Dandelions; a blessing in disguise

from Scientific American archives:

Native to Europe dandelions are now found all over the world- much to the chagrin of those like a vas expanse of green lawn. But, not everyone reviles the humblest member of the sunflower family.

Sunflowers are rich in vitamins A, B, C, D and G, and minerals like potassium. Dandelion leaves can be tossed into salads, its flowers distilled into wine and spirits, its leaves dried into teas or roasted into a coffee-like beverage. The Chinese considerd the plant a "blood cleanser" and used Dandelion juice to clear up infections as far back as the seventh century. Europeans were using the plant medicinally by 1485. Folk medics used the plant as a diureic, a digestive aid and to cure warts and blisters. Today, dandelions are widely believed to lower cholesterol and benefit the liver. Modern research suggests that dandelions do possess antibacterial, and possibly antiviral properties.