Do you know the benefits of dandelion tea? You must probably have heard about this name but do not know its use. Basically, dandelion tea is a natural remedy that can help you to reduce blood pressure and fluid retention. It can also help to regulate the level of blood sugar among other benefits.
If you want to learn about how to make dandelion tea and benefits, then this post can give you valuable information that can help to improve your health and welfare. There are many benefits that can be obtained from dandelion tea but you should also know how to make it.
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How to Make Dandelion Tea?
Dandelions that you can use for making tea usually come in four different parts namely dandelion leaves, flowers, fresh and dried roots. You can combine these parts to make your tea or alternatively you can use them separately. The following are the steps that you should take when making dandelion tea using different parts.
Making Dandelion Tea with All Parts
The required ingredients include 1/2 cup of all parts of dandelion and 4 cups of boiled water. You must follow the simple instructions that include cleaning the dandelion then boiling the water. When the water has boiled, pour it over the dandelions and cover the contents with a lid.
Leave the contents covered for about 20 minutes then strain and serve. The tea serves four cups and it takes a total time of 25 minutes to be ready (5 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking time). If the flavor of the tea is too strong, then you can add some water to dilute it.
Making Dandelion Tea from Flowers
You can also use ten heads of flowers per cup to make your dandelion tea. Boil enough water for one cup only and make sure you remove the green part that is found underneath the flower. This will leave you with yellow petals that you can put in a tea ball place inside your cup of tea. Leave the contents for 20 minutes to steep then you can enjoy it with any preferred sweetener.
How to Make Dandelion Tea from Leaves
If you choose to use leaves for your tea, make sure they are fresh and young. After selecting the leaves, separate them and also wash them. Boil enough water to fill one cup of tea and at least six leaves per cup.
Chop the leaves into fine pieces when they are dry and put them in the cup with boiling water. Leave the contents for about ten minutes to steep and your tea is ready. You can strain them or just leave them in the cup. You can also add your favorite sweetener if you like.
Making Dandelion From Fresh and Dried Roots
When you want to make dandelion tea with fresh roots, make sure you get the taproot. After obtaining the taproot, wash it thoroughly with cold water. Dry the taproot while at the same time boiling about a quart of water using a saucepan.
Chop the taproot into smaller chunks and you need about two teaspoons of dandelion root per each quart of water. When the chops are ready, add them to boiling water then cover the pot and reduce the heat to give the root some time to steep.
The steeping process on the burner should be about a minute then remove it. After that, you must leave the root to steep for about 40 minutes. Strain the chops of the roots from your cup and throw them away. You can then use clear liquid that remains with your favorite sweetener.
Making tea from dried root or stem follow similar steps from making dandelion tea using fresh roots above. Only that you can allow the boiling water with dandelion to continue for about ten minutes then strain the root from the clear liquid. You can then add your favorite sweetener to your tea.
Benefits of Dandelion Tea
There are many health benefits that you can get from using dandelion tea. These include the following:
- Natural diuretic: the tea helps to reduce water retention in your body while at the same time encouraging urination.
- Helps to lower blood pressure: dandelion tea also helps to lower blood pressure and it can also regulate blood sugar. These conditions can pose a threat to your health.
- Improves eczema: If you have problems with eczema, dandelion tea can help lower it.
- Natural anti-inflammatory compounds: Dandelion tea can help to lower inflammation and improve overall health, though there is no proven link to that effect.
- Reducing liver damage: Dandelion tea according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) can help treat conditions related to liver, bile duct as well as gallbladder.
- Helps to fight flu: Dandelion tea can also play a role in fighting influenza virus A. it can lead to a reduction in the levels of the virus.
Side Effects of Dandelion Tea and Helpful Tips
The dandelion is a diuretic compound which helps to increase the level of water your body expels so if you are on medication, you can experience some side effects. For instance, the tea can cause increased lithium levels together with gastric distress.
If you have some medical conditions related to these effects, you need to first consult your doctor. If dandelions are mixed with certain medical conditions, they could be potentially dangerous. Therefore, it is imperative to work with your doctor to avoid experiencing the side effects that can be caused by dandelion tea since it might not produce positive results for everyone.
Conclusion
It is my hope that you have enjoyed reading this article that gives you some health benefits of dandelion tea. I also hope the tutorial about how to make dandelion tea was also helpful and your comments are welcome. There are different recipes that you can use to make dandelion tea and these depend on your choice.
While dandelion tea is helpful to your health, it can also cause some side effects if you have specific medical conditions. In such a scenario, you need to consult your doctor for tips that you can follow to avoid such issues.
