Is the dandelion powder from the drugstore good?

I believe everyone has seen dandelions and they are not unfamiliar to them. Dandelions have been present in many people’s childhood. However, how many people know that dandelion is also a traditional Chinese medicine? Dandelion powder is a common medicine in Chinese medicine stores, but is dandelion powder useful? What is its specific medicinal value? Let’s take a look together today.

Dandelion is a very common plant. In the blooming season, the seeds will fly all over the sky when the wind blows. Dandelion also has many medicinal values. Do you know what the functions of dandelion are? Come and find out with me!

Pharmacological effects of dandelion

1. Anti-pathogenic microorganisms

Dandelion injection has a strong bactericidal effect on resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and hemolytic Streptococcus in test tubes. It also has a certain bactericidal effect on Pneumococcus, meningococcus, diphtheria Corynebacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhi and catarrhalis. Dandelion extract (1:400) can inhibit tuberculosis in vitro. Dandelion decoction (1:80) can delay the ECHO11 virus cytopathic effect. Dandelion alcohol extract 31 mg/kg can kill Leptospira. The aqueous extract has an inhibitory effect on a variety of skin fungi. The decoction was orally administered to rats and was well absorbed, maintaining a certain antibacterial effect in the urine.

2. Liver protection and choleretic effects

Animal experiments have shown that oral administration of dandelion decoction or injection of dandelion injection has a significant inhibitory effect on the increase of alanine aminotransferase caused by carbon tetrachloride; it can significantly alleviate the histological changes caused by carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage. There are reports that dandelions have a choleretic effect in animals. Intragastric administration of dandelion fluid can cause the gallbladder to contract and the sphincter of Oddi to relax, which is beneficial for the discharge of bile into the intestines. It is clinically effective for chronic gallbladder spasm and gallstones.

3. Anti-gastric ulcer effect

Gavage of dandelion decoction to rats has a significant protective effect on stress ulcers; it also has a significant protective effect on gastric mucosal damage caused by anhydrous ethanol in rats; and can significantly resist the formation of gastric ulcers in rats with pylorus ligation. When dandelion is used together with Codonopsis pilosula and Ligusticum chuanxiong, it has a synergistic anti-gastric ulcer effect, and the anti-ulcer effect of the three combined is even stronger. It has been reported that the mechanism of this compound's anti-gastric ulcer and gastric mucosal damage effect may be related to its impact on the endogenous PGE2 content in gastric tissue.

4. Effect on immune function

Dandelion decoction can significantly increase the blast cell transformation rate of human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro. Dandelion polysaccharide can significantly enhance the intensity of delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction of mouse foot pads caused by Ehrlich carcinoma and MM46 tumor cell antigens, and is more effective the later the administration time is, that is, it has a significant effect when administered on the 11th to 20th day after antigen stimulation or on alternate days for 2 to 20 days. Intraperitoneal injection of dandelion polysaccharide can significantly enhance the cytotoxic effect of antibody-dependent macrophages in mice.

5. Other functions

According to surveys, dandelion is very effective in treating edema and diuresis, and also has a good therapeutic effect on other diseases. Many people choose to eat the roots and grass leaves of dandelions for their health benefits and antidiarrheal effects. Taking dandelions may also have a certain healing power if you are bitten by a snake.

Dandelion has such powerful medicinal effects, perhaps this is something that everyone does not know? Interested friends can also go online or go to the library to check relevant materials and information. Of course, the medicinal value of dandelion powder does not mean that you can take it casually, so it is recommended to consult a professional Chinese medicine practitioner before taking any action.