All parts of dandelions have certain healing properties. Its flowers, leaves, and roots should be gathered during the certain season when these properties are at their peak. Only dandelions that grow in environmentally pristine regions can be used to make healing dandelion tinctures—they should grow at least 2-3 km (1.2 miles) away from roads and industrial facilities.

In the late XX century, scientists got interested in the healing properties of polysaccharide inulin. It turned out that this substance promotes bone tissue regeneration, boosts the immunity, lowers blood sugar level, flushes out all the toxins including radionuclides and salts of heavy metals, as well as promotes normal gastrointestinal function. Inulin is now added to baby foods and diabetic products.

The common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) available worldwide is a polysaccharide champion and during autumn in contains 4-6 times more inulin than chicory. There’s no need in dietary supplements—you can revitalize using much cheaper means, such as homemade dandelion tincture.

Dandelion Tincture Benefits

Dandelions are widely used in folk medicine of many countries. In France, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, India, Japan, and the USA there are special dandelion plantations.

Inulin aside dandelions also contain:

• Vitamins A, B2, B4, C, E, PP
• Rubber substances, which help cleaning bowels from toxins
• Microelements: copper, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, boron, nickel, cobalt, and molybdenum

Phyto-flavonoids, which are contained in the sap, strengthen vascular walls and are beneficial to the cardiovascular system.

Effects of dandelion medication:

• cholagogic
• diuretic
• hemogenic
• Blood cleansing
• expectorant
• antipyretic
• diaphoretic
• laxative
• painkiller
• soothing

You can purchase a ready-made tincture in a pharmacy

 

Dandelion Flower Tincture

Dandelions shed their blossoms quite fast—in just 3 weeks in late April and in early May there will be fluffy balls instead of yellow blossoms. Dandelion stalks also become much less juicy at this time. That’s why making a dandelion tincture is a hasty business.

Gather blossoms along with stalks on a sunny day, in the morning, right after the mildew, but before they get covered in dust. Thanks to this you’ll be able to put the flowers in a jar without having to wash them, thus keeping nearly all of the healthy substances.

If it comes down to washing the dandelions, then you should do it fast and use cold water. Afterwards, put one layer of the flowers on a piece of fabric or white paper for 4-5 hours to let them dry a bit. The process of dandelion drying should be carried out in a dark place (for example, under a table with curtains closed).

Put the prepared flowers and stalks in a jar, packing them tightly. When they fill ¾ of the jar, top off with vodka or ethanol. Keep the jar away from sunlight for 21 days. Shake it once every other day. After 21 days strain the tincture and store in a dark place.

Dandelion Root Tincture

In spring time, dandelion roots contain just 2% inulin, but in fall its content rises to 24-40%. That’s why dandelion roots are dug out in October or early November, just before the first snow.

Thoroughly wash the roots and dry them out. Both fresh and dry roots can be used to make a tincture. You’ll need 100-120 grams of fresh roots or 50 grams of ground dry roots. Put the milled roots in a jar and top off with 500 ml of vodka or 250 ml of ethanol. You should infuse dandelion roots in the same way you infuse flowers. After 21 days strain the infusion and store it in a dark place.

Canned Dandelion Juice

The main advantage of the dandelion juice is that it can be made during the whole summer. Of course, the best juice is obtained from flowers and stalks in spring, during blossom-time.

Rinse the leaves with cold water, dry them for a few hours on fabric or white paper in a dark place. Afterwards, grind them using a meat grinder and squeeze out. Dilute the obtained juice with vodka in the 1:1 ratio. Pour it in sterile jars and cap them. Store the tincture in a cold dark place (a cellar or freezer).

If you want to make a less strong drink, you can add 100 ml of ethanol or 200 ml of vodka to 500 ml of juice. Although, you’ll have to store the tincture in a fridge for the whole year. A few months later it can develop a sourish taste, but this won’t affect its healing properties.

Base Alcohol For Dandelion Tincture

Dandelions can be infused with:

• Vodka
• Moonshine
• Ethanol
• Cologne with bergamot, lemon, and nerol essential oils

Out of all of the available options, the triple cologne infusion is the one that you should probably avoid making if you’re planning on ingesting it. The cologne dandelion tincture is suited for external use only, and its smell is quite peculiar—not in a good way.

The ethanol tincture should be watered down in a 1:2 ratio before ingesting. Otherwise, it might burn your skin and throat.

You’re better off making a dandelion tincture with good vodka or high-quality cleared moonshine. Such tinctures are guaranteed to be safe even if you’re planning to rub baby’s soft skin.

Dandelion Tincture Internal Use

Dandelion medicine has a laxative action. For this reason, it’s always consumed in small doses (10 drops), gradually increasing the dosage with tolerance build up. Dandelion juice is bitter and should be watered down with 50-100 ml of water before drinking. You can sweeten the drink with honey or sea-buckthorn honey.

20-30 ml of dandelion vodka tincture (10-15 ml of ethanol tincture) or canned dandelion juice 30 minutes before meals three times a day cure a cold, cough or bronchitis.

Treatment schedule for other diseases:

• 20–30 ml of tincture or juice three times a day 30 minutes before meals
• Course duration: 21 days. Time between courses—one week
• Do 3-4 courses, take a break for 1 month.

This course of tincture or juice can be used in cases of:

• Anemia
• Fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome
• Musculoskeletal disorders
• Rehabilitation after fractures and dislocations
• Atherosclerosis, weakened vessels
• Excessive nervousness
• Epilepsy
• Lung diseases (up to tuberculosis)
• Going through a course of antibiotics
• Chronic constipation and flatulence
• Hypertension
• Swelling
• Metabolic disorders, obesity
• Weakened immunity

Dandelion juice is really good for rehabilitation after a heart attack or stroke. But canned juice contains alcohol, thus it can be taken no earlier than a month after discharge from the hospital, and only after consulting a doctor.

Dandelion Juice for Impaired Vision

Here’s the ancient recipe for improving eyesight:

• 50 ml of dandelion juice (fresh or canned)
• 100 ml of freshly squeezed carrot juice
• 1-3 tsp honey (to taste)

Take this mixture in the morning, 30 minutes before a meal for 3 months. It is recommended to combine the intake with a set of eye exercises developed by Professor V.G. Zhdanov.

Keep in mind: Self-medication can be dangerous. Consult your doctor before using dandelion tincture or juice