DANDELIONS!!! THE DAMN THINGS ARE EVERYWHERE!!!

SEEING THEM FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

THE DANDELIONS ARE WORSE THAN ANYONE CAN REMEMBER.

This year where we live, the dandelions are overabundant to say the least. “Everyone I’ve talked to has said the dandelions are the worse they can remember” said a lady during a recent conversation about an entirely different topic. Most people’s reaction is to go to the garage, tool shed or back porch, grab the herbicide and begin poisoning large areas of lawns, gardens, fields and any living thing that may be within range or wander by and come in contact with the poison. Maybe, if we took everything into consideration, we could see dandelions being an asset and not a problem that raises our blood pressure.

RICH IN PROTEIN.

In some areas of the world, dandelions are raised as a cash crop for wine, dried for tea, used as healthful additions to salads and to spice up various dishes. Dandelions are rich in protein and were used as a spring tonic for thousands of years before foods that were only available during the summers began to be shipped half way around the world during all seasons. Thinking about it, it seems to make sense that a healthful plant found and harvested fresh locally would have more vitamins, minerals and other health benefits than one picked green, artificially ripened, shipped and trucked thousands of miles and then end up on the grocer’s shelf for days or weeks before being consumed. Besides, I’ve never heard of a GMO dandelion.

A SUPERSTORE OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS.
	Where vitamins and minerals are concerned, dandelions are not only an excellent source of highly available protein, they’re also rich in Vitamin A, B, C, and E, contain potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorous, nickel, sodium, cobalt, copper, and zinc. Most of us have read or heard that carotenoids have been shown to help prevent cancer; dandelions contain more carotenoids than carrots.

CHOLINE AND ALZHEIMER'S.
	If you’re not convinced yet, maybe the following will help. Dandelion can be beneficial for treatment of bladder infections because of its potency as a diuretic. Diuretics don’t cure bladder infections but they help flush bacteria and toxins from the bladder. Many researchers believe that the compound choline is helpful for people with Alzheimer’s and dandelion is high in choline.

BENEFICIAL FOR OSTEOPOROSIS.
	Dandelion has been shown in research projects to be beneficial in the treatment of osteoporosis because of its high content of calcium, boron and moderate amount of silicon, all helpful for strengthening bones.

DANDELION AND THE LIVER.

The liver is the body’s master chemist and dandelion heads the list of foods that can contribute to liver health. Dandelion has been used for centuries to treat jaundice and other serious liver problems. The liver can regenerate itself, if given the opportunity, and dandelion can help. Lecithin has been proven useful for treating various liver problems and dandelion flowers are high in natural lecithin. The root, when dried and roasted, makes an excellent, healthful and caffeine free coffee substitute.

THE HEALTHFUL LIST CONTINUES.

Besides the impressive list already stated, herbalists worldwide have successfully used dandelion root and leaves to treat hypertension, used the milky latex from the stems to treat warts and liver spots, the root as a strong tea for tonsillitis, the dried root powder, because of its high insulin content, for diabetes, and as a tea from the root for pneumonia, bronchitis and other upper respiratory problems. The root has been used as a concentrate in compresses for mastitis. Two cups daily of a strong tea made from the flowers has been said to improve night vision. A strong tea made from cut and dried root and dried leaves is used for fever involved with childhood infections such as mumps, measles or chicken pox. Eaten fresh, the leaves, flowers and root can help reduce swelling through its ability as a diuretic by removing excess fluids, and the list goes on.

WHO NEEDS POISONS?
	Maybe it’s time to eat the eat the damn things as opposed to spending money on products made by Monsanto, those fine people who’ve brought you terminator seed technology, environmental poisons like Round-Up and all sorts of GMO products. Monsanto, and the other biotech people like them, are arguably our worst enemy where health, wellness and financial independence are concerned.

A LITTLE FINE WINE ANYONE?
	Enjoy a little wine on occasion? If so, why not make it a healthful one that you know hasn’t been produced from a GMO Frankenfood, sprayed or otherwise had its quality compromised. You can find the recipe in Heinerman’s Encyclopedia of Healing Herbs and Spices. According to some of my sources, dandelion wine smells really bad.