The Drainer

Our grandparents never threw away dandelion. On the contrary, dandelion salad was a spring ritual throughout rural France. You would go out with a knife and a basket, pick the rosettes while still tender before flowering, and serve them warm with bacon and a poached egg. This wasn’t gastronomy, it was folk medicine. The ancients knew that this characteristic bitterness ‘cleansed the blood’ after winter. They were right: dandelion is one of the most powerful choleretics in the plant kingdom, it stimulates bile production and revives the entire hepatic circuit.

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The bioactive molecules

Dandelion is the king of the liver. Sesquiterpene lactones (taraxacin, taraxacerin) powerfully stimulate bile secretion¹. Inulin is a prebiotic fiber that directly nourishes the bifidobacteria in the colon². Luteolin inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-6³. Dandelion contains more beta-carotene than the carrot itself (8.4 mg versus 8.3 mg per 100 g)⁴.

A hepatic drainage juice par excellence. Dandelion, the most bitter of plants, combined with carrot.

Dandelion is the king of the liver. Its popular name, “piss-in-bed”, says everything about its powerful diuretic action. Carton placed it at the top of depurative plants and Bertholet prescribed it at every change of season. The leaf is diuretic (rich in potassium), the root is choleretic. Dandelion contains more beta-carotene than the carrot (8.4 mg versus 8.3 mg per 100 g), a remarkable amount of iron and calcium. It is the most complete wild plant that grows at our feet.

Dandelion is rich in three families of molecules. Sesquiterpene lactones (taraxacin, taraxacerin) stimulate bile secretion and give it its characteristic bitterness. Inulin, a prebiotic fiber, nourishes the intestinal microbiota⁵: 1402S-1406S). Luteolin, an anti-inflammatory flavonoid, inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-6⁴: 82-88). Dandelion also contains more beta-carotene than the carrot (8.4 mg/100g versus 8.3 mg).

Dandelion is classified among favorite ingredients for hepatic formulas. Taraxacin powerfully stimulates bile secretion. Combined with carrot rich in fat-soluble beta-carotene, the synergy is remarkable: dandelion produces bile, carrot gives it something to dissolve.

Table of key micronutrients

Micronutrient	Main role
Taraxacin	Hepatobiliary stimulant (choleretic + cholagogue)
Potassium	Compensation for diuretic effect, hydric balance
Inulin	Prebiotic, nourishes bifidobacteria in the colon
Beta-carotene	Hepatocyte regeneration, mucosal protection
Organic iron	Oxygen transport, energy
Vitamin A	Integrity of biliary tract mucous membranes

Cold press extraction

Ingredients:

• 5 organic carrots
• 1/2 cucumber
• 3 celery branches
• 1 lemon peeled
• A few mint leaves

Harvest dandelion far from roads and treated areas. Young leaves (before flowering) are less bitter and richer in inulin, a natural prebiotic.

My recommended cold press

For this recipe, I use the Hurom H80-ST. Cold pressing preserves all the enzymes, vitamins and phytonutrients that the heat from a centrifuge would destroy.

Promo code: francoisbenavente20 for -20% on the entire Hurom site.

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Related articles

• Hepatic detoxification
• Toxemia: the underlying cause of disease

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• Questionnaire: Colloidal toxemia
• Questionnaire: Vitality and toxemia

Complementary recipes

• The Morning Detox
• The Ann Wigmore
• The Vitamin C Bomb
• The Essential
• The Hagiwara

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