Dandelion is corrupted French for ‘dents de lion’ (tooth of the lion), referring to the jagged edge of the leaf. It is also known as bitterwort, wild endive, Irish daisy and some other names as well. It is universally considered a noxious weed that destroys lawns. It does have its good side. In fact it is actually cultivated as a salad herb. Just because it grows wild in your yard should not dissuade you from taking advantage of this ‘first crop of spring’ as a nice salad.
Most people prefer to eat it ‘wilted’ with vinegar dressing. Dandelion is a member of the sunflower family. Its official name; Taraxacum officinal; is derived from the Greek words, ‘taraxos’ meaning ‘disorder’, and ‘akos’, meaning ‘remedy’, so we understand that dandelion has long been regarded to be a therapeutic herb.
Dandelion leaves and roots are used to treat various ailments by Europeans, Asians, and Native Americans as well. It stimulates the liver and the kidneys and is a general tonic. It stimulates digestion and acts as a mild laxative.
The most therapeutic form is as juice. The leaves are richer in vitamin A than are carrots. One cup of dandelion greens provides 25 calories, 1.5 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 19 mg Vitamin C, 7,700 IU of vitamin A and 103 mg calcium.
(R.B.)
Dandelion Greens, 1 cup, Raw
| Nutrient | Units | 1.00 X 1 cup, chopped ——- 55g |
|---|---|---|
| Proximates | ||
| Water |
g
|
47.08
|
| Energy |
kcal
|
25
|
| Energy |
kj
|
104
|
| Protein |
g
|
1.49
|
| Total lipid (fat) |
g
|
0.39
|
| Ash |
g
|
0.99
|
| Carbohydrate, by difference |
g
|
5.06
|
| Fiber, total dietary |
g
|
1.9
|
| Sugars, total |
g
|
2.12
|
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium, Ca |
mg
|
103
|
| Iron, Fe |
mg
|
1.71
|
| Magnesium, Mg |
mg
|
20
|
| Phosphorus, P |
mg
|
36
|
| Potassium, K |
mg
|
218
|
| Sodium, Na |
mg
|
42
|
| Zinc, Zn |
mg
|
0.23
|
| Copper, Cu |
mg
|
0.094
|
| Manganese, Mn |
mg
|
0.188
|
| Selenium, Se |
mcg
|
0.3
|
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid |
mg
|
19.2
|
| Thiamin |
mg
|
0.104
|
| Riboflavin |
mg
|
0.143
|
| Niacin |
mg
|
0.443
|
| Pantothenic acid |
mg
|
0.046
|
| Vitamin B-6 |
mg
|
0.138
|
| Folate, total |
mcg
|
15
|
| Folic acid |
mcg
|
0
|
| Folate, food |
mcg
|
15
|
| Folate, DFE |
mcg_DFE
|
15
|
| Vitamin B-12 |
mcg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin B-12, added |
mcg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin A, IU |
IU
|
2712
|
| Vitamin A, RAE |
mcg_RAE
|
136
|
| Retinol |
mcg
|
0
|
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) |
mg
|
2.63
|
| Vitamin E, added |
mg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) |
mcg
|
150.5
|
| Lipids | ||
| Fatty acids, total saturated |
g
|
0.094
|
| 4:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 6:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 8:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 10:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 12:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 14:0 |
g
|
0.005
|
| 16:0 |
g
|
0.080
|
| 18:0 |
g
|
0.004
|
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated |
g
|
0.008
|
| 16:1 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.000
|
| 18:1 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.008
|
| 20:1 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 22:1 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.000
|
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated |
g
|
0.168
|
| 18:2 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.144
|
| 18:3 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.024
|
| 18:4 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 20:4 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.000
|
| 20:5 n-3 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 22:5 n-3 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 22:6 n-3 |
g
|
0.000
|
| Cholesterol |
mg
|
0
|
| Other | ||
| Alcohol, ethyl |
g
|
0.0
|
| Caffeine |
mg
|
0
|
| Theobromine |
mg
|
0
|
| Carotene, beta |
mcg
|
1627
|
| Carotene, alpha |
mcg
|
0
|
| Cryptoxanthin, beta |
mcg
|
0
|
| Lycopene |
mcg
|
0
|
| Lutein + zeaxanthin |
mcg
|
3656
|
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18 (2005)
