What are the Benefits of Dandelions in your Yard?

Dandelions are often considered as weed by many homeowners when they see the small yellow flowers blooming in their yard or garden. However, they may think completely differently if they realize the enormous benefits of dandelions in the yard. 

Here’s how dandelions can benefit you.

Health benefits of Dandelions

It’s a little known fact that dandelions have been used for years to fight several different types of health and physical disorders. Dandelions have been part of remedies to treat high cholesterol to high blood sugar and even ageing. It is one of the best super-foods and is considered valuable by expert gardeners even today. 

Here are some ways that dandelions benefit human health:

• Rich source of beta-carotene – Dandelion plants are an efficient source of beta-carotene which is converted into Vitamin A by the body. This plant is also a rich source of other nutrients, including Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Vitamin D, potassium, fiber, magnesium, zinc, iron, calcium, phosphorous, organic sodium and large quantities of protein. 

• Works as a diuretic – Dandelion leaves are diuretic which help to boost the urine produced by the body. The leaves also contain potassium that that body often loses with other diuretic. 

• Vitamins – Dandelion plants vitamin-packed green stimulants that boost your appetite and helps with the digestion too. 

• Antioxidants – Dandelion flowers contain high levels of antioxidants which are extremely beneficial for the body. 

People use dandelions in different ways, in food and drinks, including making dandelion wine. Let’s take a closer look at the specific benefits of the different parts of a dandelion plant.

Health Benefits of Dandelion Roots

Dandelion roots are usually dried and ground to make either a dandelion tea or a coffee alternate. You can also use dandelion root extract as herbal medicine by mixing it with your favorite herbal tea. 

Consuming dandelion roots helps to:

• Support healthy liver functions 
• Fight bacteria
• Neutralize free radicals
• Potentially kill cancer cells 
• Reduce bad cholesterol 
• Increase HDL cholesterol 
• Protect bones
• Help boost brain function 
• Balance metabolism 
• Fight inflammation 
• Reduce heartburn 

Dandelion roots when mixed in a specific formula with leaf extract from uva ursi can relieve urinary tract infection (UTI) in women. 

Health Benefits of Dandelion Leaves

Dandelion leaves are also packed with numerous nutrients, such as vitamins A, K, B and C, along with potassium and magnesium. 

Some of the major health benefits of consuming dandelion leaves are:

• Reducing high cholesterol 
• Decreasing water weight 
• Promoting healthy eyes
• Protecting against liver diseases from oxidative stress
• Promoting weight loss 
• Reducing bloating 
• Improving immune system 

Dandelions leaves have a distinct nutty and earthy flavor, very similar to radicchio. You can simply add the dandelion leaves to a salad, chop them or even sauté them before mixing them in salsa or pesto sauce. 

Health Benefits of Dandelion Flowers

Dandelion flowers also have several health benefits, such as:

• Improving vision 
• Alleviating depression
• Relieving stomach cramps 
• Relieving headaches and backaches 
• Rich in antioxidants 

There are several different ways to consume dandelion flowers. You can do a quick online search to find numerous tasty recipes to cook dandelion flowers, from dandelion blossom jelly to dandelion flower cookies. You can even make dandelion flower tea by drying the flowers and steeping them in water. 

Benefits of Dandelions to the Yard

Apart from the numerous health benefits dandelions are also highly beneficial to your yard. According to gardening experts, such as Eden, here are the major ways that dandelions can benefit your yard:

Attracting pollinators and beneficial insects

Dandelions are extremely attractive to natural pollinators and beneficial bugs in your yard. Though they are not native, dandelions have become a neutralized plant across the country. As they are one of the first plants to blossom in spring, they are extremely important as an early source of pollen and nectar for several types of insects, including bees. 

Add nutrients to the soil surface

Dandelions have tap roots that collect nutrients from deep within the soil and bring them up to the surface of the soil. This helps the other plants in your yard to get sufficient amount of nutrients too. 

Aerate the soil

Apart from this, dandelion plants also help their neighbor plants as they aerate the soil. In fact, if you plant a dandelion in poor soil it can effectively improve the soil quality in some time. 

Historical Benefits of Dandelions

Dandelions have been used since ancient times. They are common all over the globe and have been used extensively by the Romans, Greeks and Chinese for medicinal purposes. Historians believe that the first dandelion plant was introduced to the New World by the first pilgrims on the Mayflower ship. This was done deliberately as people back then knew the incredible benefits of dandelions. 

Conclusion

If you see these lovely, bright yellow flowers blooming in your yard, don’t go searching for a weed killer. Instead, you can let them grow and die off naturally. You can cut their leaves monthly to keep the yard tidy and clean. If you need to get rid of them for some reason, make sure to dig the entire plant out with the root. Once you remove a dandelion plant, it is highly recommended to store it safely for use later.