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Dandelion Syrup For Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Control - Cover

Dandelion Syrup For Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Control

The Health benefits of dandelion are outstanding! But finding ways to enjoy eating dandelion is a bit more daunting. The roots, leaves, and flowers are incredibly healthful, but also somewhat bitter. Here we are going to make a dandelion syrup.

This is where it gets exciting. We are going to use the syrup in ways to make the roots and leaves much easier and enjoyable to eat!

About Dandelion

The dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has been used since time immemorial as food and medicine. In fact, it is cultivated in many parts of the world for this use to this day. Sometimes considered a nuisance plant by gardeners and greenskeepers, dandelion is wonderful for beneficial pollinating insects. Furthermore, it contributes to healthy soil, helps to break up compact soils, and their deep tap roots help to release nutrients and minerals to the soil surface.

The list of health benefits of dandelion is long. Dandelion plants contain a plethora of bioactive compounds which contribute to its ability to help high cholesterol and blood sugar control. Accordingly, dandelion is currently being studied for its potential use to make low-cost medicine to help treat type 2 diabetes. Similarly, type 2 diabetes is often associated with other health issues. These include obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular issues, coronary artery disease, and dyslipidemia.

Dandelion Syrup For Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Control - Benefits

As far as free food and medicine goes, it doesn’t get any closer than dandelion. The roots, leaves, and flowers are edible and medicinal.

Throughout North America, dandelion is a common weed. It is an invasive species introduced by Europeans. They brought dandelion with them because of its usefulness and healthfulness.

Any plant with a second name “officinale”, means it was studied and used as medicine hundreds of years ago by Latin-speaking people.

Even though dandelion is available during spring, summer, and fall, the best flowering season is springtime. Once the snow is gone, it is important to harvest dandelion from clean places. In other words, harvest dandelion from areas that have not been treated with chemical fertilizer, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides, as these will be in and on the plant.

Dandelion Syrup For Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Control

As we are making a syrup, we will need to use a sweetener. This is a conundrum since the purpose of the syrup is to control blood sugar, not elevate it. Dandelion has powerful components to help regulate blood sugar and reduce cholesterol. But let’s be reasonable. It is not a magic cure if it is being doused in pure sugar. For this recipe, choose sweeteners with the lowest glycemic index possible.Dandelion Syrup For Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Control - The recipe

This recipe uses molasses, maple syrup, and honey as each of these has a glycemic index below 55. There are many sweetener alternatives that have an even lower glycemic index. It may be said that this changes the flavor of the dandelion syrup. In my opinion, the more natural the sweetener, the better the flavor.

Additionally, it is important to keep the purpose true. This is to say, to control blood sugar. Find creative ways to use this syrup with healthful ingredients. Below, we will share ideas for using this syrup to enhance dandelion-focused foods and drinks.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup Dandelion Flowers
  • 2 Cups High-quality water
  • ½ Cup Sweetener of your choice. I am using 1 part molasses, 1 part maple syrup, and 1 part raw unpasteurized local honey.
  • 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

Process:

Step 1: Gather 1 cup of dandelion flowers. This is best early in the day before the bees are at them. Try to gather from a wide area. In this way, you won’t deplete an entire nectar source for crawling insects, or bees and butterflies.Dandelion Syrup For Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Control - Step 1

Step 2: If desired, rinse them gently. Allow drying.
Step 3: Trim off the green bracts. Some folks like to use scissors. I prefer a sharp knife. Hold around the whole flower and cut at the base of the green bracts. The fluffy flower petals will kind of erupt. On a perfect cut, the remain green bracts act as a wrapper that will just unfurl. It is then easily removed from the petals. Dandelion Syrup For Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Control - Step 2

Step 4: Place flowers in a pot and cover with 2 cups of high-quality water.Dandelion Syrup For Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Control - Step 4

Step 5: Bring to a boil. Allow the flowers to simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.

Step 6: Let the dandelion flower water cool for another hour or so. Ensure it is below 105° F (40° C) in temperature.
Step 7: Strain the dandelion extraction from the water using cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve. For this light, floral water, even a coffee filter will do the trick.Dandelion Syrup For Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Control - Step 7

Step 8: In a sterile glass jar, mix the ½ cup of sweeteners. You may wish to melt the sweeteners together to make them easier to work with. The mixture of honey, molasses, and maple syrup can be gently warmed up to 105° F (40° C). Any warmer than this and you risk damaging some of the beneficial and healthful components of the honey.Dandelion Syrup For Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Control - Step 8

Step 9: Stir the dandelion extraction into the sweetened mixture. Place in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Recipe Notes

This syrup is naturally quite dark due to the molasses. If you are wishing for a lighter color, perhaps use a lighter-colored sweetener. Additionally, steeping the dandelion petals for a shorter period results in a lighter-colored extraction.Dandelion Syrup For Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Control - Recipe Notes

Using Dandelion Syrup for Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Control

Dandelion Salad Dressing
  • 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Dandelion Syrup
  • 4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Or your favorite salad oil)

A pinch each to taste of salt, black pepper, powdered mustard, and cayenne pepper.
Best used on a salad that has fresh young dandelion greens as a major component. The sweetness of the salad dressing complements the strong flavor of the dandelion greens perfectly!

Dandelion Tea
  • 1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried dandelion roots
  • 1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried dandelion leaves

Steep in 2 cups of high-quality boiled water for 10 minutes.
Use 1 tablespoon of dandelion syrup to sweeten Dandelion Tea and enjoy!

Recommended Dosage of Dandelions

This is an excerpt from The Physiological Effects of Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale) in Type 2 Diabetes, from the Journal of the Society for Biomedical Diabetes Research.
It is noted that the doses are rudimentary and are meant to help empower populations to source alternative, accessible, and affordable treatments. Importantly, they also note that dandelion is considered “a key anti-diabetic plant because of its anti-hyperglycemic, anti-oxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties”.

Renowned physicians, the European Commission, and the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia recommended the following range of doses for dandelion:
• Fresh leaves 4-10 g daily
• Dried leaves 4-10 g daily
• 2-5 ml of leaf tincture, three times a day
• Fresh leaf juice, 1 teaspoon twice daily,
• Fluid extract 1-2 teaspoon daily
• Fresh roots 2-8 g daily
• Dried powder extract 250-1000 mg four times a day

Warnings:

Dandelion is considered safe for consumption. It is classed as a diuretic, so drink lots of water when consuming dandelion. As always, consult your healthcare provider when beginning or taking any herbal medicine.
Additionally, allergy sensitivity is always a concern. Touch the plant to your skin and observe for 12 to 24 hours to ensure no adverse effects.
Conclusion
The health benefits of dandelion are incredible. This plant has amazing potential to help with cholesterol and blood sugar control, among many other wonderful contributions to our health. Making this dandelion syrup is just one way to add dandelion and its parts into our diet.

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25 Reasons You Should Go and Pick Dandelion Right Now!

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Dandelion has worked wonders in the past for me as part of my detox routine so I totally recommend this!

Hi Eliza,

Thank you for sharing this with us.
I am glad to hear that you used dandelion as part of your detox routine.

God bless!

Interesting! I have made dandelion wine and my family and friends and I liked it. Hadn’t heard of the syrup. Just so I can grow them where dogs can’t contaminate them!

Hi GLOCK19FAN,

Thank you so much for your comment.
Dandelion Wine is also a great recipe.

God bless!

My great grandfather made Dandelion wine. I was too young to try it.

How much syrup should you take a day and how many points can it reduce your cholesterol levels to in about how much time to do that

Hi Kathy,

Thank you for your question. Using dandelion root and leaves can help reduce cholesterol levels, as shown in some medical studies. It may be too specific to each individual to predict by how much this amazing plant may help, as each of us is unique. Taking 2-3 tablespoons of dandelion syrup daily may help.

We would love for you to let us know if it helps you!

God bless!

Can you use dried leaves to make the syrup?

Hi Melissa,

Great idea! I think it will increase the nutrient levels and healthful benefits to include dried leaves in the recipe. It may alter the flavor somewhat, but certainly worth a try!

I live in the middle of the city & all the parks & roadways are sprayed, so fresh, pure dandelions are unavailable to me (& I am unable to drive far so cannot ‘get out into the country”…it’s desert where I live. Would this work with dried flowers & where would I find them?

I am the same, I usually go the dry route and purchase at my local spice shop. Or if I have the time I purchase the seeds and grow them in my aero garden.

Hi,

Fantastic point. It is certainly counterproductive to use heavily contaminated herbal remedies. There are some dandelion products available for sale. I found also some online sellers of dandelion flowers on Amazon and Etsy that might be able to provide you with dried, untreated dandelion flowers. Another option may be to check with your local health food store or greengrocer to see if they may be willing to find some for you. One last option may be to attempt to grow your own dandelions in pots. Some seed suppliers have dandelion seeds for sale. You might even collect seeds from your neighborhood. Even though the plants are treated, the plants you grew from the seed would be herbicide and pesticide-free, at least.

God bless!

Thank you so much for that information.

50+ years ago an elderly friend gave me his recipe for dandelyon honey . I made it many times with regular sugar, not for health just because I liked it. Sometimes I would get a bunch of fresh blooms that actually tasted like real honey. a real treat. I can no longer gather, so I purchase leaves and roots for tea to help with blood pressure. I think I’ll try making some honey with them.. it might be good.

Hi Linda,

Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Dandelion Honey is indeed very tasty and healthy at the same time.

Wish you the best of health!

During prohibition Dandeloin was use to make homemade wine. My great grandfather

Hello. You say that using the three sweeteners: honey, maple syrup and molasses is necessary. I note you DO mention the counter-productiveness to these sweeteners for diabetics, and I have a suggestion: there are several low/non glycemic index options: stevia, monkfruit, swerve, xylitol, but my favorite, used just like sugar, is Bocha Sweet. I have used this successfully for replacing sweeteners as I can’t stand stevia or monkfruit, and swerve has sugar alcohols…..xylitol can cause digestive issues in large amounts, and since contracting diabetes due to stress, I have actually found biter foods and drink is tolerable, even nice.
There is also yacon syrup, another low/non glycemic sweetener.
ANY of these options would be SO much better and healthier for diabetics than the honey, molasses and maple syrup!

I am a long time plant Lover and You are my hero! I love Dandelions. What is Bocha Sweet? Thank you.

Bocha Sweet is a 0 Glycemic index sweetener made from the Kabocha Plant. Just do a search for ‘Bocha Sweet’. I have since found another natural sweetener that is low glycemic, called Allulose, made from fruit sugars like figs. it does have a tiny amount of carbs, but not much.

I recently found a product called “Bocha Sweet” “Made From Kabocha
A Cultivated Crop
The kabocha is a “superfood” that has been a staple of the Japanese diet for centuries.
Pure Cell Energy. No Insulin Stimulation.”
You use it 1:1 for real sugar.

My local grocery stocks organic dandelion leaves. Not all of this chain have it, but they regularly sell so stock. I use it for my lactating rabbit does. May lactating women also use it to increase the milk supply. You might check with the produce section.

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