Dandelion Leaf - Taraxacum officinale
Common Name:  Dandelion, blowball, cankerwort, Irish daisy, monk’s head, priest’s crown, swine snout, wild endive, witch gowan, and yellow gowa
Ayurveda Name:  Simhadanti
Chinese Medicine Name: Pu gong ying 
Family:  Asteraceae
Parts Used:  Leaf
Actions:  Alterative,Aperient,  Bitter,  Cholagogue,  Diuretic,  Hepatic,  Nutritive Tonic
Taste:  bitter, drying, and cooling (slightly sweet)
Energy:  Cooling Drying
 
Dandelion leaves are one of the richest sources of the antioxidant β-carotene or pro-vitamin A. This, and other antioxidants, can protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals and aging.
 
Dandelion leaf is an effective diuretic through its stimulating effect on the kidneys, encouraging proper elimination of uric acid, thus clearing out metabolic wastes. This is helpful in the case of water retention, urinary and prostate infections, gout, arthritis, and rheumatism. Dandelion’s high potassium and other mineral content offsets the resultant potassium and mineral loss through the urine. Thus, dandelion is a safe diuretic to use even in the case of water retention associated with cardiac conditions (Hoffmann, 2003). Dandelion leaf’s diuretic action is comparable to the diuretic drug furosemide (Hoffmann, 2003) and safer than the diuretic drug Lasix (Tillotson, 2001).