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Also called “piscialetto” for its diuretic and purifying properties, or “dandelion”For the shape of its petals, the Dandelion is a perennial herb plant. In these first few weeks of spring it is not difficult to meet it in the uncultivated meadows and along the edges of the country roads and paths.
A plant with a thousand virtues – they say Maurizio and Sandro Di Massimo in the book “Leaves. Culture and health from wild plants “ (Aboca), a volume rich in information that is proposed as an invitation to learn about the main spontaneous plants for medicinal and food use – as can be guessed from the etymology of the name. According to some interpretations, in fact, the scientific name taraxacum seems to derive from the Greek taraxo, which means disorder, and takos (ache or remedy).
Property
The pharmacological action of this plant is due to numerous active ingredients, among which the presence of taraxacin, taraxin, taraxasterol, sitosterol, lactupicrin, choline, organic acids, inulin, flavonoids, carotenoids (lutein and violaxanthin), tannic and resinous substances, mucilage, vitamins A, B, C and D, enzymes and mineral salts (including potassium, football, magnesium, iron and zinc).
Benefits
“In the phytotherapeutic field – reads the volume – clinical and experimental studies confirm the properties attributed to this plant over the centuries. Dandelion is an elective remedy in the treatment of problems functional with character digestive and renal, capable of stimulating the production of gastric juices, the excretion of bile from the liver, and to exercise a diuretic activity and mildly laxative.
For its outstanding purifying action (thanks to the elimination of toxins and metabolic waste) it is used in the classics spring detox treatments (often combined with Chicory, Artichoke and Milk Thistle) “.
Like all remedies with a diuretic effect – the authors warn – it must not be administered for long periods of time, as it can cause a reduction in the reserves of potassium, a key element for good cellular functioning, although we must not forget that Dandelion itself is rich in this mineral: this mitigates any side effects of a long-term cure. However, a compensatory action can be achieved by increasing the consumption of bananas (notoriously rich in potassium) and fresh vegetables.
“Experimental studies seem to hypothesize an antitumor activity of this plant and a potential anti-inflammatory action capable of counteracting even severe forms of arthritis ”, add the experts. And its virtues do not end there, because among the traditional remedies the application of dandelion latex (obtained from the root and stem) on leeks is mentioned, warts and calluses to facilitate their elimination.
Food uses
While the plant is well known by those who use herbal remedies ready to buy in herbal medicine for the purification of the body, not everyone knows that the Dandelion just harvested can turn out to be a great ingredient for use in the kitchen. “From a food point of view, the basal rosettes harvested when they are still tender before the formation of the flower stem – say Maurizio and Sandro Di Massimo – they have a particular taste, pleasantly bitter and can be used in preparation of recipes according to everyone’s tastes. They are excellent eaten raw in mixed salads or cooked, mixed with other vegetables and seasoned with extra virgin olive oil or sautéed in a pan in various ways (with garlic, oil and chili pepper, with olives or anchovies). They are used in the preparation of soups, broths, omelettes, risottos and fillings for pies, calzones and wraps.
In the countryside it was customary to keep the flower buds in brine or in oil, in place of capers.
The flowers they can be added to salads and omelettes, while with only the petals, cooked over low heat with water, sugar, lemon and orange juice, it is prepared a syrup (or “honey”) excellent to accompany fresh cheeses, yogurt and desserts.
The dried root and roasted, finally, mixed with other ingredients (barley, chicory, chickpeas, figs, etc.) can prove to be an excellent alternative to coffee ”, the experts conclude.
