Dandelion- A Cancer Fighter Growing In Your Back Yard

When I was a weeee little girl,
I remember picking those little yellow flowers that dominated my back yard.
I would make necklaces, bracelets, smear them on my sisters face, oh you name it.
I would gather a bunch of these little golden flowers, ants
and all and make my momma a pretty bouquet for the kitchen table.
I would also grab a bunch of the ones that were about to seed and
blow them all over the place oblivious to the fact that my neighbors were bearing their teeth.
and not because they were smiling at me  🙂

The dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale), is a botanist’s delight.
It is also right up there at the top of the list for many wellness gurus.
Why?
Because they know that the root, leaves, and flower of this so called “weed”
is a powerhouse of nutrition and has strong medicinal properties.
There is a lot of buzz going around these days as  scientists are discovering many anti-cancer benefits of this little gem.
That’s right, dandelion, a cancer fighter growing in your back yard.
You have a botanical pharmacy at your finger tips.
While many people try to mow these flowers down or spray them with weed killer,
other countries like France, Germany, and China are actually cultivating dandelions as herbs.

The Mighty Dandelion

Dandelion root has been used to treat kidney, liver, and gallbladder issues.
In fact, dandelion root has been dubbed as one of the best liver cleansers.
Dandelion root has a bitter taste to it. Many bitter botanicals
have a cleansing effect on your liver, dandelion root being one of them.
Herbalists have used this root for people with jaundice, hepatitis, and helping to  dissolve those beloved gallstones.
Dandelion helps detoxify the liver and  increase the production of bile.
The sesquiterpene lactones that this plant contains has liver protective properties and helps in cases of liver toxicity.
As far as cancer is concerned, you want to have good liver support.
There has been more and more research on this herb and its role in cancer.
Two studies that caught my eye were this one   and this one.
Studies are also being done on how dandelion root extract could be used to help treat leukemia and lymphoma.
See study.
How about breast and prostate cancer?
See study.
These plants are loaded with beneficial vitamins and minerals and immune supporting nutrients.
This nutritional powerhouse is a great source of beta-carotene, vitamin c, calcium, magnesium, potasium,
iron, zinc, phosphorus, fiber, b-vitamins, anti-oxidants and trace minerals!
Cleansing, nutrients, anti-oxidants, and immune support are good for people fighting cancer
or trying to prevent it in the first place.
Just the antioxidants alone have the power to prevent free radical damage to cells and DNA.
This works to slow down the aging process that takes place in our cells.

The University of Windsor located in Canada did some research recently that looks very promising.
They have discovered that dandelion root may be very effective at not only treating cancers but defeating them.
The researchers at the University of Windsor have shown how the dandelion root extract (DRE)
has the ability to leave healthy cells alone while causing cancer cells to go through apoptosis.
Apoptosis is cell death.
The concentrated DRE used in the study was proven to kill cancer cells in leukemia, melanoma,
and pancreatic cancer in lab mice.
A huge step in the right direction if you ask me.
You can read for yourself at their website.

A good substitute for coffee is a dandelion beverage that has a coffee kind of a taste to it.  
It is very good for you. How to make it?

1) Clean your freshly picked roots to get all the dirt off.
2) Chop it up into small pieces with a knife or food processor.
3) Roast the little pieces on a baking sheet for 2 hours on 275 degrees.
4) Steep the roasted pieces in boiling water for 10 minutes.
That’s it!
If you don’t have the ambition to make this healthy coffee substitute from scratch,
then you can try this delicious blend.

When and How To Harvest Dandelions

Many people that harvest dandelion roots will wait till late fall through early spring.
If the roots are harvested in fall, the roots are slightly sweeter and have a higher amount of inulin, a prebiotic.
Inulin is also a water soluble dietary fiber.
If you harvest dandelion roots in the summer they wont be as potent for medicinal reasons.
Why?
Because all summer long they are putting all their energy into the leaves, and flowers.
After the flower and seeds are gone, the dandelion gets ready to be dormant
all winter and stores up energy from the sun which now goes directly into fortifying and nourishing the root.
If you are going to eat the flower and leaves, spring is best while they are tender and not as bitter.

It is best to harvest the roots after a rain when the soil is moist.
Use a small garden spade or garden fork.
Be sure to not dig to close to plant but around the plant leaving enough room
so as not to accidentally break into the root when digging it up.
The root contains a sap with lots of nutrients that you want to keep intact as much as possible.

For those of you who don’t want to go in the back yard and wrestle the dirt for some roots,
this is a trusted and loved source I personally use for my botanicals for organic dandelion root ( cut and sifted).

So………

Yes, dandelion, a cancer fighter, this blood purifying, liver supporting, cancer fighting, inflammation fighting little “weed”
that is being cultivated in other countries as a herb is getting a lot of amped up attention
in the natural health world and for good reason.
It is doing such amazing things like forcing cancer cells into cell death (apoptosis)
all while not touching healthy cells.
Continued research can only go as far as funding goes.
The funding is not from big pharma.
You can’t put a patent on a natural product. No patent = no money = no interest.

Meanwhile that hasn’t stopped people from using this remarkable God given gift to us.
A man by the name of George Cairin, a farmer who was dying of cancer says he was led by God
to use the dandelion root to heal his body of cancer.
After taking 1/2 tsp. 1 time a day of the root powder  he harvested himself, he was declared to be cancer free after 5 1/2 months.
George talked about how the immune system will control the cancer cells you have in your body.
When your immune system is healthy, you won’t have a cancer issue.
As soon as your immune system gets worn down,
it can’t control the cancer cells and they go after the live cells and then you get cancer.
Dandelion a cancer fighter whose root  builds up the blood and thereby the immune system.
After the immune system is built up it can control the cancer cells again and it starts to do what it was designed to do.
There have been a fair share of very powerful testimonies using this root.
With that being said,  if you have cancer,
it would do you well to avoid sugar because it reaps havoc on your immune system and cancer cells love it.
I would also adopt a healthy whole food diet asap and drink good filtered water.
Tap water is a big no -no.
It’s not about taking one product and then keeping your poor lifestyle choices and expecting good results.
How bad do you want to see improvements in your health?
What changes are you willing to make to get better?

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