Tag: treating diabetes

Dandelion Root

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“Dandelion Root”

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Wood states that a few months on Dandelion can ‘tone up hepatic structures, remove stagnation, jaundice or gallstones, improve digestion, decongest portal system and remove difficulties caused by heat rising to the skin’.

Latin Binomial: Taraxacum officinale (rad.)

Common name(s): Dandelion Root

Family: Asteraceae

Part(s) used: Root

Constituents: inulin, carotenoids, fatty acids, flavonoids, mucilage, phenolic acids (acffeic acid), phytosterols, triterpenes

Qualities: Cold, bitter and sweet; salty, minerals, moist, oily

Suited to Eliminating ‘Thickened Humors’

Indicated when the ‘bile is thick’ and the liver and the gallbladder is congested

Particularly indicated when there is a mapped or geographical tongue; patches of opaque white coating torn off in places to expose red, raw tongue body.

‘Phlegm Fire’ (TCM): heat is baking down fluids while the thickened fluids are blocking the outward escape of the heat; removing ‘fire poison’

Organ Affinities: Liver, kidneys, muscles and bones

Emotional/Physical Picture: Mapped tongue; specific to Dandelion;  liver emotions – e.g. anger, irritation.  Often presents as a low, simmering heat and dampness in the system; There may be chronic infections around the sinus, and in the head.  Emotional issues connected with ‘liver heat’; e.g. anger, short fuse, brain fog, nervous tension

Actions:

  • Bitter tonic
  • Diuretic
  • Choleretic / cholagogue
  • Hepatoprotective
  • Hypolipidaemic
  • Laxative (mild)
  • Liver tonic – hepatic enzyme induction
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antioxidant (Braun & Cohen, 2010)
  • Alterative (Wood) ‘spring tonic’ or ‘blood purifier’ – thins the fluids and reduces the heat
  • Gentle lymphatic – acts on the waters of the body

Indications: Liver Stimulant and Cleansing Tonic (Braun & Cohen, 2010)

  • Jaundice and enlarged liver
  • Liver congestion or insufficient liver function
  • Hepatotoxicity
  • Gallstones or gallbladder stasis (avoid with gallbladder obstruction)
  • Constipation
  • Reduced or dysfunctional bile secretion
  • Chronic toxic conditions
  • When ‘heat has settled in the deeper issues and is simmering away’ – e.g. muscles and bones
  • Manic depression or ‘meanness’ (Wood)
  • Masdtitis – pain and swelling or redness in the sternoclydomastoid muscle (side of neck)
  • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Traditionally used for:

  • Treating diabetes
  • Rheumatic conditions
  • Heartburn
  • Bruises
  • Hives
  • Urticaria
  • Eczema and acne
  • Digestive complaints (Braun & Cohen, 2010)
  • Low-grade heat – due to thickened fluids
  • Stagnant bile – where heat is baking down the bile and resulting in gallstone formation

Contraindications/cautions:

Recommended that Dandelion not be used by people with obstruction to the bile ducts or other serious diseases of the gallbladder (Braun & Cohen, 2010)

Reference used: Braun, L. & Cohn, M. (2010) Herbs & Natural Supplements; An evidence based guide. Elsevier: NSW. Pg.310-311