Taraxa SP
Dandelion is a widespread plant found in Europe, North America and many other parts of the world. The scientific name of the dandelion is “Taraxacum officinale”.
The dandelion is a perennial plant that forms a rosette of toothed, green leaves. In spring, yellow flowers appear on long, hollow stems that look like small suns. After flowering, the well-known “dandelions” develop, which are covered with dandelion seeds.
Dandelion has a long history in folk medicine and cooking. The leaves can be eaten in salads and are rich in vitamins and minerals. The roots of the dandelion are sometimes roasted and made into a coffee-like drink. In some cultures the flowers are used to make wine or jelly.
In traditional medicine, dandelion is often valued for its potential health benefits. It is associated with supporting digestion, liver health and detoxifying the body.
The dandelion is a fascinating plant with diverse properties and uses.
Taraxa SP is made from the leaves of the dandelion plant and is rich in vitamin A.
Health Benefits:
Taraxa Plus has positive effects on your health, as described in a comprehensive study by Agnese Di Napoli and Pietro Zucchetti in 2012
- Diuretic effect and treatment of urological diseases
- Positive effect in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases
- Activity against intestinal inflammation (colitis)
- Positive effect on the immune system
- Antiviral effect
- Antifungal activity (fungal treatment)
- Antiarthritic activity
- Antibacterial activity
- Antidiabetic activity
- Support against obesity
- Antioxidant effect
- Anticancer activity in various types of cancer
The above overview shows that various medicinal properties of dandelion are frequently reported in the scientific literature. These properties include diuretic, hepatoprotective, anticolic, immunoprotective, antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, antiarthritic, antidiabetic, obesity aid, antioxidant and anticancer effects. Hepatoprotective, antioxidant and anticancer effects are the most commonly reported medicinal properties of dandelion in the scientific literature.
This plant represents a promising source for the prevention and treatment of health conditions. The protective effects of Taraxacum officinale against hepatotoxicity, oxidative stress and the proliferation of cancer cells are widely reported in the scientific literature. Further research is needed to confirm the medicinal properties previously described and to confirm the use of this plant as a medicine.
Possible risks and side effects
Dandelion can cause an allergic reaction in some people when eaten or applied to the skin. If you have an allergy to other plants in the same plant family, such as daisies or thistle, you may also have a sensitivity to dandelions.
If you experience symptoms such as swelling, itching or redness, you should stop using Taraxa Plus immediately.
For most people, side effects of dandelion leaves and roots are minimal.
Clinical experiences
Sophia C. Sigstedt et. al. evaluated the effect of aqueous extracts of Taraxacum officinale on growth and invasion of breast and prostate cancer cells in a clinical study.
The ethnotraditional use of plant natural products plays an important role in the discovery and development of potential medicines. Plants in the genus Taraxacum, commonly known as dandelions, have long been used in Chinese, Arabian, and Native American traditional medicine to treat a variety of diseases, including cancer.
However, so far there have been very few studies on the anti-cancer effects of Taraxacum officinale (TO). In the present study, three aqueous extracts were prepared from mature leaves, flowers and roots and examined for processes related to tumor progression such as proliferation and invasion. Our results show that dandelion leaf crude extract (DLE) reduced the growth of MCF-7/AZ breast cancer cells in an ERK-dependent manner. The aqueous extracts of dandelion flowers (DFE) and roots (DRE) had no effect on the growth of either cell line. Furthermore, DRE was found to block the invasion of MCF-7/AZ breast cancer cells, while DLE blocked the invasion of LNCaP prostate cancer cells into type I collagen. Inhibition of invasion was further evidenced by reduced phosphorylation levels of FAK and src as well as reduced activities of the matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9.
This study provides new scientific data on TO and suggests that TO extracts or individual components contained in the extracts may be of value as novel anticancer agents.
Ung-Kyu Choi et. al investigated the hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) roots and leaves on cholesterol-fed rabbits.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), a long-known herbal remedy, has been shown to have positive effects on choleretic, anti-rheumatic and diuretic properties. Recent reports suggest that excessive oxidative stress contributes to the development of atherosclerosis-related metabolic syndrome. The aim of this current study was to investigate the possible hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of dandelion root and leaves in rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet. A group of 28 male rabbits were divided into four subgroups; a normal diet group, a high-cholesterol diet group, a high-cholesterol diet group with 1% (w/w) dandelion leaves, and a high-cholesterol diet group with 1% (w/w) dandelion root. After the treatment period, the antioxidant enzymes and lipid profiles in plasma were determined. Our results show that dandelion root and leaf treatment positively altered plasma antioxidant enzyme activity and lipid profiles in cholesterol-fed rabbits and therefore may have potential hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects. Dandelion root and leaves could protect against atherosclerosis caused by oxidative stress and reduce the atherogenic index.
Bevin A. Clare et. al. have examined the diuretic effect of an extract of Taraxacum officinale leaves in a single day in humans.
Background: Taraxacum officinale (L.) Weber (Asteraceae) is widely used as a diuretic in traditional naturopathic medicine and modern phytotherapy in Europe, Asia and America, without previously being confirmed by clinical studies.
Goals: In this pilot study, a high-quality hydroethanolic fresh leaf extract of the medicinal plant T. officinale (dandelion) was ingested by volunteers to investigate whether this would result in increased urinary frequency and volume.
Design: The volume of urine excretion and fluid intake was recorded from the subjects. Baseline urinary frequency and excretion ratio (urine volume:fluid intake) were obtained 2 days before dandelion dosing (8 mL three times daily) and monitored during a dosing period of 1 day and 24 hours after dosing.
Results: For the entire population (n=17), there was a significant (p<0.05) increase in urinary frequency within 5 hours of the first dose. There was also a significant (p<0.001) increase in excretion ratio in the 5 hour period after the second extract dose. The third dose did not change any of the measured parameters.
Conclusions: Based on these initial human data, the ethanolic extract of T. officinale shows promise as a diuretic in humans.
Jian Zhang et. al. investigated the pancreatic lipase inhibitory effect of Taraxacum officinale in vitro and in vivo.
Obesity has become a global health problem. Orlistat, a pancreatic lipase inhibitor, is currently approved as an anti-obesity drug. However, gastrointestinal side effects caused by orlistat may limit its use. In this study, the pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) were measured in vitro and in vivo to determine its potential use as a natural anti-obesity agent. The inhibitory effects of 95% ethanol extract of T. officinale and orlistat were measured using 4-methylumbelliferyl oleate (4-MU-oleate) as substrate at concentrations of 250, 125, 100, 25, 12.5, and 4 μg/mL. To determine the inhibitory activity of pancreatic lipase in vivo, mice (n=16) were orally administered corn oil emulsion (5 ml/kg) alone or the 95% ethanol extract of T. officinale (400 mg/kg) after an overnight fast . Plasma triglyceride levels were measured at 0, 90, 180 and 240 minutes after treatment and incremental areas under the response curves (AUC) were calculated. The 95% ethanol extract of T. officinale and orlistat inhibited the activity of porcine pancreatic lipase by 86.3% and 95.7%, respectively, at a concentration of 250 μg/mL. T. officinale extract showed dose-dependent inhibition with an IC50 of 78.2 μg/ml. A single oral dose of the extract significantly inhibited the increase in plasma triglyceride levels at 90 and 180 minutes and reduced the AUC of the plasma triglyceride response curve (p < 0.05). The results indicate that T. officinale exhibits inhibitory activities against pancreatic lipase in vitro and in vivo. Further studies are needed to elucidate the antibacterial effect of chronic consumption of T. officinale and to identify the active components responsible for the inhibitory effect against pancreatic lipase.