Dandelion Greens – Dandelion Benefits
Dandelion Greens For Salads And For Juicing – A Super Green
I was surprised to learn how beneficial plant life around us is for our health and well being. Plant life is often taken for granted, but is so vital for our healthy living. We have been conditioned to overlook the nutritious value of plant life in favor of health damaging processed foods.
Dandelion is more widely known for its dandelion root which has been used in herbal remedies for centuries, but there is also great value in its leaves – greens. I am like many people who once only saw dandelion plants as being pesky weeds in our nicely cut lawns, because I wasn’t educated to see outside the box. Now I see dandelion plants, dandelion greens, and dandelion roots in a more enlightened light.
Dandelion Greens Nutrition
Dandelion greens rank in the top of green vegetables in overall nutritional value, but most people don’t know this and other greens are likely to be part of our salads and green juices. Dandelion greens are the richest green vegetable source of beta-carotene, second only to kale! Dandelion greens are packed with nutrients and its bitter compounds aid digestion, and kidney and liver health.
All of the vegetables listed below are per 1 cup chopped serving size:
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | Vitamin K | Calcium | Folate | Iron | Magnesium | |
| Dandelion Greens (raw) Fiber: 8% DV |
5588IU 112% DV |
19.3mg 32% DV |
428mcg 535% DV |
103mg 10% DV |
14.9mcg 4% DV |
1.7mg 9% DV |
19.8mg 5% DV |
| Kale (raw) Fiber: 5% DV |
10302IU 206% DV |
80.4mg 134% DV |
547mcg 684% DV |
90.5mg 9% DV |
19.4mcg 5% DV |
1.1mg 6% DV |
22.8mg 6% DV |
| Spinach (raw) Fiber: 3% DV |
2813IU 56% DV |
8.4mg 14% DV |
145mcg 181% DV |
29.7mg 3% DV |
58.2mcg 15% DV |
0.8mg 5% DV |
23.7mg 6% DV |
| Collards (raw) Fiber: 5% DV |
2400IU 48% DV |
12.7mg 21% DV |
184mcg 230% DV |
52.2mg 5% DV |
59.8mcg 15% DV |
0.1mg 0% DV |
3.2mg 1% DV |
| Romaine Lettuce (raw) Fiber: 4% DV |
4094IU 82% DV |
11.3mg 19% DV |
48.2mcg 60% DV |
15.5mg 2% DV |
63.9mcg 16% DV |
0.5mg 3% DV |
6.6mg 2% DV |
The data above is from Self Nutrition Data
Dandelion greens also contain: Vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin b6, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, and manganese.
As you can see from the data kale the nutritional power powerhouse, which you probably knew already. (Yes right, two powers for kale.) What you may not have known is the nutrient power of dandelion greens. I think we are all aware of the popular spinach, collards, and romaine lettuce and their nutritional value, but it is likely you did not know that they come in a distant second to the powerhouse, dandelion greens.
Dandelion greens are best picked when they are young because this is when they are packed with nutrients.
Dandelion Greens Herbal Properties
Along with the wide variety of nutrients dandelion greens provides, dandelion greens’ bitter compounds called sesquiterpene lactone support healthy kidney functioning. These bitter compounds have diuretic effects that increase urination and help to move toxins out of the body. Dandelion root also contains nutrients and compounds that support healthy liver and gallbladder functioning.
Tags: alkalize, blood cleanse, circulation, colon cleanse, colonic, detoxify, immune system, kidney cleanse, liver cleanse, nutrition
