that was a nice article. I think she was eating baby dandelion leaves though. in my tea, i use the big leaves. Thank you for that article. now i do not fear eating them. i was a little afraid.
Dandelion is a diuretic, so please don't use this every night. It can cause potassium loss and dehydration over time, especially after a week of consistent use.
It is perfectly acceptable to use dandelion leaves, in fact, many people eat them in salads. You could choose to eat them if you like the taste (but either grow them yourself or buy them, never pick them from public ground.
But because they are a diuretic, they can also cause you to frequently visit the bathroom. And waking up in the middle of the night to pee every few hours isn't very fun! It is not advised to ever give dandelion to small children in the evening because it can cause them to wet the bed.
The main reason your tea works is the green tea (which relieves anxiety and calms) or chamomile (a safe relaxer of body and mind). Try it without the dandelion and I'm sure you'll see very little difference in effect. Using raw honey in the tea will also help, because honey has properties that soothe.
Other safe choices for teas include passionflower and valerian root.
i have tried it without the dandelion to no effect. and everyone i have given the tea to has been litterally WIPED OUT as far as physical energy goes within an hour. i have also never had that diuretic problem, but thanks for the heads up.
Dandelions aren't as poisonous as you people may think, I mean there are species of dandelion that are definitely dangerous if too much is consumed but from across the globe over hundreds of years dandelions have been used in all sorts of medicinal and culinary manners. They say dandelions can be especially nutritious and apparently taste rather nice (not that I've actually tried eating it) For example dandelions have been used in salads, they're known to make a good tonic to relieve liver and kidney problems, they can be steamed and simply be eaten as "vegetable", they can be used to brew beer also there is a very famous chinese herbal tea made entirely of dandelion blooms I like it very much because it has a subtle bitter taste with a sweet after taste.
Thanks for this thread; it's quite interesting. I knew dandelion leaves have been eaten, but never realized they could help with insomnia.
However, I think it's odd you are willing to use one plant to alter your mental status - dandelion - but are against using another plant in a similar way... because one of the plants has been labeled a "drug." Fact is, the way you are using dandelion leaves makes them a drug, too: a drug is defined as "a substance that has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body, in particular."
Another example: caffeine is a drug; thus, Coca-Cola is a drug. Are you against soda?
That's not to say that all drugs are the same, of course: I don't know how bad dandelions are for you, but I know cocaine is a lot worse. But be aware that it doesn't make sense to be "against drugs", because they're everywhere - only against *harmful* drugs, perhaps.
Hops are another nice choice for sleeping herbs. A mixture of these and passionflower will be effectie, with an addition of valerian in more pressing cases. You should always check with a medical professional, even when using herbs. The fact that they are herbs doesn't make them any less likely to cause interactions, or to have cross indications.
