Today millions of health-conscious people believe in the benefits of soyfoods as a newest panacea for better health and prevention of numerous diseases. In reality, soybeans, soy extract or soybean oil maybe add some taste to our foods. Maybe not, it depends what you like. However, you don’t have too much of a choice. Today this realtively cheap ingredient is included in the hundreds and hundreds of different food products. This little trick helps food manufacturers to bring down the cost of their products and increase their profits tenfold at the price of consumers health and money.

60% of the refined foods in U.S. supermarkets now contain soy. Soy is everywhere, and is getting worse because soy use may double in the next few years. Powerful FDA is considering to allow manufacturers of cereal, energy bars, fake yogurt, fake milk, etc. to claim that “soy prevents cancer.” It doesn’t.

New studies showed a serious connection between soy and cancer in adults, especially breast cancer. According to these studies, the governments of the UK, France, Israel and New Zealand are already cracking down hard on soy. Another scientific evidence tells that estrogen ingredients in soy products may be boosting the rapidly rising statistics of leukemia in children. In the latest, just one year, new cases in the U.S. increased by 27%. There’s also a serious connection between soy and the infertility epidemic, and the sudden growth in fertility clinics. Research in 2000 showed that a soy-based diet at any age lead to a weak thyroid, which commonly produces heart problems and …excess fat. Where do you think the dramatic increase in obesity today comes from?

Soy became a big business today. Is it always healthy for you, as you were told by numerous sales pitches and expensive advertising about nutritional benefits of this ‘magic’ product? Unfortunately, all this excitement is not always about our health, but about high profits. Do you want a proof, watch now how Dr. Mercola explains why soy is not good for you. Then look at the food labels and make up your mind.

Submitted by Svetlana Konnikova

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, foods containing carotenoids can protect against cancers of the mouth (smokers be aware!), pharynx and larynx. Scientists also noted that foods containing folate may decrease risk of pancreatic cancer and foods rich in dietary fiber reduce a chance of developing colorectal cancer.  Sounds very complicated, isn’t it? But this information is good to know, if you want to keep yourself healthy.

So, what is the main secret? Researchers believe that carotenoids can help to prevent cancer if they act as antioxidants. What it means? Carotenoids as antioxidants can ‘remove’ potentially dangerous “free radicals” from the body before they can do any harm to You. Some studies have found that the carotenoids in dark green leafy vegetables can inhibit the growth of certain types of breast cancer cells, skin cancer cells, lung cancer and stomach cancer.

The lesson is learned. I prefer to include in my morning vegetable juice spinach, kale, and parsley root which is an excellent blood purifier. If you don’t have  time to cook by sauteeng these dark green leafy vegetables, at least, do yourself a favor and start your healthy day by adding any of them to your freshly squeezed vegetable juice, as the most invaluable ingredients. You’ll be pleased with positive results of doing that.

Source: AICR’s second expert report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, http://www.aicr.org

Submitted by Svetlana Konnikova.

One class of flavonoids called catechins became the focus of many studies analysing them for its anticancer potential. Studies have shown that tea is the best source of catechins in the human diet. Green tea contains about three times more cathechins than black tea. Other laboratory studies found, green tea can slow or prevent cancer development in breast, liver, colon and prostate cells. In addition, some researchers say that consumption of green tea may have protective effects in tissues of the lung, skin and digestive tract.

In Asia green tea consumption is common, especially in countries as China, Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong. Asian scientists’ studies associated with observation of participants who regularly consumed green tea have shown that these people had lower risk for colon, bladder, stomach and pancreatic cancers.

In spite of these findings, American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) in its second expert report, Food, Nutrition, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global perspective,  was unable to make a recommendation regarding the relationship between tea consumption and cancer risk due to unsufficient evidence. Probably, AICR researchers heavily relied on the facts that very high amounts of green tea components (usually associated with overdosage of green tea supplements) have been shown to interact with drugs that affect blood clotting such as aspirin and changes in  the way the body metabolizes certain medications.

But if you don’t take any medications and want to prevent types of cancer mentioned above, you can make at home your Cool  Green Tea Drink and enjoy it drinking several times a day during hot summer. Here is my recipe:

1-2 small packs organic green tea with jasmine

2-3 cups boiling water

1 organic lemon

2 tablespoons organic honey

Steep for 5 minutes. Cool it. Then sqeeze one organic lemon into the green tea. Add two tablespoons organic (liquid) honey and mix well. Place your Cool Drink in refrigerator and drink during a day. Store this tea in refirigerator not more than 2 days. Try to make it and you’ll enjoy this healthy and pleasant beverage.

Source: http://www.aicr.org; photo of a glass jug with Cool Green Tea by the author of this post.

Submitted by Svetlana Konnikova. Copyright 2010.

Fennel, parsley, basil, arugula and sunflowers are growing happily in my small garden. They do great without any chemical pesticides or fertilizers. I do the same as my grandmother did in our family garden. We had “tons” of fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables that she ‘farmed’ without chemicals, but she never called them organic. The produce just expected to be pure and natural. Otherwise, why to poison yourself voluntarily?

This is how our ancestors century by century took geart care of the foods produced for the family dinner table. The old methods without use of chemicals are the future of modern agriculture. According to the FloridaOrganic Growers Association, we can find nearly 130 certified organic farms that grow plants the way our ancestors must have. These organic operations are certified by Quality Certification Services in Gainsville and by U.S. Department of Agriculture. Usually these farms have certified organic nursery and garden, and sell herbal plants, fresh-cut herbs, greens, and even shiitake mushrooms.

Just a reminder. Organic is the food that is grown, packed, processed and stored without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and irradiation. Try this kind of product and you’ll immediately feel the difference in taste, scent and flavor. These foods are tastier and healthier for us, and for the earth, too. But is must be certified organic, and you have to know where it comes from.

According to the Florida law, for example, a product can be certified only, if

• No harmful chemicals have been applied to the land for at least three years.
• Farmers and food processors are inspected annually by a certifying agency.
• Farmers and processors keep detailed record of their practices.
• Farmers develop and maintain a written management plan.

Florida Organic Growers Association doesn’t keep track of all organic producers in the state, so it can me more than 130 organic operators. The largest organic crop in Florida is citrus, of course. The state was always famous with its oranges. Other organic crops are lettuce, greens, tomatoes and peppers, including coffee and soy.

Submitted by Svetlana Konnikova. The topic will continue in the next post.

The term ‘elements’ (stoicheia) was first used by Greek philosopher Plato in about 360 BCE. At this time, he started Timaeus, a long monologue  about the composition of inorganic and organic bodies which became a rudimentary treatise on chemistry. Many centuries ago, the ancients started exploring a puprose of the universe and nature of physical world. They tried to define a distinction between the physical world and the eternal world. As they said, the physical is one world that changes and perishes: therefore it is the object of opinion and unreasoned sensation. The eternal world is the one that never changes: therefore it is apprehended by reason.

When Dmitri Mendeleev came up with the Periodic Table, he predicted that as-of-yet unknown elements existed with properties appropriate to fill gaps in the table. Elements are pure chemical substances composed of atoms with the same number of protons. Common examples of elements are iron, copper, silver, gold, hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. As of March 2010, 118 elements in total have been observed, of which 94 occur naturally on Earth.

I always wonder, why modern chemists are working so aggressively on creation of new and proven to be harmful, manmade chemicals that are enthusiastically applied to our food products instead of 100% natural elements? Is it because the physical world changes and can perish one day or there are other reasons that big food corporations pursue in a hunt for an unlimited enrichment?

 Every day we eat fresh produce coming to the supermarkets from the farmers fields. It looks fresh and attractive. Just buy it, bring to your kitchen table, and prepare delicious salads and other meals.

But many of us don’t suspect that potatoes, apples, strawberries, corn, celery, wheat, and green beans offered by the supermarkets contain health and life- threatening pesticides. Pesticides are chemicals in any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest. And us, too.  ”Pesticides can be harmful to people or pets…” (www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pesticides).

Here is the List of most frequently detected pesticide on produce:

Crop            Pesticide         Type       Samples   Samples               Percent of samples

                                                                                             with Residues       with Residues

1. Potato     chlorpropham     herbicide    121             62                                         51%

                                      (sprouting inhibitor)

2. Apple   azinphosmethyl   insecticide      73             61                                           84%

3. Apple     captan                 fungicide           174            60                                           34%

4. Apple      phosmet          insecticide             69            58                                           84%

5. Apple    diphelamine    growth regulator  38           38                                        100%

6.Apple      thiabendazole   fungicide              37           37                                        100%

7. Peach    phosmet             insecticide            39            31                                         79%

8. Strawberry captan       fungicide                 41            24                                       59%

9. Apple    carbaryl             insecticide              22           22                                     100%

10. Peach   captan               fungicide                 49            22                                        45%

11. Corn, grain malathion  insecticide           39           20                                        51%

12. Wheat, grain

          chlorpyrifoc-methyl     insecticide           28           18                                         64%

13. Apple  4-(phenylamon0)  fungicide          17           17                                      100%

                         phenol                      (metabolite)

22. Potato   DDT                          insecticide        127        12                                        9%

24. Celery    chlorothalanil    fungicide             83         11                                      13%

27. Green bean acephate       insecticide        13          10                                      77%

28. Green bean  methamidophos insecticide 13       10                                      77%

As you see,, for the most part, produce we happily buy in our supermarkets is contaminated with insecticides and pesticides. 84% of all potato samples  contain chlorpropham– a herbicide that sprayed on potatoes to keep them from sprounting while at the supermarket. This puts potatoes, a main staple in our menu, at the top of the residue list. Fruits are more likely to show up with residues than vegetables, but this is not always  the case.

100 million pounds of pesticides used on produce is only a small part of the horrific story. Given trhe fact that the U.S. produces more than 46 billion pounds of potatoes each year, and is able to feed the whole world, the pesticide use per pound looks less shocking. The most shocking fact is that even if you try to avoid the produce of conventional farming and  buy only organic, you cannot save yourself , your children, or your families from destruction of your health and life. Do you know that oil and sulfur–two of the most widely applied pesticides are approved for use on both conventional and organic produce?!

Submitted by Svetlana Konnikova

Source: Portrait/oil of professor Dmitri Mendeleev,Tretiyakov Art Gallery in Moscow, Russia; Photo “Vegetables’ in the Fresh Market by S. Konnikova; A Field Guide to Buying Organic by Luddene Perry and Dan Schultz, Batnam Books, 2005, p.110, http://www.nlm.mih.gov/medlineplus/pesticides

Coffee made using any electric appliances will never taste the same. Actually this is not coffee at all, but a cheap parody. Did you read the latest news that Walmart is recalling about 900,000 coffee makers under the General Electric brand. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commssion received more than 80 reports of the machine overheating, smoking, melting, burning and catching the fire. 83 complaints received Walmart from the customers who purchased, including three who suffered burns.

Under federal law companies-manufacturers are required to report immediately to the government any time a product defect has been indentified as creating “a substantial risk of injury.” It is mot unusual, writes Wallet Pop today in the latest news, “for some companies to sell all the products before recalling them — a far less expensive endeavor.”

Walmart, a discount retailer, doesn’t care about quality of the products selling in its mega-stores. This retail giant cares only about the cheapest price and volume sales. You get what you paid for… A cheapest price is not always a good option even if you want to save money. What about your health and safety?

I never use any electric coffee maker because of these reasons. Coffee made in an electric coffee maker tastes nasty. I always make my coffee from scratch, starting with the best coffee beans I can find on the market. It smells and tastes delicious!

So, the first thing comes first! Here are tips for you how to blend the best coffee beans. Then you’ll get a recipe how to use these beans.

Now you know how to blend the best coffee beans, try to make your perfect cup of coffee. Don’t use instant coffee even if you don’t have time. Don’t cheat yourself. A great cup of coffee requires tasty coffee beans, a dash of salt, one teaspoon of honey, one teaspoon organic milk ( if you don’t want to drink as is), one teaspoon of cold spring water, French press, a small effort and 15 minutes of your time. Do it this coming weekend in the morning or at lunch time (but not later) and enjoy a perfect cup of natural, tasteful coffee!

Submitted by Svetlana Konnikova

Meteorologists that know better than anyone else about dangers of the volcano that continues to spew ash into the atmosphere have been not so optimistic as European Union officials hoping flight could return to half their normal level on Monday if the cloud begins to dissipate. Today there are no news about any cancelled flights. My sister, who is on vacation in Germany called that her flight from Munich is scheduled on time for tomorrow, on April 20th. We’ll see…

It’s better any flight should be on time! Firstly, consider people’s factor, and many hours of waiting in airports without knowing when you’ll get back home. Secondly, experts are estimating that the airline industry already lost approxinately $800 million by the end of Sunday, and probably today another $200 million, and every other day of disruption would be the same amount of loss.

This halt on air travel brought many worries to the families whose relatives are now travelling in Europe on business or vacation. An unexpected explosion of a long dormant volcano that had erupted in Iceland, spewing black clouds of ash, brought collateral damage in many areas of our life– the economy, education, nutrition and health.

This is not just economy we are talking about. “Ash crisis” penetrated into other areas of our life. The authorities have issued health warnings for people with breating difficulties to take extra precautions. Even if the volcanic ash begins to settle, people with chronic lung problems should stay indoors, said the experts of the World Health Organization.

WHO has also issued advice to asthma and emphysema sufferers about potential effects of volcanic ash. Particles from the volcanic cloud could reach deep into the lungs as soon as volcanic dust slowly begins to filter its way down to the ground. It would cause health problems for people with chronic lung conditions. 

Daniel Epstein, a spokeman for WHO said, “From what we know at the moment,  the majority of cloud ash is 10 km high up in the atmosphere.” For now, air quality monitoring networks have not yet reported any further details of what is happening on the ground. Imagine, if it does reach the ground, it may have health effects.

WHO,  the UK’s Health Agency have said that people with existing respiratory conditions such as asthma,, emphysema, bronchitis should avoid breating in the particles of volcanic ash, and have their inhalers and other medications with them. The British Lung Foundation adviced people with lung problems to carry their medication if symptoms worsen, but there’s no significant risk to public health.

Read my next post about natural ways to treat asthma.

Source: BBC News, “Volcanic Ash Crisis Deepens in Europe” by Delia Lloyd, http://politicsdaily.com/2010/04/18/volcanic-ash-crisis-deepens-in-europe/icid=main/htmlws-s; http://www.gotosee.co.uk

 Anxiety disorders. How can you prevent this condition from happening?

• Follow a healthy lifestyle including a nutritious diet and exercise to dispel anxiety and stress.
• Talk over your problems when they arise instead of bottling them up.
• Seek help sooner rather than later–the longer you hide an anxiety problem the more deeply it can take a root.

The cures that naturopaths will recommend:

• A whole food diet, stress reduction, and therapies to relieve the effects of stress. (see the book, Mama’s Home Remedies, Chapter about Stress, page 185).
• Hydrotherapy in the form of swimming. Swimming works well as part of a hydrotherapy treatment, promoting a feeling of calmness and well-being.
• Use of flotation tank to induce balance and tranquility.
• Lifestyle change and assessment to inprove  physical, mental, and spiritual health generally.

Proper nutrition as an important part of your natural treatment:

• Small, regular (always in the same time) whole food snacks.
• Employ so-called the gazing approach: eat little meals and often, to avoid low blood sugar, which can help induce panic symptoms.
• Make fresh fruit and vegetable juices and drink then every day to top up the defense (your immune system) with antioxidants and other nutrients. It is very IMPORTANT! because your body is badly affected by anxiety and stress.
• Eat organic celery, carrots, and  organic Granny Smith green apples in equal proportions.
• Or combine them all together and squeeze a glass of fresh juice. Add several tablespoons (1.5 oz/45 ml) of fresh garden lettuce juice. It’ll calm frayed nerves and will help concentration.
• Take protein daily: make a boiled egg, poached or steamed fish (NO farm raised fish, but wild caught), or make a little grilled chicken. Attention:For anxious people it’s better to eat these meals in the middle of the day (lunch) or in the evening rather than for breakfast.
• Eat for breakfast McCann’s oatmeal for 5 minutes to cook, but don’t cook it, Just steep oatmeal in spring water for 15 minutes, squeeze 1/2 organic lemon, add 1 teaspoon organic honey, and you have the most delicious and nutritious raw, natural food for breakfast. Then drink a cup of organic green tea. You’ll feel energetic, light, and not hungry till your lunch.
• Take dietary supplements: a multivitamin/mineral supplement with extra vitamin C with bioflavonoids.
• ‘Team’ of  B vitamins is a must-to-take for their stress-relieving properties.

Herbal medicine is one of the best healers in anxiety disorders:

• Valerian root is the best-known herb for allaying anxiety and improving poor-quality sleep.
• Other herbs helping to allay feeling of anxiety: chamomile, clary sage, hawthorn, mint, and melissa.
• These herbs can be taken as capsules, tinctures, or herbal teas, except valerian root which is better to take in capsules than in tea because of its strong and ‘agressive’ smell that only all cats adore.
• Ginger, fresh or as preserved root, sugared, or in powder-conataing capsules, is the best to relieve nausea due to anxiety and other causes, like long travels in a car.

I also believe in aromatherapy and massage  that can effectively help to treat anxiety and stress.

• A good head-to-toe massage by a professional therapist using plain massage or clary sage oil reduces and relieves anxiety, and can produce relaxation or euphoria (depends of an individual), followed by calm sleep.
• Taking herbal baths for 15 minutes, inhalations orusing oil burners with lavender, marjoram, mandarin, chamomile, or ylang-ylang gives you a feeling of peace, satisfaction and balance, followed by sound sleep.

Some naturopaths recommend Bach Flowers remedies:

• White chestnut helps to get rid of recurrent unwanted thoughts that bother and provoke anxiety, as well as preoccupation with too much worry, or a burst of  irritability, leading to conflicts with family members, friends or coworkers.
• Larch also successfully combats fears of failure, low self-esteem or low self-confidence.

Homeopathy is widely practiced in Europe with good results:

• In cases of panic, the first resort there os to take Arnica 30c every few minutes for up to 10 doses.
• Gelsemium 6c for weakness and shakiness after panic has subdied.
• Aurum 30c every two hours for up to 10 doses–for overwhelming obssesive thoughts such as feeling of worthlessness.

Especially beneficial are stress relievers such as relaxation, meditation, art, painting, color therapy, classic music, and yoga.

Regarding traditional medical treatment: doctors usually prescribe a course of tranquilizers, such as diazepam, but I must warn you, they can cause addiction. Smart doctors started increasingly recommend natural therapies to improve sleep and treat anxiety disorders.

A word of caution:

• Do not feel hopeless, sad or stupid–anxiety can be treated.
• Avoid situations linked to phobia, such as heights, tense social situations or conflicts with family members, classmates, friends or coworkers until you feel ready to cope with life challenges and comminications.

In my next post watch how some people successfully treated themselves from panic attacks and anxiety.

Text by Svetlana Konnikova, MA, AN Copyright 2010.

Sources: Mama’s Home Remedies: Discover Time-Tested Secrets of Good Health and the Pleasures of Natural Living by Svetlana Konnikova, Aurora Publishers, 2008;

Complete Well-Being, a Guide to Symptoms and Cures by Dr. Caroline Shreeve, Parragon Books, 2003, p.98-99

“What do you usually do?” I ask them. They say in most cases  they wait one-two months. Then, if their condition becomes unbearable, they seek the advice of a physician or psychiatrist to help them with anxiety problems. Doctors are always ready to help, but they are not always can guarantee a success in traditional  treatment.

Doctors treat anxiety and related mood disorders by prescribing anti-anxiety medicines, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antideoressants (TCAs), monamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), azapirones, beta-blockers–all are intended to reduce the symptoms of anxiety. The most popular prescriptions, according to John Hopkins Health Alerts are: “Benzodiazepins–such as Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), and Valium (diazepam) are effective for alleviating anxiety, but they are also powerful drugs with serious side effects.”

Do you know that these drugs are among the most dangerous in the development of both physical and psychological dependency? In fact, more than one third of people taking benzodiazepines for anxiety for more than one month become dependent on them. Pharmaceutical industry is in its own line of business: making more and more money. If you become dependent, you’ll use these drugs forever.

My friend’s daughter, 18 years old Melissa was suffering from anxiety disorders (as doctor said). She was prescribed one of benzodiazepines and became dependent on it. But one of these selected drugs didn’t heal her. Instead, her condition was getting worse and worse. Both, mother and daughter started desperately looking for substitute, but another traditional prescription did not help either. 

Donna asked me if I can recommend any natural ways to treat her daughter’s problems because anti-anxiety drugs did not help, but worsened her condition. Donna could not understand why it happened with her sweet girl he and her husband raised in a happy family. Sometimes a happy and loving family is not enough to protect our children from stress or danger that can happen unexpectedly every day in their life.

John Hopkins experts look at anxiety as a natural, beneficial reaction to stress or danger. Under normal circumstances, medical scientists say, “…anxiety diminishes when the stressful situation ends. But for some people, anxiety persists and serves no constructive purpose.” With anxiety disorder, a person experiences excessive, prolonged worry over everyday concerns, such as job responsibilities, health or family well being, or even minor matter that include personal appearance or household chores.

We all feel anxious at times and don’t take it seriously. But left without attention, anxiety becomes a medical problem when it persistently interferes with a person’s happiness, work, or relationships. Sigmund Freud was the first to describe free-floating anxiety, believing that this sensation of dread for no known cause has a sexual origin. Other forms include panic attacks, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

What are the Symptoms:

• Stomach pain, palpitations, dry mouth, a frequent need to open bowels or empty bladder;
• Difficulty concentrating–the mind always seems to be buzzing with confusion and you cannot decide what you must do next;
• Feeling of dread when waking up or during the day;
• Reduced ability to make decisions or complete any tasks at work, school or home;
• Sometimes panic attacks happen, a sudden onset of acute fear, which is often triggered by a new and challenging situation when shopping or inside big crowds.

Read my next post about 29 Natural Ways to Treat Anxiety Disorders.

Text by Svetlana Konnikova, MA, AN

Source: Illustration “In Stress and Out of Energy” by Frits Ahlefeldt; http://www.johnhopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts index/depression anxiety/1005-1.html; http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com, America’s Mental Health Channel

The English name of this plant is adapted from the French dent de lion” meaning lion’s tooth. Dandelion got this name for its sharp, serrated leaves that resemble lion’s teeth. “Pissabeds” is an English folk name for dandelion because it works effectively as a diuretic. It also has the name “blowball” because this hearty broadleaf weed grows very easily. Once started, its parachute ball blows apart and sends fine filaments as far as several miles away. These filaments start new colonies of sunny, smiling dandelions.

As you see on the picture, a bee sits on the dandelion. It’s because dandelions are important plants for bees. First of all, their blossoming is an indicator that the honey bee season is starting. Secondly, dandelion flowers are a valuable source of nectar and pollen early in the season, and contain luteolin, an antioxidant. Roasted dandelion roots can be found in natural coffee substitutes, and the flowers are used to make certain wines.

“Dandelion use is generally considered safe. However, there have been rare reports of upset stomach and diarrhea, and some people are allergic to the plant. People with an inflamed or infected gallbladder, or blocked bile ducts, should avoid using dandelion.” (from the article ‘Dandelion’ by National Center of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine)

Dandelion pollen is also considered as a common allergen and a common ingredient in bee polen. Sensitive people with allergies should be very careful because this allergen can provoke allergic rhinitis, allergic conjuctivitus, asthma and contact dermatitis.

However, dandelions flowers, roots and leaves have been used for centuries in European and Asian countries. In Europe, herbalists incorporated this plant into remedies for fever, eye problems, boils, diabetes, and diarrhea. Dandelion medicinal teas have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for liver detoxification, digestive disorders, appendicitis, and breast problems, such as inflammation or lack of milk flow.

Studies conducted by the University of Maryland scientists show that dandelion leaves may normilize even the level of sugar in blood. Native American made dandelion decoctions (liquid made by boiling down the herb in water) to treat kidney disease, skin problems, swelling, hearburn, and stomach upset. Today, dandelion roots are maily used as an appetite stimulant, digestive aid, and for liver and gallbladder problem. Dandelion leaves in teas or salads help as a diuretic to stimulate the excretion of urine.

Some people consider dandelions as pesky weeds and hand-pull them from their lawns. They think the dandelions give their lawns an unkept look. Big mistake! Dandelions will come back to the lawns no matter what. They will grow, blossom, and offer you many medicinal and culinary uses. This plant is a real survivor. As soon as dandelions get a solid footing, they form dense matting in a circular pattern. “Once the roots are deep down, say experts, “you may not get satisfactory results from pulling and digging.” Forget about this annual ritual.

Don’t get rid of this natural medicine growing in your backyard that doesn’t cost you a penny. Instead of pulling and waging combat against dandelions after they’re settled into your lawn, just nurture this unpretentious and happy messenger from Mother Nature. “If dandelions were hard to grow,” says physician Andrew V. Mason, “they be most welcome on any lawn.” Such a paradox!

Dandelion leaves contain abundant amounts of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A, C and K, and are good sources of calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium and manganese, higher than similar leafy greens such as spinach. They contain 15% protein, 73% carbohydrates, almost a half of that is fiber. The leaves also contain smaller amounts of over two dozen other nutrients, and beta carotene, lutein and zeaxantin. Imagine, you prepared one cup of fresh dandelion leaves for your salad. Do you know how many nutritional ingredients contains only one cup of these leaves?
*112% daily recomendation of vitamin A
*32% of vitamin C
*535% of vitamin K
*218 mg potassium
*103 mg calcium
*1.7 mg iron

I love dandelions. The Latin name for this amazing gift of nature is Taraxacum officinale. Dandelion’s beautiful yellow flower remind me of the sun shining in a blue sky. In spring I watch how it happily blossoms in my backyard. I don’t have any grass there, only flowers, good soil where leaves accumulate and decompose, and medium size natural stones, so all green newcomers feel very comfortable in this unique forest-jungle ecosystem. They occupy the wildest spot in my yard that is behind our house under the wide and protective canopy of our fairy tale tree, a hundred years old banyan and 25 -foot tall bamboo plants forming a solid fence. There’s just enough sunlight passes through for dandelions, parsley, dill, nettles, and flowers like daffodils, roses and geraniums.

Now have a little fun. Do you know that dandelion is one of the favorite flowers for the Rolling Stones, a group of famous musicians that began calling themselves as the World’s Greatest Rock & Roll Band in the late 60s. Roling Stones released the song ‘Dandelion’ in the summer of 1967 as a song celebrating the summer of love. Today we can greet the spring of love with this song…

Read my next post about culinary uses of dandelions.

References: Photo ‘Dandelion & Bee’ by Petr Kratovchil; Auerbach: Wilderness Medicine, 5th edition, New York, NY: Mosby, 2007; Dandelion, Gardenology.org; Wild About Dandelions, Mother Earth News; ‘Dandelion’, the article by National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine at http://nccam.nih.gov/health/dandelion; ‘Dandelion’, University of Maryland at http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/dandelion-000236.htm; Flora of North America, efloras.org; NutritionData.com

Copyright 2010