Dandelion(Taraxacum officinale) is a member of the family Asteraceae, native to Eurasia, North America and Asia. Their leaves, roots, and flowers are both for edible and medicinal purposes found in herbal teas and supplements. Dandelion has many medicinal benefits and is used in herbal medicine as a liver nourishing herb in India and China for centuries. Native Americans also used the roots, leaves, and flowers to treat ailments ranging from heartburn, bowel condition and appendicitis. Its diuretic and anti-inflammatory effects have sparked interest in both conventional medicine and alternative health care practitioners. If you’re curious about the many benefits of dandelion, keep reading.

What’s Dandelion Extract?

The dandelion extracts we talking about are the dandelion leave extracts and dandelion root extracts. The leaves and flowers of dandelion are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, dietary fiber, and are an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium. It was found that dandelion root contains more than 50 kinds of active substances, including flavonoids, terpenoids, polysaccharides, phenolic acids, pigments, coumarins, organic acids, volatile oil, etc. Its medicinal benefits are closely related to the active components.

Flavonoids

Flavonoids widely exist in the plant kingdom, and their main characteristics are that one intermediate trivalent carbon is connected with two benzene rings containing phenolic hydroxyl. They are compounds with more content in dandelion and have anti-oxidation, anti-aging and anti-tumor effects. Dandelion contains flavonoids including luteolin, quercetin, isorhamnetin and geranyl lignin.

Triterpene

Triterpenoids are terpenoids composed of 6 isoprene and 30 carbon atoms. Most triterpenoids in dandelion are pentacyclic triterpenoids, which can interfere with cell signal transduction and promote cell apoptosis to achieve anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects. It mainly includes taraxasterol, pseudodandelion sterol, taraxerol and so on.

Polysaccharide

Polysaccharide compounds exist in animals, plants and microorganisms, and are one of the basic elements that constitute life and play their functions. Dandelion polysaccharides, the main active compound extracted from its root, mainly include glucose, fructose, sucrose, inulin and so on. These sugars mainly exist in their roots, which have the functions of improving immunity, anti-cancer, regulating blood lipid and blood sugar and anti-aging.

Other compounds

Other compounds include coumarins, such as umbellifolactone and scopoletin; Phenolic acids such as p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, etc.; Volatile components such as long chain saturated or unsaturated fat, stearic acid, etc. Dandelion root contains inulin, which promotes the growth of good bacteria in the digestive tract. In addition, Dandelion contains two kinds of compounds called chicoric acid and chlorogenic acid, which may have beneficial effects on insulin secretion and glucose absorption in the muscles.

Potential Benefits Of Dandelion Extracts

These compounds in dandelion extract is suggested anti-inflammatory,  antibacterial, antiviral and antioxidants and properties, which help prevent cellular damage, oxidative stress and many forms of diseases. It has many other health benefits.

Dandelion Extract For Your Skin

Dandelion has a wide variety of potential health benefits, including reducing inflammation and its strong anti-inflammatory makes it an excellent plant for treating various skin conditions. Studies have suggested that dandelion leaf extract may protect against the damage caused by UV rays, its high concentration of vitamin K helps protect against UV rays. When applied after exposure to UVB rays, dandelion flower and leaf extract prevented the skin from developing age spots. It may help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, reduce the signs of aging, and reduce the appearance of scars on the skin. Despite the fact that dandelion flower and root extract didn’t offer the same protection, they were found to promote the formation of new skin cells, which may support the skin’s appearance as it ages.

Dandelion has anti-fungal properties and may be used as a natural antidote. Studies have confirmed that dandelion leaves have a significant inhibitory effect on staphylococcus aureus anddermatophyte. For infectious skin diseases, dandelion leaves can be boiled for external application, and can also be used in combination with honeysuckle, forsythia, etc., which can reduce swelling very well, and have positive clinical effects for folliculitis, acne and other bacterial infectious skin diseases.

Dandelion Extract For Water Retention

Dandelion acts as a natural diuretic, which can help to reduce water retention. A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2008 found that dandelion extract reduced water retention in healthy adults. It increased the frequency of urination in study participants.

Dandelion Extract For Weight Loss

Dandelion is a natural diuretic, which means it can help you lose water weight, its ability to boost carbohydrate metabolism has also been suggested to help with weight loss. Up to 45% of the roots contain inulin, which has numerous beneficial effects, including obesity suppression. The herb’s effects are similar to those of the weight-loss drug Orlistat, which inhibits pancreatic lipase. In a study conducted on mice, dandelion produced similar results to other drugs used to treat obesity. Dandelion chlorogenic acid, a compound with a diuretic effect, also inhibits fat-storing hormones, a factor that contributes to water weight retention. It also helping to reduce water weight and relieve symptoms of constipation and bloating.

Dandelion Extract For Blood Sugar Levels

Dandelion contains a number of bioactive components, which may affect blood glucose levels and may be beneficial for diabetics. The root of dandelion contains an array of nutrients that can help the body fight diabetes, including fatty acids, carbohydrates, carotenoids, minerals, choline vitamins, and mucilage. Some of these compounds are able to inhibit a-glucosidase, which are enzymes that are involved in the breakdown of starch, which attributed to its ability to activate b-cells in the pancreas. Research suggests that dandelion extract may regulate blood glucose levels by increasing insulin secretion. These cells are key in the control of glucose levels. When these cells secrete insulin, they prevent hyperglycemia.

Dandelion contains high levels of vitamin K, so it helps regulate blood sugar and insulin levels. It has also been found that dandelion may improve insulin sensitivity and then lowers blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Although dandelion cannot be used in place of medicine, incorporating it into the diet may help reduce the dosage of diabetes medications.

Dandelion Extract for Liver

Dandelion root is a natural diuretic, meaning it can help you eliminate excess fat on the liver. It also stimulates the production of bile, a substance stored in the gallbladder that aids in digestion. Dandelion leaf extract is also known to have antioxidant properties, which is an added bonus for liver. Dandelion leaf extract was also found to protect against CCl-4-induced hepatitis. In a study conducted on rats, dandelion leaf extract also suggested may prevent cancerous cells in the liver. Although further research is needed to confirm these findings in humans. Sterols and lecithin, extracted from dandelion, are involved in the metabolism of the human body and are beneficial to liver protection. Many antidepressants inhibit liver detoxification pathways, making dandelion root a beneficial addition to any treatment regimen.

Dandelion Extract for Cancer

The plant’s antimicrobial and antioxidant properties make it a powerful natural anti-disease herb. It’s said Dandelion root can inhibit the growth of cancer cells by triggering apoptosis. Pandey, a professor at the University of Windsor in Canada, killed cancer cells when he exposed extracts from dandelion roots to them. The study confirmed that dandelion does have an inhibitory effect on cancer cells, but it was done on a cellular level and it remains unknown whether this will hold true in humans. Although more research is needed, studies have shown that dandelion root extract slows the growth of pancreatic, liver, and colon cancer cells in test tubes.

One of the compounds found in dandelion root extract is taraxasterol, which has chemopreventive and anti-inflammatory activities, which may explain the anti-cancer properties of dandelion root extract. Lupeol is another compound found in dandelion root extract. Its antioxidant properties help eliminate harmful tumor cells and prevent DNA strand breaks that promote cancer. Additionally, dandelion may also be helpful in cancer prevention and treatment. The pharmacological activity of dandelion root extract was investigated in an animal study in which dandelion extract significantly decreased the growth of colon cancer cells in rats.

Dandelion Extract Uses

Dandelion has many uses, but most people associate it with a bitter taste. The leaves of dandelion are easy to harvest for tea or a dietary supplement. People collect fresh dandelion leaves and after washing, cutting, steaming, drying and other steps, can be made directly drinkable dandelion tea, with a fragrant and rich taste, can be a substitute for coffee.Some health care professionals even recommend drinking dandelion root tea for patients taking antidepressants. Another benefit of dandelion root is that it is caffeine-free, is a great alternative to coffee. But dandelion should not be taken by those with a history of allergies. Dandelion extract with antimicrobial and antibacterial properties and can be used as a food supplement. You can also buy dandelion supplements in the form of extract, tincture, or capsules.

Dandelion Extract Side Effects

Dandelion extract is a new herbal supplement nowadays and there are few known side effects. However, dandelion extract can be dangerous if taken in excess. Dandelion may also interact with certain medications, such as blood thinners. For those who are pregnant or breastfeeding or if you’re using it to treat chronic conditions, it’s best to consult your doctor. This side effect is only mild and rarely causes serious health issues. If you’re already suffering from kidney disease or a kidney condition, you should talk to your doctor about any potential interactions with dandelion extract. Although this is not conclusive, but it is worth trying out for its potential health benefits.

Conclusion

Dandelion has been used by humans for thousands of years to detoxify the liver and gallbladder, improve constipation, reduce blood sugar and loss of appetite and treat anemia, scurvy, skin disorders and even cardiovascular diseases. Dandelion extract has shown powerful potential both in human health and animal nutrition. Studies have shown that it can increase milk, meat, and whey production when used as mammals and poultry feeding. Dandelion extract is also useful as a biofertilizer used to promote plant growth and strengthen the plant’s resistance to biotic stress. This excellent herbal extract has become a rising star in the supplement market as natural and safe ingredient.

 

 

Ye Tao
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