Not only are these pretty, yellow blossoms covering your lawn for a good chunk of spring, dandelion leaves, roots, and petals have a whopping amount of nutritional benefits. Dandelions are becoming more and more popular in the health world every spring; even sold at grocery stores (a big rip off if I must say so myself). So what is it about dandelions that has everyone so swept up? Here are a few reasons:

The Roots
Dandelion roots are actually a natural diuretic, and help to safely remove extra water weight from your body. While many diuretics can be harmful to your health, dandelion roots, in moderation, can actually be beneficial and help you feel less bloated.

The roots also have liver healing properties that have actually helped many people with damaged livers to get them functioning normally again. It helps increase the flow of bile, making much less work for your liver. This helps give the liver time to rest, allowing it to heal.

The Greens
Dandelion leaves stimulate digestion and support both gall bladder and liver function. Adding them to your diet results in easier digestion and better assimilation of nutrients.

They are high in anti-oxidants, vitamin A (anti-cancer), C (immune support), K (necessary for bone growth/development,), iron, and calcium. Just one cup of these weeds has 15% of your daily calcium requirements. They even help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

These bitter greens can reduce inflammation and swelling throughout the body. Inflammation is the root cause of most illnesses, and there are way to many foods out there these days that can cause it. Adding dandelions to your diet will help prevent you from all kinds of diseases.

The Flowers
Dandelion petals are packed with vitamin D, they actually soak it up from the sun before they turn to seeds. Most people are deficient in vitamin D, yet it is crucial for your hormones, calcium (and other mineral) absorption, proper bone function, and regulating healthy blood sugar.

They even have vitamin B12. This micronutrient can be particularly hard for vegans to come by since there are not a lot of plant based sources of it. Who knew you would be able to get it in a flower petals?

These buttery little petals even help to relieve stomach cramps, headaches, mild depression, menstrual cramps and backaches. Add these to your salad, smoothie, or even pizza, and eat up!

The pollen on dandelion flowers not only contain various essential amino acids, it also works to prevent many harmful ailments. In the past it has been used to prevent boils, skin infections, tuberculosis, edema, and blood clots.