin can also lower cholesterol and" combined with >itamin *" can lower it even more. Dandelion is a ood source of both <ectin and >itamin *9 4 *oumestrol" an estro en mimic which possibl& is responsible" at least in part" for stimulatin mil8 flow and alterin hormones9

4 ?pi enin and $uteolin" two flavonoid l&cosides which have been demonstrated to have diuretic" anti#spasmodic" anti#oxidant and liver protectin actions and properties" and also to stren then the heart and blood vessels. The& also have anti#bacterial and anti#h&po l&cemic properties" and" as estro en mimics" ma& also stimulate mil8 production and alter hormones9 4 'allic ?cid" which is anti#diarrheal and anti#bacterial9 4 $inoleic and $inolenic ?cid" which are essential fatt& acids re7uired b& the bod& to produce prosta landin which re ulate blood pressure and such bod& processes as immune responses which suppress inflammation. These fatt& acids can lower chronic inflammation" such as proliferative arthritis" re u# late blood pressure and the menstrual c&cle" and prevent platelet a re ation9 4 *holine" which has been shown to help improve memor&9 4@everal @es7uiterpene compounds which are what ma8e dandelions bitter. These ma& partl& account for dandelions tonic effects on di estion" liver" spleen and all bladder" and are hi hl& anti#fun al9 4 @everal Triterpenes" which ma& contribute to bile or liver stimulation.A H!# T! G !# TH$M* D! #$ N$$D H$+") #$ HA%$ T I$D T! ,I++ TH$M -! !& #H!+$ +I-$! ANN&A+."$ $NNIA+ "+ANT/ 4 <erennial meanin it reproduces for B or more &ears without re#plantin "A TS &S$D/ Cver& part of the dandelion is edible" includin the roots" leaves" crowns and flower buds. S!I+ $0&I $M$NTS/ This plant is one of the hardiest around. 5t can row most ever&where" re ardless of soil conditions" but does best in rich soil with sufficient moisture. S&N $0&I $M$NTS/ This plant is ver& stron and can do well in hot summers and cold winters" but prefers full sun. 5t can also do well in partial shade. G !#ING Z!N$S/ Does well in virtuall& all D@ rowin ;ones" with the exception of extreme conditions. "+ANTING TIM$/ <lant the dandelion seeds in earl& sprin in well#drained" fertile soil. <lant seeds directl& in the arden 0(E inch deep in the soil in sin le rows" about 2 inches.

"!++INATI!N/ Casil& self#pollinates. -+!#$ ING.S$$DING TIM$/ Dandelion reaches maturit& approximatel& 23 to 13 da&s after plantin . HA %$STING/ Fou can harvest the reens throu hout the rowin season. +oots can be harvested in the fall of the second &ear of rowth. <ull the entire root from the round and avoid brea8a e. D 'ING M$TH!DS . 'I$+D/ Dr& roots in an oven or in the sun. $eaves can be eaten raw" or blanched b& t&in them up and bandin the leaves. This will cause the inner leaves to turn white and sweet. The outer leaves are edible" but as the summer pro resses" become bitter. "+ANT 'I$+D/ $ar e &ield throu hout rowin season. " $S$ %ATI!N . "AC,AGING M$TH!DS/ *an be dried and stored as an& herb or spice in an air#ti ht container. CnGo& ?HD please share an&one can row these Fours for sustainabilit& 1o2n Musser