ExclusiveThese two resilient plants have offered myriad health benefits since antiquity.

Welcome to Epoch Insight with Tiffany. My name is Tiffany Brannan. There's a common expression, one man's trash is another man's treasure. That expression could be changed slightly and applied in the world of plants. One man's weed is another man's medicine. For instance, many of the things which are now considered garden nuisances, pesky little weeds, were once considered valuable medicinal herbs. Even today, many herbalists and natural remedy practitioners recognize common plants that one finds along the roadside, in a field, or even in the backyard are full of nutritional properties and many amazing health benefits. For instance, the common dandelion. There's a whole article in this issue of the Epoch Times Mind and Body section on the many health benefits of the dandelion. This is part two in an ongoing series called Powerful Plants to Soothe and Strengthen Digestion. While some of these remedies are much more exotic or complex, this one is something we all know, the common dandelion. There are many quotes from herbalist Rosalie Delafauré in this article. She has written a couple of different books on herbs and plants that have great healing properties. One of the plants she touts the most as a healing herb is the dandelion. She says, the dandelion is like one-stop shopping for gut health, which is kind of amazing. It's such a generous plant that grows everywhere. And indeed, the dandelion is hearty. They're the bane of the gardener with the little blossoms that turn into white puffballs which can be spread throughout the yard in fun, being blown by children or the young at heart who enjoy spreading them around. But that's part of the way they propagate so easily. And they used to be revered greatly. Bees still appreciate them and rely on them in early spring for a hearty meal when many other blossoms haven't grown yet. Similarly, many people would enjoy eating them early in the spring before many other plants and crops were ready to be harvested because they are a powerful tonic especially after the long winter months when in colder climates without the ability to bring in hothouse-grown plants or fly them in from other areas one couldn't have fresh fruits and vegetables for many months. So the dandelion was a great spring tonic that people could enjoy. Now, what parts of the dandelion are beneficial? Basically all of them. The flower, the leaves and the root all can be eaten, sometimes dried sometimes fresh or made into a tea or some other kind of preparation to have different healing properties. The power of the dandelion is in the roots. They have long, brittle roots which extend as deep as a foot which is one reason why they are such a nuisance if you're trying to get them out of your lawn or your garden. It's hard to get rid of them. But because their roots grow so deep for such a small comparatively small plant they offer many micronutrients because they're able to pull them from the soil. Dandelions are a source of vitamins A, B, C and D as well as minerals such as iron, potassium and zinc. The dandelion roots also offer healing for the soil because they provide drainage channels and they aerate and they help to restore minerals and prevent erosion. Even a little bit of the root left behind can grow a new plant, showing how strong and resilient they are. Those roots can be made into teas, they can also be included in stir fries or put into soups or they can be made into a powder which is made into tea or even taken by the spoonful. Dandelions are also abundant in terpenoids and polysaccharides. Terpenoids are naturally occurring compounds found in plants, insects marine life and microorganisms and they've been used in cancer and malaria drugs as well as to flavor food and even in jet fuel and you can find those right in dandelions. Another review also found that polysaccharides are carbohydrates with antimicrobial properties that play a protective role in the gut microbiome. That's one reason why dandelions are so good for your digestive health. De La Forêt notes that dandelions can counteract some of the digestive issues which many modern Americans face because of the diet and lifestyle which is popular today. For instance, many Americans are deficient in stomach acid because of the diet and that can lead to indigestion even malnutrition and increased fermentation in the lower gastrointestinal tract. But dandelions can help with that because of the polysaccharides and their ability to replenish the gut microbiome. Dandelions promote secretory actions so they help to secrete more saliva and stomach acid to aid the digestive process. Dandelions are also rich in inulin, a type of prebiotic that we can't digest but it's food for the microbiome and it's important to keep the healthy bacteria thriving in your stomach and digestive system because then it's easier for it to digest your food. And De La Forêt compares it to where you plant seeds. If you plant seeds in cement they're not going to do as well as if you plant them in rich fertile soil. Having a healthy gut microbiome is like having a healthy bed of soil for your seeds or your plants. And the dandelion just as it replenishes real soil and dandelions just as they can replenish the actual soil of the earth can also replenish the metaphorical soil of your digestive system. The root has a bitter taste but not as bitter as the leaves which are also beneficial. The leaves are rich in iron because of that bitter taste as many dark leafy greens are. The leaves and the flowers when fresh can be added to stir fries, mixed greens, the flowers can be used to make jelly, the whole plant can be infused with alcohol such as vodka to make a tincture that can be taken by the teaspoon 20 minutes before meals to aid digestion. You can also make a soup out of the leaves, the roots, or the flowers. Now, is dandelion good for everyone? I don't think anything is. But a few people who should watch out for some potential dangers are those who have bile duct or gall bladder issues, people suffering from kidney failure or chronic kidney issues, anyone taking blood thinners or diuretics because dandelion is a diuretic, anyone suffering from gastritis, stomach inflammation, and it's interesting because the dandelion is good for your stomach, but if you already have stomach problems, I think just be careful and perhaps consult some medical expert on how much you should take and if you have a stomach ulcer or too much stomach acid because it's good that it increases that if you need more but if you already have too much, it could be too much. And anyone who has allergies to plants in the aster family which includes ragweeds because dandelion could worsen the allergies Dietitian Ashley Oswald, who is the founder and owner of the Oswald Digestive Clinic talks about how beneficial it is to include fresh plants like vegetables, fruits, and herbs like dandelion into the diet but she also notes that it's hard to say just what health benefits plants can have because the research is really lacking That's partly because there isn't a lot of funding for research on natural remedies and plants due to the fact that there just isn't much money in it You can go out in your backyard and pick some dandelions so the pharmaceutical companies aren't going to benefit much from that It's also difficult to do testing on anything that's about nutrition because there are so many factors involved Oftentimes studies are done over several decades but how can you really be sure that it isn't something that's a genetic issue or some other lifestyle factor That's why it's really hard to study nutrition Oswald says that it's important for her clients to incorporate dandelion into the diet but the timing is important She says for people who really aren't having many plants in their diet it's important to begin with more familiar foods and introduce vegetables slowly to establish tolerance It's like peeling an onion and getting to the root causes And if you're working to optimize digestive health you can use herbs like dandelion and more spices but that perhaps it's better to start with more common vegetables first if it's not someone who already has a robust array of vegetables and plants in the diet This article also includes a couple of recipes for great ways to enjoy using the dandelion for its nutritional benefits First we have a dandelion and strawberry shrub which is a beverage of sorts You take strawberries, either fresh and frozen dandelion roots, chopped either fresh or dried balsamic vinegar fresh ginger, minced apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar and honey And you chop it all up and crush the strawberries with a wooden mallet You end up putting them all together in a jar and let it infuse for a week in the refrigerator And then it can last for up to 6 months The important thing though is to have something on the jar that will be non-corrosive because vinegar is very corrosive So you're going to want to have a non-reactive lid like either plastic glass or a piece of parchment or wax paper between the metal lid and the shrub so that the vinegar won't corrode the metal canning jar lid and destroy the drink Thank you for watching I hope you enjoyed this discussion of the long history of both the dandelion and the olive tree If you enjoyed this video, I hope you'll like it, subscribe to the channel share it with your friends and leave a comment letting me know what you think about these two useful plants Thank you for watching!