Dandelions

Did you know that dandelions did not originate in North America? What a surprise! They came as a source of food for people and bees, but for centuries they have been a popular medicinal herb. Diane Kent is president of the Ontario Herbalist Association and has been a professional medical herbalist for the last 10 years. Kent freely admits to her love affair with dandelions and describes them a beautiful and cheerful flower.
She says that dandelions are not only beautiful, but one of the most versatile herbs out there. She adds that dandelions contain high levels of vitamin A, B, C and trace minerals such as zinc, iron and boron. "There is an enormous amount of nutritional value in dandelions," says Kent. "The dandelion probably has just about more potassium than anything else in the world. Most of the nutritional value is in the leaves, the root I generally use it for a cleansing format."
Dandelion tonics and tinctures help cleanse the live, regulate blood sugar, and soothe gallbladder inflammation and chronic constipation.
All of this information will help me look at dandelions with more respect.