Merry Weeds .... OR Wonderful Medicine.

As I have already described in my previous post about Viola Tricolor, in my young adult years (18 to 21), I had eczema spread all over my body. And where the pharmaceutical industry failed, the general practitioners and dermatologists did not know what to do anymore, naturopathy was ready and I finally found the solution in the healing power of nature. The natural remedies turned out to work for me and the eczema disappeared.

Interest in Natural Healing.

In that time I developed an interest in the healing power hidden in so many flowers and plants. Fortunately, there are now more and more people who rediscover these ancient sciences. Fortunately, more research is being done and even old naturopathic remedies end up at 'Big Pharma'.

Personally, I think that a combination of regular medicine with naturopathy / phytotherapy can mean a lot for human health.

In the time that I developed that interest, I started to look at nature in a different way. And what became clear to me was something that struck me like a bomb. "Big Pharma" really takes a great advantage of people being sick. In the time that you are at your most vulnarable they are there to robb your wallet and say that they can not make a good medicine for less money. Governments are standing behind the 'Big Pharma'. While nature provides FREE of almost all health that we need. You just have to be open and know what to look out for. It's just there for everyone!

Weed or not?

Now take this ordinary Dandelion as an example. It grows everywhere and everyone knows and recognizes this cheerful yellow flower. Is considered a weed in your garden and many people have cursed him ... because once he grows in your garden, you will not get it out easily.

But what kind of fantastic features does this flower actually have? That is what you naturally ask yourself. After you have probably been plucking it away for years as an annoying weed. Should you have been cherishing him all those years, and just be happy that he grows in your garden free of charge and for nothing. Did this little flower, which makes you so cheerful about the spring, contribute to your overall well-being?

Healing Powers!

The answer to this is, if you at least believe in the power of nature, YES! Yes, if you want to use what nature offers us, we have to be careful with this Dandelion. The little flower that we mistakenly often call weeds, and what we love to exterminate from our garden, has many good qualities.

Features that we can use, features that we SHOULD use!

Back in Time!

If we go back a long way in the history of medicine, we end up with Folk Medicine in the Late Middle Ages. At that time the Dandelion was used. In ancient books of medicine, from about 1485, all the action of the Dandelion as a medicine is described.

You can safely use all parts of the flower! The Chinese know and use the Dandelion since the 7th century!

Almost everyone will recognize the Dandelion, perhaps not directly by name, but certainly as a flower, or weeds. The most recognizable thing about this flower is that it first blooms very nicely yellow. In the night hours, and in cloudy weather, this beautiful yellow flower closes itself, just like marigolds do. And in a later stage there remains a beautiful fluff bulb that almost everyone has ever entertained.

Don't you remember that you as a child tried to blow off the fluff all at once? If that worked, you could make a wish. Even now as an adult, I still think the fluff ball is great. And even now I can not leave it sometimes, to pick a fluff bulb and blow it empty. And animals also love this Dandelion. For example, rabbits are fond of fresh dandelion petals.

Not just beneficial.

Some plants like the St. John's Wort, or the Rosemary are seen as almost magical. And the Dandelion is suddenly that annoying weed that you do not come from. But I hope that after reading this article you will have to turn things around. Dandelions are science-based health flowers! And they are also enormously medicinal! So ... there it is. Black on white, forever recorded in the blockchain. Dandelions are enormously medicinal!

In China they knew this very early, from the 7th century all parts of this plant are well utilized. Especially as a moisture driver. A diuretic. It is also an incentive for liver and bile function.

Chinese people are convinced that the Dandelion cools heat (internal fire) and promotes the elimination of toxins. They therefore frequently apply the Dandelion in abscesses, acne, skin disorders, and festering skin conditions. The fresh white milk juice, which you can obtain by bruising the plant, is used in the East as well as in the West as a remedy for warts.

The leaves are known in Europe as a diuretium, safe and also very effective, as proven. The use of the root is mainly used in certain liver and bile disorders.

The fact that you can use this Dandelion for medicine without further processing it, makes this plant also very edible. Even if you have to keep a bitter taste. This bitter taste can be reduced by 'bleaching'. This is also done with Chicory, for example. For this you can cover the leaves with sand. And then special plant is also called 'Mole Lettuce'.

Only when this plant was eaten as 'Mole Lettuce', the rest of the plant was given some significance, and it was also discovered that dried roasted leaves, together with finely ground roots, is a cheap and healthy replacement for coffee!

But this is not scientifically researched?

Yes, as a matter of facts, IT IS! Scientists have shown by researching this special plant that this plant has diuretic, laxative, cholagogic and anti-rheumatic properties. In studies one distinguishes between the functioning of root and leaf. The ESCOP refers to the leaf of the Dandelion as an indication in situations where the increase in urine flow is desirable, such as rheumatic diseases. And also for the prevention of kidney stones. At the root, properties such as restoring liver and bile function are attributed.

Usually the root and leaf are used, they have extremely many effective ingredients in them. For example, the leaf has an extremely high potassium content.

Many other proven medical benefits include: skin inflammations, psoriasis, Pfeiffer's disease, liver swelling and liver cirrhosis, constipation, headaches, and chronic inflammations.
Dandelions are filled with important nutrients. Important vitamins such as vitamin B1, B2, B3, and vitamin C, and sheet essential minerals such as calcium, selenium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, iron, phosphorus, and sodium.

Is a Dandelion still so annoying in your garden? Or are you looking at this 'annoying' plant differently?

For me this is also "A miracle of Nature".