Dandelion Coffee - Dandelion Tea Detox

Dandelion 'coffee' (also dandelion tea) is herbal tea used as a coffee substitute, made from the root of the dandelion plant. The roasted dandelion root pieces and the beverage have some resemblance to coffee in appearance and taste.

History

Susanna Moodie explained how to prepare dandelion 'coffee' in her memoir of living in Canada, Roughing it in the bush (1852), where she mentions that she had heard of it from an article published in the 1830s in New York Albion by a certain Dr. Harrison. Dandelion 'coffee' was later mentioned in a Harpers New Monthly Magazine story in 1886. In 1919, dandelion root was noted as a source of cheap 'coffee'. It has also been part of edible plant classes dating back at least to the 1970s.

Harvesting

Harvesting dandelion roots requires differentiating 'true' dandelions (Taraxacum spp.) from other yellow daisy-like flowers such as catsear and hawksbeard. True dandelions have a ground-level rosette of deep-toothed leaves and hollow straw-like stems. Large plants that are 3â€"4 years old, with taproots approximately 0.5 inch (13 mm) in diameter, are harvested for dandelion coffee. These taproots are similar in appearance to pale carrots.

Preparation

After harvesting, the dandelion roots are dried, chopped, and roasted. They are then ground into granules which are steeped in boiling water to produce dandelion coffee.

Research

As of 2012 dandelion coffee was being researched for a possible role in cancer treatment.

Chemistry

Unroasted Taraxacum officinale (among other dandelion species) root contains:

Sesquiterpene lactones

• Taraxacin (a sesquiterpene guaianolide)
• Phenylpropanoid glycosides: dihydroconiferin, syringin, and dihydrosyringin
• Taraxacoside(a cylated gamma-butyrolactone glycoside)
• Lactupircin

Carotenoids

• Lutein
• Violaxanthin

Coumarins

• Esculin
• Scopoletin

Flavonoids

• Apigenin-7-glucoside
• Luteolin-7-glucoside
• Isorhamnetin 3-glucoside
• Luteolin-7-diglucoside
• Quercetin-7-glucoside
• Quercetin
• Luteolin
• Rutin
• Chrysoeriol

Phenolic acids

• Caffeic acid
• Chlorogenic acid
• Chicoric acid (dicaffeoyltartaric acid)
• ρ-hydroxyphenylacetic acids

Polysaccharides

• Glucans mannans
• inulin (8)

Cyanogenic glycosides

• Prunasin

Sesquiterpene lactones (of the germacranolide type)

• 11β, 13-dihydrolactucin
• Ixerin D
• Ainslioside taraxinic acid
• β-glucopyranosyl
• Taraxinic acid
• Glucosyl ester
• 11-dihydrotaraxinic acid and 13-dihydrotaraxinic acid
• l'-glucoside
• Lactucopicrin
• Lactucin
• Cichorin

Eudesmanolides

• Tetrahydroridentin-B
• Taraxacolide-O-β-glucopyranoside
• Prunasin
• Dihydroconiferin
• Syringin
• Dihydrosyringin
• Taraxasterol
• ψ-taraxasterol
• Homo-taraxasterol
• Stigmatsterol

Triterpenes

• Cycloartenol
• A Serine proteinase
• Taraxalisin
• α-amyrin
• β-amyrin
• Arnidiol
• Faradiol
• Lupeol
• Taraxol
• Taraxaserol and
• 3β-hydroxylup-18-ene-21-one

Sterols

• Taraxasterol
• ψ-taraxasterol
• Homo-taraxasterol
• β-sitosterol
• Stigmatsterol
• Campesterol

Other

• Lettucenin A
• Taraxalisin
• Amino acids
• Choline
• Mucilage
• Pectin

References