Dandelion

Above: Dandelions in flower, photo by Wild Food Girl.

This blog post is part of my 2021 Herbal Oil Blog Series and addresses Dandelion, including how to make a Dandelion flower-infused oil.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Considering that winter is a time of accumulated stagnation, it’s no surprise that many spring foods and herbs work on enhancing elimination through the bowel, kidneys, skin, lungs, lymph, and liver. Herbs that enhance elimination through 3 or more of these systems are called alteratives.

Internal Use

Every part of the Dandelion is useful in herbal medicine, and each part works on different systems. These parts—primarily the leaf and root—combine to create a synergistic effect, working better together than taking either alone.

Internally, the root is a helpful alterative, stimulating bowel and liver function and the excretion of hormones– helpful for people who have estrogen-dominance side effects such as fibrocystic breasts, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids. It also has a mild diuretic effect. Dandelion root contains inulin, a prebiotic that supports healthy intestinal flora. Additionally, the root has anti-tumor properties. It can be taken as a decoction (simmered then steeped) or a tincture.

Dandelion leaves have an affinity for the kidneys and are an aquaretic (a potassium-sparing diuretic) that is helpful for decreasing swelling and edema. The leaves also work on the gall bladder as a cholagogue, enhancing bile flow, and they work on the bowel and liver to a lesser extent than the root. To get these benefits from Dandelion leaf, take as an infusion or tincture.

The leaves are also full of nutrients, and the fresh spring and early summer leaves can be enjoyed in salads (as later in the year they become more bitter), or tinctured in vinegar. The vitamins and minerals are not present in an alcohol tincture and are not very soluble in the tea. It’s best to eat the young leaves, tincture the dried leaves in apple cider vinegar, or take capsules of the dried and powdered leaves if you are using Dandelion leaves for their vitamin and mineral content.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, a combination of the leaf and root is called Pu Gong Ying, and is used in cancer formulas, especially for breast and lymphatic cancers. This combination can also be used as part of a formula for breast or lymph node infections and lymphatic stagnation.

External Use

When I said every part of the Dandelion is used in herbal medicine, I really meant it! Even the latex from the flower stalk can be useful, applied topically onto warts. But its part that truly shines for external use is the flowers.

Dandelion flowers are traditionally used topically by herbalists for the breasts. Infused into a base oil and massaged into the breasts, Dandelion flower infused-oil can be deeply relaxing for the breast tissue. Just as with Violet oil, a self-breast massage with Dandelion flower oil can stimulate lymphatic circulation and drainage to relieve breast pain due to size, stagnation, infection, or cyclical hormonal fluctuations. Best used mixed with other herbal oils such as Violet, Red Clover, and Calendula, the oil can be used to relieve both cyclic and non-cyclic pain from fibrocystic breasts, breast cysts, mastitis and other breast and axillary lymph node infections, breast and axillary lymphatic stagnation, and lymphedema. If you intend to use the oil for any of these conditions, consider taking herbs internally as well. I recommend working with an Herbalist to receive a personalized formula (which may include Dandelion root &/or leaf).

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