Drink
Dandelion root decoction
The root is a different plant from the leaves, even though they sit on the same dandelion. The leaves move water. The root goes for the liver.
And where leaves are steeped in boiling water, roots must be simmered. It is called a decoction, and the difference is not pedantry: the bitter compounds sit inside hard, woody tissue, and they only come out after a quarter of an hour of simmering.
Dig it in September or October, when the plant has drawn its strength down into the root after summer. Spring roots are thin and mild, autumn roots thick and bitter. You want the bitter ones.
It tastes of earth and burnt coffee. Some people genuinely like it.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp dried dandelion root, roughly chopped
- 300 ml water
Equipment
- Small pan with lid
- Strainer
- Cup
- A trowel for digging
Method
- 1
Simmer 1 tbsp dried dandelion root in 300 ml water for 15-20 minutes.
Dosage
1 cup daily, for 4-6 weeks. Then take a month off.
Simmer covered for 15-20 minutes. The lid keeps the volatile compounds in, and stops the water boiling away.
Drink it before 4 pm, it is diuretic as well.
Shelf life
Dried root keeps 1-2 years, dark and airtight. Drink the decoction fresh, though it keeps 1 day refrigerated.
Safety
Do not drink it with gallstones or narrowed bile ducts. Dandelion root strongly increases bile production, and that can set a stone moving.
Dandelion is in the daisy family. If you are allergic to mugwort, ragweed, chamomile or ox-eye daisy, try a small cup first.
It is diuretic and can amplify water tablets, potassium-sparing medication and lithium.
If you have ulcers or excess stomach acid, the bitter compounds can make it worse.
If you have kidney disease, speak with your doctor before drinking it regularly.
Do not dig at roadsides, on sprayed fields, or where dogs are walked. The root takes up what the soil holds, and you then simmer it.
Be certain of the plant. Dandelion has hollow, milk-bearing stems and a single flower per stem. Several plants resemble it from above.
And most important: yellowing of skin or eyes, dark urine, persistent pain under the right ribs or unusual fatigue belong with a doctor immediately.
How the herbs work
Dandelion root contains taraxacin and other bitter compounds which, through the taste receptors on the tongue, trigger a reflex: the body increases production of bile and digestive enzymes. That is why the bitterness should not be masked with honey, it is the mechanism itself.
More bile means faster clearance of what the liver has been working on, and that is the basis for the plant''s traditional use as a liver tonic.
The root also contains inulin, a fibre that feeds the gut''s beneficial bacteria. The content is highest in autumn, which is another reason to dig it then.
Roots must be simmered, not steeped. The bitter compounds sit in woody tissue and need time and heat to come out.
The content here is general knowledge and folk herbal lore, not medical treatment. In illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding or alongside medication: always talk to your doctor first.