Almost everyone hates that pesky weed called dandelion. Every year when the weather warms up, a garden in your neighborhood is sure to have a large harvest of dandelions. You shudder with fear and anger at the prospect that all those dandelions are going to be planted. It will really be a bad wind if any of those seedlings are dumped onto your carefully manicured lawn.

Most people don’t realize that common dandelion is a very powerful detoxifying agent. It has been used for generations to treat liver and kidney ailments of all kinds. Its detoxifying power has also been used to treat respiratory problems, cure gastrointestinal ailments, and cleanse the circulatory system. It is even reputed to help dissolve some kidney stones.

In northern China, dandelion is considered one of the top 10 herbs. But if you live in the southern hemisphere you’ve probably never seen a dandelion. Most people in North America and Europe are very familiar with the yellow-flowered dandelion.

The word dandelion literally means “dandelion” due to the irregular shape of the leaves. The French, however, tend to be a bit more adventurous when it comes to naming things. They discovered the medicinal and detoxifying value of dandelions long ago. Its name for the dandelion is “dandelion”. Can you guess what that translates to in English? You guessed it. It means “piss on the bed.”

The French gave it that name because dandelions are very powerful diuretics. In other words, they flush and speed up your urinary system very quickly. It is not uncommon for children playing in a field of dandelions to wet their beds later that night. It really isn’t the child’s fault. The dandelions did. This stimulation of the child’s liver also has a powerful detoxifying effect. Eliminates all kinds of toxins.

Although dandelions are almost always treated like weeds, the US Department of Agriculture lists them as one of the top vegetables for nutrition. They are packed with all kinds of vitamins and minerals. But if you decide to experiment with the detoxifying power of dandelions, how do you go about preparing them? What part is edible and what is thrown away? All parts are edible, but usually only the flower and leaves are consumed. You can put the leaves in a salad and eat them like that. Or put a strainer filled with dandelion leaves in a juicer along with an apple and make apple and dandelion juice. Searching for dandelion recipes on the internet will reveal a wealth of preparation options. Of course, make sure the dandelions you collect have not been treated with pesticides or herbicides. And to be safe, wash them well before preparing. If you have liver or kidney problems, be sure to check with your doctor before trying dandelions.

Dandelions are also known to remove warts. If you rub the yellow flower part on a wart and do this once a day for a month or more, many people have reported that their warts disappear. Of course, this may just be an old wife’s tale. But if you have warts, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try and see if it helps. There are many detox treatments and cures that work, but they have yet to be thoroughly tested and documented by doctors and scientists.

So when next spring brings a big crop of dandelions to your front garden, don’t despair. Harvest them and put them to good use before removing pesticides that kill weeds. Eliminate “weeds,” but don’t let the detoxifying power of dandelions go to waste.