What Is It?
The word "dandelion" derives from the French "dent de lion," meaning lion's tooth. The jagged edges of the plant's shiny, smooth leaves account for its fierce-sounding name. In Europe the medicinal properties of this perennial (Taraxacum officinale) are so prized that it is grown commercially, but in North America dandelion is often dismissed as a bothersome weed. It wasn't always so, however. Wise minds at England's Hudson Bay Company, which was founded in 1670, made sure that employees in their Canadian outposts received shipments of vitamin- and mineral-rich dandelion roots to supplement an excessively meat-laden diet.
Ordinary English settlers, too, planted dandelion in their window boxes and herb gardens.
For centuries, dandelion root has been regarded as an effective, gentle laxative. The roots and leaves are most often used to treat liver conditions such as jaundice and hepatitis, and to encourage normal digestion. The yellow flower also contains beneficial compounds. In fact, all parts of the plant have high concentrations of vitamin A, as well as choline, a B vitamin that stimulates the liver. Dandelion is even being explored as a treatment for cancer and other conditions.
