TCM dandelion, a diuretic herb that can relieve edema

What is dandelion(Pu Gong Ying)?
Medicinally it refers to the whole dried grass of a variety of species of Taraxacum in the family Asteraceae (Compositae). The main species include Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz, Taraxacum ohwianum Kitam., Taraxeamum jsinicum Kitag., Taraxacum erpyhropodium kitag., Taraxacum heterolepis Nakai et H..Koidz., Taraxacum asiatisc Dadlst.(T. leucan-thum (Ledeb.) Ledeb.), and more. These species are slightly different from the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), visually and medicinally. Other names of it include Herba Taraxaci, Pu Gong Ying, Dent-de-Lion, Lion’s Teeth, Lion’s Tooth, and so on. It is usually collected in summer and autumn when dandelion’s flowers are barely open. And then it needs to remove the impurities, wash with water, cut into segments, and dry in the sun. It is normally used fresh or raw.

Taraxacum mongolicum is a perennial herb, which is usually from 10 to 25cm. The whole plant, covered with sparse white soft hairs, contains white milk. Deep-rooted dandelion root is with a single yellow-brown branch that is from 3 to 5cm in diameter. Radicicolous leaves arrange into a rosette; both sides of petiole base expand into sheath; lion’s teeth like leaf blade is linear-lanceolate, oblanceolate, or obovate, 6 to 15cm long, 2 to 3.5cm wide, and with acute or obtuse apex, narrow base, and lobed or irregularly pinnately divided margin. Single apical capitulum is full of bisexual ray florets; multilayer bracts are ovate-lanceolate; receptacle is flat; corolla is yellow, often divided, and with truncated apex; stamens are 5; pistil is 1, and with inferior ovary, slender style, 2-lobed stigma, and short hair. Achenes are oblanceolate, 4 to 5mm long, about 1.5mm wide, with vertical edges connected to stripes, spines, 8 to 10mm beaks at the top of the fruit, and about 7mm white pappus. Bloom time is from April to May and fruiting time is from June to July.

Dandelion benefits
Now it is time to tell you the facts about dandelions. It is rich in minerals, especially potassium, sodium, phosphorus and iron. Dandelion leaves contain more vitamin A than carrots. Besides it contains some vitamin B, vitamin C and vitamin D too. The whole dandelion plant is edible – leaves can be stir-fried like spinach or made dandelion salad; dandelion root can be also consumed as a vegetable or as a coffee substitute. If you buy dandelion from Chinese medicinal herbs shop, using it to make tea or cook gruel can be a good idea since it is dried herb. In a word, eating dandelions in a long run can be helpful to many ailments, such as acute mastitis, lymphadenitis, boils and carbuncle, acute conjunctivitis, cold and fever, acute tonsillitis, acute bronchitis, gastritis, hepatitis, urinary tract infection, hot eyes, acute pharyngitis, difficult urination, and so on.

As a whole, dandelion herb can benefit in many ways. Also known as "bed-wetting weed", it is a good herbal diuretic. In Canada this herb is officially registered as a diuretic that can relieve Edema; it cares your skin and helps hair growth too. Clinically it gets rid of Premature Graying, prevents hair loss, treats skin problems like Acne and Dermatitis, and removes pigmentation rashes/patches and freckle on forehead, nose, and cheeks; it has a strong bactericidal effect on the resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus. For that reason, clinically it is widely used in a variety of respiratory diseases and gastroenteritis; it has a wealth of vitamins A and C and minerals. Drinking dandelion tea before meals can improve indigestion and Constipation.