Many herbal supplements which seem exotic and obscure are in fact commonplace in their origin countries. For example, triblus terrestris grows on roadsides in India. Amazonian Indians walk past camu camu berries every day…
…and the western equivalent is the root of the dandelion flower. We’re not talking about an incredibly rare subspecies of the dandelion, a distant relative with spikier leaves and a redder colour which only grows in one valley in Bulgaria. We’re talking about the common weed which grows in meadows everywhere.
The most interesting power of dandelion root is its possible ability to increase glutathione levels, which was shown in numerous animal studies. Glutathione is a major human detoxification agent which eliminates heavy metals and chemicals like BPA, and interestingly, Ancient Ayurvedic medicine considered dandelion root to be a blood purifier hundreds of years earlier. The two powers coincide nicely.
Glutathione is also an antioxidant, and dandelion root may contain its own carotenoid antioxidants. All in all, dandelion root is less supported by evidence than tribulus terrestris or milk thistle, but is highly promising for experimentation.
That’s why today’s article will discuss the best ways to obtain this common root, other than picking the flowers yourself.
Firstly, a warning: side effects are uncommon, but include an upset stomach and loss of appetite. Discontinue supplementation immediately if you notice these side effects.
Let’s get started:
One – Eclectic Institute
Taking every feature into account, Eclectic Institute is the best dandelion root supplement on the market. Its dosage of 400mg of root extract per capsule is lower than other supplements, but the quality of the dandelion is supreme.
Firstly, Eclectic Institute is freeze dried. Freeze drying versus spray drying is a simple tale of quality versus cost. The former freezes the plant solid to separate the moisture, leaving only the condensed fibers and nutrients. Meanwhile, spray drying briefly exposes the plants to temperatures of 160C, retaining many nutrients but destroying more delicate nutrients. Studies on the herbal supplement rhodiola rosea found that rats swam much faster and recovered from exhaustion much more rapidly when taking the freeze dried version. Eclectic Institute uses freeze drying for almost all of their supplements.
The growing conditions are also optimal, for the dandelions are grown in organic fields. The dandelions are raw and wild-crafted, with a similar nutrient profile to a dandelion growing in your nearby village meadow. Eclectic Institute completely rejects any unnecessary chemicals and fillers.
Then there’s the minimal additives, with only the hypromellose capsule listed. Controversial additives like magnesium stearate, carrageenan, and maltodextrin are absent. Each bottle contains 90 capsules, making Eclectic Institute superb value for money as well.
For those reasons, Eclectic Institute is the most nutritionally rich dandelion root supplement around.
Amazon link: Eclectic Institute Dandelion Root.
Two – Oregon’s Wild Harvest
Oregon’s Wild Harvest is a similarly pure and natural supplement. Once more, the dosage of 400mg per capsule is lower than other pills, but the supreme quality makes up for it.
Oregon’s Wild Harvest is free from any soy, corn, carrageenan, maltodextrin and magnesium stearate. The one additive is the non-GMO bovine gelatin capsule.
The dandelion itself is grown in organic fields, where no pesticides are sprayed onto the plants. The signature compounds like sesquiterpene lactones are thus present in all of the correct ratios and concentrations.
Oregon’s Wild Harvest contains 90 capsules, and the company is an extremely trustworthy one which makes natural ingredients their speciality rather than rock bottom prices. Oregon’s Wild Harvest’s saw palmetto and cinnamon are also perfect.
Most importantly, this is a dandelion root supplement. How do the taraxacum officianale plant’s roots and leaves differ? The leaves alter kidney functioning, and are a powerful natural diuretic, a more balanced version of caffeine. They’re also extremely rich in carotenoid antioxidants like beta carotene and lutein, which is why people pick them, steam them, and eat them.
The roots, meanwhile, are renowned for detoxification properties and are much more mysterious. Both have benefits but for the roots, Oregon’s Wild Harvest is perfect. The final advantage is being manufactured in the USA.
If you refuse to sacrifice any quality whatsoever, Oregon’s Wild Harvest is your supplement.
Amazon link: Oregon’s Wild Harvest Dandelion Root.
Three – StarWest Botanicals
Our first bag of dandelion root for brewing into tea.
StarWest Botanicals features 1 pound of dried dandelion root, which is cut and sifted into small pieces which can be boiled and brewed. Dandelion root tea is a bitter, earthy tea, which some call similar to coffee. In fact, generations ago, villagers would pick dandelion roots in the autumn to use them as a coffee substitute.
Some dislike the taste, others appreciate the bitter flavour. However, there’s no reason not to add grass fed milk, or even butter to replicate the “bulletproof coffee” recipe in a dandelion format. Perhaps your skin can’t stand caffeine but you love to brew your own healthy beverage in the morning; dandelion root tea is for you.
As for Starwest Botanicals, the dandelion root itself is organic and handpicked. It’s roasted in small batches, grown in the USA, and manufactured in a Good Manufacturing Practises (GMP) certified facility. The reviews are positive, with the negative ones merely disliking the inherent taste of dandelion itself.
Starwest Botanicals is a trustworthy way to brew some dandelion tea yourself.
Amazon link: Starwest Botanicals Organic Raw Dandelion.
Four – MatchaDNA
With MatchaDNA, we have a different system for making tea: complete tea bags of dandelion root.
Each batch contains 120 individually wrapped tea bags, consisting of raw dandelion which is condensed and thus bursting with the correct nutrients like sesquiterpene lactones. MatchaDNA is actually certified as organic by the USDA, confirming that the dandelions are as pesticide-free as those growing in your back garden. Roots are not as susceptible to pesticide contamination as a general rule, but they can still soak up heavy metals which have soaked into the soil.
Brewing your MatchaDNA tea could not be simpler. Firstly, boil some water and put it into the mug with the bag. Then steep the bags for 5 to 7 minutes. Finally. replace the bags with your sweetener of choice, preferably raw honey, and some grass-fed milk or butter.
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Then drink the tea and play the waiting game. If dandelion root increases glutathione, you could notice sharper thinking and more energy within days, but you’ll have to wait for longer for any reduction in acne to show up. It all depends on how effectively you can monitor your own body. Keeping other dietary factors the same will make observation easier.
MatchaDNA is the most convenient high quality product for brewing dandelion root tea.
Amazon link: Matcha DNA Organic Dandelion Root Tea.
Five – Pure Mountain Botanicals
A dandelion root supplement which claims to be full spectrum, and is.
There isn’t a unique production process or anything special; Pure Mountain Botanicals simply consists of raw, natural dandelion roots, condensed into a capsule form, meaning that they’ll inevitable contain the “full spectrum” of nutrients that a wild dandelion does.
Pure Mountain Botanicals has a slightly higher dosage of 450mg per capsule, with the capsule count being 90. The entire Pure Mountain Botanicals brand isn’t organic, but dandelion root itself is. The only additive is the vegan capsule, and magnesium stearate is explicitly rejected. Pure Mountain Botanicals is a trusted company with other high quality products being ginger and vitex chaste.
Additionally, the gimmick of this supplement is its bonus omega 3s, sourced from flax seed, but here’s a warning. The ALA-form omega 3s in flax seeds have only mediocre bioavailability in humans and additionally, flaxseeds have estrogenic properties. The amount in Pure Mountain Botanicals is far too low to make a significant difference either way, but never let the words “omega 3s” overexcite you, including for other supplements.
As a dedicated dandelion root supplement, however, Pure Mountain Botanicals is potent and natural.
Amazon link: Pure Mountain Botanicals Dandelion Root.
Six – Remedy’s Nutrition
With Remedy’s Nutrition we have a far stronger than average dandelion root brand. The bottle contains 60 capsules but each capsule contains a massive 1000mg of dandelion root, easily beating the 400mg of Oregon’s Wild Harvest or Eclectic Institute.
What’s more, the ingredients list remains pure, with glycerin, cellulose and water. Magnesium stearate, soy, carrageenan and maltodextrin are far away. Additionally, Remedy’s Nutrition sells a dandelion root tincture, if you prefer to add droplets of a supplement to water instead of swallowing capsules. Maybe you could add more droplets to your dandelion root tea to concentrate it even further.
Another downside is the lack of reviews, but Remedy’s Nutrition is an ancient and thus trustworthy company which has existed since 1972. The one active ingredient in Remedy’s Nutrition is raw, condensed dandelion root.
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This raises an important question: do standardised dandelion roots exist? The main active components in dandelion root are considered to be sesquiterpene lactones, but unlike curcumin in turmeric, or withanolides in ashwagandha, little to no standardised dandelion roots exist. In a way, this is positive, for Chinese and Indian medicinal practitioners had no access to artificially altered supplements, yet noticed benefits anyway.
Regardless, Remedy’s Nutrition is your go-to sledgehammer strength dandelion root.
Amazon link: Remedy’s Nutrition Dandelion Root.
Seven – Frontier
Finally we have Frontier, a high quality back up brand of cut and sifted organic dandelion root.
Frontier has a small problem of inconsistent availability, but is otherwise perfect. The dandelions are grown organically, and certified by the USDA, guaranteeing freedom from pesticides and their controversial hormone-disrupting, pro-inflammatory effects.
The dandelion roots are cut and sifted evenly and cleanly, and unroasted so that you can steep them in tea yourself. Each bag weighs 1 pound, for weeks of supply. Interestingly, Frontier is sourced from Bulgaria rather than the good old USA, opening up the possibility of a subtly different flavour in your tea.
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Frontier has expanded to cover almost all powders whether it’s cinnamon or turmeric, giving them a trustworthy reputation. Plus, the price isn’t too low, meaning that more expensive traditional growing techniques were probably used. The reviews are positive: the balance between delighted and angry reviewers tilts overwhemingly towards the former.
If you’re after a bag of raw dandelion root for your own experiments, then Frontier is perfect.
Amazon link: Frontier Organic Ground Dandelion Root.
Something you should know
All supplements here contain only dandelion root as the active ingredient, and importantly, you may notice numerous supplements with a milk thistle combination. Why? Because milk thistle and its signature compound silymarin also increase glutathione levels, with much more evidence behind them. The average person just sees the promise of double detoxification in the marketing, but increasing glutathione is the scientific reason.
However, to begin with, I would recommend taking dandelion root without any other herbal supplements, for milk thistle itself causes minor side effects in some. Also, with dandelion root’s powers up in the air, you don’t want the proven powers of milk thistle to cloud the results. If your pimples clear within weeks, then you want to know the precise cause.
Conclusion
Once more, dandelion root is a relatively unresearched supplement, with most studies being conducted on animals. It could be a miserable failure or an unexpected revolution in your health.
Legends tell that dandelion root is the perfect remedy for a weak libido and a foggy memory. The latin name officinale (as in taraxacum officinale) was given to any name with recognised healing properties; see also zingiber officinale AKA ginger.
Then again, another legend tells that the height of the tallest dandelion stalk a child can find will be exactly how much that child will grow by in the coming year. Closely monitor your progress and give the supplement several weeks unless you notice obvious side effects. Never forget the opportunity of wild dandelions either, with the leaves’ high density in carotenoid and vitamin A and therefore high density in opportunity to save money.
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Thanks for reading!
The best dandelion root supplement “company” is your back yard, lol. Just go out there and pull them out of the ground for free! Not only is it cheaper than spending money on these supplements, but it’s fun too!