Dandelion Tea: The Herbal Tea for Recovering Coffee Addicts
One of my New Year’s Resolutions this year was to drink a cup of dandelion tea every day. As is usually the case with such resolutions, I have already faltered – but I’m pleased to say that dandelion tea has become a regular part of my daily diet.
Dandelion tea is commonly recommended to people looking for a coffee substitute, because it tastes similar but doesn’t come with all the nasty side-effects. It has no caffeine, can aid weight loss and may even prevent cancer. It also purifies the blood, improves the liver, gallbladder, pancreas and spleen functions, and relieves indigestion. It can even clear the body of repressed emotions like anger or fear, which can be stored in the liver and kidneys.
Though I’m not a coffee drinker, I have my reasons for trying dandelion tea. A while ago, a naturopath friend of mine suggested that my regular migraines may be a consequence of liver problems. Dandelion tea, with its huge range of health benefits, seemed like a great way to try to fix up some of those issues.
I’d tried drinking dandelion tea once before and didn’t like it. Dandelion root tea is a bitter, dark brew that takes some getting used to. You can add milk, cream, honey or sugar to try to offset the bitterness, but of course those can all have implications for your health. I have it black, allowing the tea to steep for about two minutes. After sticking with it for a few weeks, I now actually quite enjoy it.
There are several different varieties of dandelion tea around. The most important distinction is whether it’s dandelion root or leaf. I’ve seen the root around most, and it’s the one that has the bitter, coffee-like flavour. Strangely enough, dandelion leaf tea, with its vegetal flavour, reminded me a little of white tea.
Buy Dandelion Tea Online
You can buy dandelion root and leaf tea through Dragonwater.com. It’s $4.25 for a 1/4 pound pack:
Credit: Some of the information about dandelion’s health benefits were found in Healing Herbal Teas: A Complete Guide to Making Delicious, Healthful Beverages