It’s time to look at your lawn in a new way. Instead of thinking of dandelions as just weeds, realize that they can be turned into a tea that is full of nutrients and has many health benefits.
The dandelion is a plant that is native to Europe. It was brought over to the Atlantic by European immigrants four centuries ago and has since taken over millions of backyards. This plant that causes problems for many landscapers is actually very healthy for those who know to eat it.
Dandelions have been prized for their medicinal properties for over a thousand years. The roots and leaves of these plants contain a lot of vitamins and minerals, so they can help improve your nutrient levels and overall health.
Many people are beginning to see the benefits of dandelions, which were previously considered to be nothing more than weeds. Dandelion tea can help detoxify the body, reduce bloating and constipation, and even lower the risk of disease.
Should you add this underrated weed to your diet? We also want to know if dandelion tea is safe to drink during pregnancy. Read on!
What is Dandelion Tea?
Dandelion tea is made by infusing dandelion roots, leaves, or blossoms in hot water to release their beneficial compounds into it.
The flavor and nutritional value of your tea will vary depending on whether you use the leaves, stems, or other parts of the plant. Dandelion root is most effective for treating liver problems, the leaves are best for the kidneys, and the flowers provide the most subtle flavor and benefits.
Not interested in harvesting your own greens? You can purchase tea bags containing organic dandelion to still enjoy the health benefits.
13 Health Benefits of Drinking Dandelion Tea
. Although the taste of dandelion tea may be slightly bitter, there are many benefits to be gained from drinking it.
1. Good Source of Nutrients
Dandelion greens can be infused in water to create a nutrient-rich drink. This drink is high in calcium, iron, potassium, vitamins K, A, and B6, as well as riboflavin and thiamin. The pigments carotene and lutein are antioxidant flavonoids that you will get a boost of if you eat this food.
Better yet, you can eat the leaves themselves! Ounce for ounce, kale has a higher nutritional value than both spinach and broccoli.
2. Keep Diabetes in Check
Dandelion tea can help lower blood sugar levels, which is important for managing diabetes. Research is still being done to see if there are long-term benefits for people with diabetes, but the results so far are good.
3. Caffeine Free Coffee Alternative
Tired of looking for coffee every time you need a break? Roasted dandelion root tea is a satisfying, caffeine-free alternative that looks and tastes similar to the real thing. You can get a powerful boost of antioxidants and minerals without the inevitable energy crash that comes with coffee.
4. Reduces Inflammation
Chronic inflammation can have many negative effects on health, including pain in the joints, muscles, and headaches. The antioxidants in dandelion tea can help reduce pain and swelling in infected tissue. This can make you more comfortable.
5. Reduces Water Weight
Tired of feeling bloated? Dandelion tea can help you lose water weight by acting as a natural diuretic and increasing your urination frequency. One study showed that consuming two 1-cup servings was all it took to get the participant’s system flowing faster.
6. Helps You Lose Weight
The study found that dandelions could help with weight loss by inhibiting the absorption of fat in the intestines. How does it accomplish this? The leaves of the dandelion plant can stop the enzyme pancreatic lipase from working. This enzyme is released by the body during digestion and it makes fat from food go into storage in the body. This means that the beverage can help prevent your body from clinging to fat so that you can lose it faster.
7. Prevents Chronic Diseases
Drinking dandelion tea can help protect your body from cancer and other chronic diseases because it contains a powerful mix of antioxidants. These antioxidants help fight off harmful substances called free radicals, which can damage cells and lead to disease. Antioxidants also help to improve your immune system so that you are less likely to get sick.
8. Soothes Digestive Ailments
Dandelion tea can help with digestive issues by acting as a natural diuretic, digestive stimulant, and mild laxative. This means that drinking tea after a meal can help your body digest food better, make it easier for you to poop, and stop your stomach from hurting or feeling full.
9. Promotes Liver Health
This liver tonic, which has been used for centuries, has scientific research to support its effectiveness. Dandelion tea is thought to improve the liver’s ability to produce bile, which helps remove toxins from the body and relieves symptoms of liver problems. Dandelions contain natural polysaccharides that can improve liver functioning, according to research from China Pharmaceutical University.
10. Potential Cancer-Fighting Properties
Initial results from studies of dandelion’s abilities to fend off cancer are promising. The plant’s root extract can kill cancerous melanoma cells without harming healthy ones. The antioxidants present in the food naturally help to protect against the cell damage that can cause cancer. So go brew a cup for your health
11. Helps Prevent Urinary Tract Infections
Dandelion tea is effective for treating urinary tract infections because it is a natural diuretic. When dandelion tea is combined with the herb bearberry, it is an even more effective treatment. The tea’s increased urination will clean out your kidneys, making it harder for an infection to develop.
12. Builds Strong Bones
Dandelion tea contains calcium, zinc, magnesium, and iron to help create strong bones and prevent osteoporosis. As you age, it becomes increasingly important to supplement your diet in order to maintain bone mineral density.
13. Boosts Circulation
Dandelion tea is rich in iron, which provides numerous benefits for your body, including better blood flow. This increases your red blood cell count and ensures that your body stays oxygenated.
BONUS: Tea during Pregnancy?
Many women find tea to be a natural, healthy, and satisfying drink during pregnancy.
Although it has plenty of advantages, you might be shocked to find out that it also has some dangers.
This article will teach you everything you need to know about drinking tea while pregnant. While pregnant, some teas can help while others can hurt. Some of the best teas to enjoy while pregnant are ones that can help.
The Different Types of Tea
Tea is made by pouring boiling water over dried leaves and letting them steep so that the flavor infuses the hot water. There is no one drink more consumed than _____. It has a deep presence in many cultures around the world.
Almost any plant can be used to make tea. Different flavors of tea can be created by combining different types of herbs or spices with the main tea leaves.
Teas fall into one of two categories:
- Real Tea: If you’re a tea purist, there’s only one type of tea, and this is it. Real tea comes from one type of plant, Camellia sinensis. Different varieties are created by altering the processing methods of the tea leaf. Green, black, white, pu-ehr, and oolong teas are all considered “real tea” and are made from the same plant. Real teas are naturally caffeinated but can be made into decaf through additional processing.
- Herbal Tea: Herbal teas are made from the leaves, flowers, bark, stems, or any other parts of various plants. Sometimes instead of steeping the leaves in hot water, tea is made by boiling the herbs directly. This method is more commonly used when making tea from bark, stems, or other more dense parts of the plant. Herbal teas are naturally decaffeinated.
Benefits of Drinking Tea During Pregnancy
There are many benefits to drinking tea while pregnant, including:
1. It Can Help Keep you Hydrated
It is easy to stop drinking water when you cannot keep anything down, have a stomach that is compressed by your baby, and have to go to the bathroom every 20 minutes. Pregnancy can cause dehydration easily.
You may not need medical attention for dehydration, but you could still be walking around with less water in your body than you need.
Even minor dehydration can exacerbate common pregnancy complaints such as:
- Constipation.
- Water retention.
- Fatigue.
- Headache.
- Sleep difficulties.
2. It Can Combat Morning Sickness
Although morning sickness is a pregnancy symptom that can be difficult to deal with, it is a sign that the pregnancy is proceeding normally. Coffee is one of the most common things that pregnant women start to avoid. If you’re used to having coffee first thing in the morning, you’ll need to find a replacement that will not only be satisfying, but that you’ll also find tasteful.
There are a lot of ginger teas on the market that can effectively help with nausea. If you can’t drink hot tea, pour it over ice and add honey or sugar to make sweet iced tea. If you have trouble with morning sickness, it may be easier to eat cold, sweet foods. A different kind of tea that might help with nausea is lemon balm. If you are at a high risk for miscarrying, it is advised that you avoid drinking chamomile and peppermint tea, especially during the first trimester.
3. Tea Has Antioxidants and Nutrients
antioxidants are naturally occurring substances in plants that remove harmful waste products that could potentially damage cells The free radicals that cause aging in our skin are also linked to cancer.
To be clear, antioxidants are not unique to tea. You can get flavonoids through many different foods, but one way to get them is by drinking tea. The more antioxidants you have in your body, the healthier you will be.
Tea also has nutrients that are important in pregnancy. These include calcium, magnesium, and iron. Drinking tea can help improve your immune system, making it more effective at fighting off illness.
4. Tea Can Help Prepare You for Labor
Aside from the health benefits that are good for you, some teas claim to help you during pregnancy specifically.
Herbal teas such as red raspberry leaf tea and cinnamon-flavored tea may help improve the tone of your uterine muscles. This can help you prepare for labor by making your contractions more efficient and, hopefully, shortening your labor.
5. It Can Help You Relax
Sitting down with a warm cup of tea is very calming. The calming feeling that comes over tea drinkers as they take in the aroma of the tea and pause to breathe is one of the things many people love about tea.
Pregnancy can be a very stressful time, which can make you extremely anxious. Tea can be a relaxant, so if you have a few minutes, you should drink some.
Precautions When Drinking Tea While Pregnant
When choosing tea while pregnant, consider the following:
1. Tea Has Caffeine
As long as you consume it in moderation, tea’s caffeine is widely considered okay during pregnancy. Most pregnant women can safely consume about 200mg of caffeine a day. Even “decaffeinated” varieties have a little caffeine. Choose a tea product with caution regarding the caffeine levels.
2. Health Claims are Not Regulated
There are many herbal tea brands that claim to improve your health in various ways. The majority of the claims made by the organization are not supported by scientific research.
If manufacturers want to make a claim about their product that is based on scientific evidence, they must include a disclaimer that states that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not evaluated the claim. If you want to know if tea has the health benefits it claims to have, check the side or back of the box.
This means that the product might work in the way you want it to, but it is advisable to do some more research on it before using it.
3. Some Have Ingredients that Aren’t Safe During Pregnancy
Making herbal health claims can be dangerous because there is no regulation of these claims. It is generally better to be safe than to be sorry. Some herbal teas contain ingredients that could be harmful to pregnant women.
If you’re pregnant, it’s a good idea to avoid teas that include the following ingredients:
- Chamomile.
- Dandelion.
- Earl Grey.
- Licorice tea.
- Cohosh.
- Rosehip.
- Yellow dock.
- Dong Quai.
- Nettle.
4. Some Teas Contain Arsenic and Pesticides in Varying Degrees
While teas have many health benefits, some brands use organic ingredients while others do not. Some brands of products contain high levels of pesticides, arsenic, lead, and other dangerous substances.
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