Dandelion Greens ... Don't Kill Them,
Eat Them!
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)
|
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