Dandelion - Liver Cleanser and Natural Detoxifier

Dandelion has been used as an herbal remedy for centuries. More recently, people have been using dandelion as a liver cleanser and help in their body detox. Both the leaves and the root have been used in preparations. The leaves of young plants in the springtime are especially prized. The roots of 2-year old plants have been used for their all-round detoxing effects.

How Dandelion Works

Dandelion encourages the detoxifying functions of the liver. This includes improving the flow of bile, which boosts the elimination of toxic substances through the gut. It also has a diuretic action. This means that more urine is produced. This in turn can lead to the increased elimination of water-soluble toxins in the urine.

Dandelion also has a cleansing effect on the blood by encouraging the destruction of old blood cells and promoting the production of new cells to replace them. It also acts as a tonic to improve the function of the spleen, gut and pancreas. Each of these organs has a role to play in helping the elimination of toxins from the body.

How to Take Dandelion

There are various preparations that are available to the market. These include dried dandelion leaves, capsules, tinctures and tablets. As well as being available as a stand-alone supplement, it is also available in several combination products. These include general detox formulations and liver cleansers.

If you are able to obtain fresh dandelion leaves you can also eat them in salads. The younger leaves are best tasting, as they can get bitter with age. Try to pick them from areas where there has not been pollution from cars or industry.

Care Tips

People that have gallstones or blocked bile ducts should seek medical advice before taking dandelion. This is because it stimulates the production of bile.

Back to Body Detox Plan home page