I mean yes I love the joy I get from
zooming through my cul-de-sac and out of my neighborhood, then hitting the
highway and zipping to work, but it's also the joy of saving money. You
see while I'm zipping to work getting 70+ miles to the gallon I'm commuting
with persons getting as little as 10 miles to the gallon. So while I'm
filling up for around $5.00 and their putting $65.00 plus hard earned dollars
into their tank I have the added joy of knowing how much I just saved!!
So I have this constant joy of the ride coupled with the joy of cheap
transportation while still looking good going down the highway.
So how does this fit into my cheap
way of life well recently as in around two weeks ago I became a semi
forager. What you ask is a semi forager well when I want to eat a good
salad getting the highest amount of vitamins and minerals as well as all kinds
of other great phytonutrients I walk out of my house and into my yard where I
forage for fresh "weeds" amongst the grass. The main
"weed" I hunt for is the beloved dandelion! More on that one in
a moment I also looked up the top 15 or so edible wild plants in my area I
search and find at least half of them where I live and make a great salad with
these. The cost is zero the health benefit is outstanding because there
are no absolutely zero pesticides or other chemicals used on these plants
before I eat them. I still spend a little on ice cream and other sweets I
crave thou but I'm working on "living off the land" as much as
possible.
Here's
a shot of myself with my little man Paxton Tylor
Since
I had no idea how good wild plants like the dandelion could be for you I wanted
to share the following information about the dandelion. Keep in mind they
are bitter this time of year so I add them to the salad with some cucumbers,
carrots and other normal plants to help balance things out. I'm working
on my families first garden at our new location this year so hopefully I'll
have lots of salads for free on top of my foraging for wild plants!
By Peter Gail
Suppose your doctor tells you, on your next
visit, that he has just discovered a miracle drug which, when eaten as a part
of your daily diet or taken as a
beverage, could, depending on the peculiarities of your body chemistry: prevent
or cure liver diseases, such as hepatitis or jaundice; act as a tonic and
gentle diuretic to purify your blood, cleanse your system, dissolve kidney
stones, and otherwise improve gastro-intestinal health; assist in weight
reduction; cleanse your skin and eliminate acne; improve your bowel function,
working equally well to relieve both constipation and diarrhea; prevent or
lower high blood pressure; prevent or cure anemia; lower your serum cholesterol
by as much as half; eliminate or drastically reduce acid indigestion and gas
buildup by cutting the heaviness of fatty foods; prevent or cure various forms
of cancer; prevent or control diabetes mellitus; and, at the same time, have no
negative side effects and selectively act on only what ails you. If he gave you
a prescription for this miracle medicine, would you use it religiously at first
to solve whatever the problem is and then consistently for preventative body
maintenance?
All the above curative functions, and more,
have been attributed to one plant known to everyone, Taraxacum officinale,
which means the "Official Remedy for Disorders." We call it the
common dandelion. It is so well respected, in fact, that it appears in the U.S.
National Formulatory, and in the Pharmacopeias of Hungary, Poland, Switzerland,
and the Soviet Union. It is one of the top 6 herbs in the Chinese herbal
medicine chest.
According to the USDA Bulletin #8,
"Composition of Foods" (Haytowitz and Matthews 1984), dandelions rank
in the top 4 green vegetables in overall nutritional value. Minnich, in
"Gardening for Better Nutrition" ranks them, out of all vegetables,
including grains, seeds and greens, as tied for 9th best. According to these
data, dandelions are nature's richest green vegetable source of beta-carotene,
from which Vitamin A is created, and the third richest source of Vitamin A of
all foods, after cod-liver oil and beef liver! They also are particularly rich
in fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and the B vitamins,
thiamine and riboflavin, and are a good source of protein.
These figures represent only those
published by the USDA. Studies in Russia and Eastern Europe by Gerasimova,
Racz, Vogel, and Marei (Hobbs 1985) indicate that dandelion is also rich in
micronutrients such as copper, cobalt, zinc, boron, and molybdenum, as well as
Vitamin D.
Much of what dandelions purportedly do in
promoting good health could result from nutritional richness alone. Vogel
considers the sodium in dandelions important in reducing inflammations of the
liver. Gerasimova, the Russian chemist who analyzed the dandelion for, among
other things, trace minerals, stated that "dandelion [is] an example of a
harmonious combination of trace elements, vitamins and other biologically
active substances in ratios optimal for a human organism" (Hobbs 1985).
Recent research, reported in the Natural
Healing and Nutritional Annual, 1989 (Bricklin and Ferguson 1989) on the value
of vitamins and minerals indicates that:
* Vitamin A is important in fighting
cancers of epithelial tissue, including mouth and lung;
* Potassium rich foods, in adequate
quantities, and particularly in balance with magnesium, helps keep blood
pressure down and reduces risks of strokes;
* Fiber fights diabetes, lowers
cholesterol, reduces cancer and heart disease risks, and assists in weight loss. High
fiber vegetables take up lots of room, are low in calories, and slow down
digestion so the food stays in the stomach longer and you feel full longer;
* Calcium in high concentrations can build
strong bones and can lower blood pressure;
* B vitamins help reduce stress.
Throughout history, dandelions have had a
reputation as being effective in promoting weight loss and laboratory research
indicates that there is some support for this reputation. Controlled tests on
laboratory mice and rats by the same Romanians indicated that a loss of up to
30% of body weight in 30 days was possible when the animals were fed dandelion
extract with their food. Those on grass extract lost much less. The control
group on plain water actually gained weight.
Beyond nutritional richness, however, are
the active chemical constituents contained in dandelions which may have
specific therapeutic effects on the body. These include, as reported by Hobbs
(1985):
* Inulin, which converts to fructose in the
presence of cold or hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Fructose forms glycogen
in the liver without requiring insulin, resulting in a slower blood sugar rise,
which makes it good for diabetics and hypoglycemics;
* Tof-CFr, a glucose polymer similar to
lentinan, which Japanese researchers have found to act against cancer cells in
laboratory mice; Lentinan is a yeast glucan (glucose polymer) that increases
resistance against protozoal and viral infections.;
* Pectin, which is anti-diarrheal and also
forms ionic complexes with metal ions, which probably contributes to
dandelion's reputation as a blood and gastrointestinal detoxifying herb. Pectin
is prescribed regularly in Russia to remove heavy metals and radioactive
elements from body tissues. Pectin can also lower cholesterol and, combined
with Vitamin C, can lower it even more. Dandelion is a good source of both
Pectin and Vitamin C;
* Coumestrol, an estrogen mimic which
possibly is responsible, at least in part, for stimulating milk flow and
altering hormones;
* Apigenin and Luteolin, two flavonoid
glycosides which have been demonstrated to have diuretic, anti-spasmodic, anti-oxidant
and liver protecting actions and properties, and also to strengthen the heart
and blood vessels. They also have anti-bacterial and anti-hypoglycemic
properties, and, as estrogen mimics, may also stimulate milk production and
alter hormones;
* Gallic Acid, which is anti-diarrheal and
anti-bacterial;
* Linoleic and Linolenic Acid, which are
essential fatty acids required by the body to produce prostaglandin which
regulate blood pressure and such body processes as immune responses which suppress
inflammation. These fatty acids can lower chronic inflammation, such as
proliferative arthritis, regulate blood pressure and the menstrual cycle, and
prevent platelet aggregation;
* Choline, which has been shown to help
improve memory;
*Several Sesquiterpene compounds which are
what make dandelions bitter. These may partly account for dandelions tonic
effects on digestion, liver, spleen and gall bladder, and are highly
anti-fungal;
* Several Triterpenes, which may contribute
to bile or liver stimulation;
* Taraxasterol, which may contribute to
liver and gall bladder health or to hormone altering.
These chemicals, individually, are not
unique to dandelions, but the combination of them all in one plant, along with
high levels of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fiber account
for the many claims made regarding the plant.
These claims include the following results
of clinical and laboratory research, again as reported in Hobbs (1985):
* A doubling of bile output with leaf
extracts, and a quadrupling of bile output with root extract. Bile assists with
the emulsification, digestion and absorption of fats, in alkalinizing the
intestines and in the prevention of putrefaction. This could explain the
effectiveness of dandelion in reducing the effects of fatty foods (heartburn
and acid indigestion);
* A reduction in serum cholesterol and
urine bilirubin levels by as much as half in humans with severe liver
imbalances has been demonstrated by Italian researchers;
* Diuretic effects with a strength
approaching that of the potent diuretics Furosemide and Lasix, used for
congestive heart failure and cirrhosis of the liver, with none of the serious
side effects, were found by Romanian scientists. They found that water extract
of dandelion leaves, administered orally, because of its high potassium
content, replaced serum potassium electrolytes lost in the urine, eliminating
such side effects common with the synthetics as severe potassium depletion,
hepatic coma in liver patients, circulatory collapse, and transmission through
mothers' milk;
* In 1979 a Japanese patent was filed for a
freeze-dried warm water extract of dandelion root for anti-tumor use. It was
found that administration of the extract markedly inhibited growth of
particular carcinoma cells within one week after treatment;
* Dental researchers at Indiana University
in 1982 used dandelion extracts in antiplaque preparations;
* In studies from 1941 to 1952, the French
scientist Henri Leclerc demonstrated the effectiveness of
dandelion on chronic
liver problems related to bile stones. He found that roots gathered in late
summer to fall, when they are rich in bitter, white milky latex, should be used
for all liver treatments;
* In 1956, Chauvin demonstrated the
antibacterial effects of dandelion pollen, which may validate the centuries old
use of dandelion flowers in Korean folk medicine to prevent furuncles (boils,
skin infections), tuberculosis, and edema and promote blood circulation.
Also,
Witt (1983) recommends dandelion tea to alleviate the water buildup in PMS
(pre-menstrual s
syndrome).
There are many testimonials from those who
have benefited from the use of dandelions in the treatment of what ailed them.
Robert Stickle, an internationally famous
architect, was diagnosed as having a malignant melanoma 21 years ago, and was
given, after radical surgery had not halted its spread, less than 2 years to
live. He said, in a letter to Jeff Zullo, president of the Society for the
Promotion of Dandelions, (June 23, 1986):
" I went on a search for the answer to
my mortal problem, and [discovered] that perhaps it was a nutritional
dilemma.... To me, cancer is primarily a liver failure manifestation. {Italians
are very concerned about problems of the 'fegato']. [I discovered that] the
cancer rate in native Italians is very low among the farming population
(paesanos). When they get affluent and move to the city, its the same as the
rest of civilized man. Paesanos eat dandelions, make brew from the roots, and
are healthy, often living to over 100 years."
He states that he began eating dandelion
salad every day, and his improvement confounded the doctors.
When he wrote the
letter in 1986, 18 years had passed and there had been no recurrence of the
melanoma.
A benefit which comes from writing articles
for national media is that you hear from people who have interesting stories to
tell. I recently received a call from Peter Gruchawka, a 70 year old gentleman
from Manorville, NY, who reported that he had been diagnosed with diabetes
melitis 3 months before and was put on 5 grams of Micronase. At the time, he
had a 5+ sugar spillover in his urine. He took Micronase for about a month
before he learned, from his wife who is a nurse, that Micronase can do damage
to the liver. He had read in "Herbal Medicine" by Diane Buchanan and
"Back to Eden" by Jethro Kloss about the effectiveness of dandelions
in controlling diabetes. Without saying anything to his doctors, he stopped
taking Micronase and began drinking dandelion coffee each day. During the first
week, his urinary sugar, measured night and morning, was erratic and unstable,
but after a week, his sugar stabilized and when he called, he had been getting
negative urine sugar readings for over a month. The doctors are amazed and
can't explain it. An interesting side benefit to replacing Micronase with
dandelion coffee is that, while Micronase damages the liver as a side effect,
dandelions are particularly known for strengthening the liver.
According to Mr. Gruchawka, he changed
nothing but the medication. He had cut out pastries and other sugars when he
was diagnosed and started on Micronase, and has continued to do without those
things while taking dandelion coffee.
In reporting these claims, however, I must
add three qualifiers:
1. First, unfortunately, neither herbs nor
synthetic remedies work for everyone in the same way. Different bodies respond
differently to medicines, and what works incredibly well for one person may not
work at all, or work less well, for someone else.
2. Second, good health results from a
combination of healthy diet and enough exercise to keep the body toned. Bob
Stickle, for all his insistence that dandelions cured him, changed, according
to a mutual friend, his entire lifestyle. He didn't just add dandelion salad to
what he was already doing.
3. People with health problems need to seek
the advice and care of a competent physician, with whom this information can be
shared. It is important to reemphasize that it is presented as information
only. I am not a medical doctor, and neither advocate nor prescribe dandelions
or dandelion products for use by anyone or for any ailment. Only your doctor
can do that.
Because there are so many variables, it is
hard to attribute Mr. Stickle's cure to any one of them directly. Likewise,
Italian farmers live a lifestyle which combines a healthy diet, lots of work
and clean air. They heat and cook with wood, which they have to cut and split.
They haul water for household use. When they move to the city, diet, exercise,
and environmental conditions change. Stress and sedentary habits increase.
And there is the importance of faith in the
healing process, whether it be faith in God or faith in the curative properties
of the herb being taken.
While dandelions, given all these
variables, may never be proved to cure any specific ill, they are an extremely
healthy green which cannot in any way hurt you. Research on how much you would
have to eat to cause harm indicates that eating grass is more dangerous than
eating dandelions (Hobbs 1985). Therefore, with everything going for
dandelions, it is highly probable that everyone can derive at least some
nutritional benefit from them by eating or drinking them regularly.
The medical and pharmacological
establishment is generally critical of claims regarding the use of herbs on
disease, and their concerns need to be put in perspective.
Herbal medicines have been used very
effectively far longer than synthetics, and many current pharmaceutical
products have been derived from research on plants used as medicine by many
cultures. The problem with plants, however, is that they are available to
anyone. It is impossible to patent a plant, and thereby gain proprietary rights
to it. As a consequence, pharmaceutical companies attempt to isolate the active
properties from medicinal plants and synthesize them so that they can patent
them. Many of the synthetics have serious side-effects which were not present
in the natural plant product, often because other chemicals in the plant offset
them (i.e. the large quantities of potassium in dandelions which allows for
potassium replenishment when dandelion is used as a diuretic).
USDA botanist Dr. James Duke (1989)
suggests that a proper and appropriate "herbal soup", filled with
"vitamins, minerals, fibers and a whole host of bioactive compounds,"
from which the body can selectively strain the compounds it needs to restore
itself to health, will be more effective than synthetic medicines containing a
"very select and specialized compound or two plus filler, usually
non-nutritive." This is especially true if the "herbal soup", in
the form of a potent potherb like dandelion, is a regular part of the diet so
that the appropriate bioactive substances are present in the right amounts when
the body needs them.
NB: The book that this reprint was taken
from "The Dandelion Celebration-The Guide to Unexpected Cuisine" is
recommended to anyone who would like to know more about this remarkable plant.
It covers everything you could want to know about dandelions and more,
including recipes, planting, picking and preparing, along with the wonderful
history of this "Official Remedy for Disorders", Taraxacum
officinale, the common dandelion.
Copyright©
1989 by Goosefoot Acres, Inc. All rights reserved.
