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Botanical

Dandelion

Dandelion is a plant of the daisy family native to Europe. Its flowers, leaves and root have long been used in traditional medicine.

Also listed as Taraxacum officinale, Dandelion Extract, Pisselent, Piss-in-bed

Organ FunctionEssential HealthCardiovascularGut HealthImmune Support

Which forms of dandelion are there?

Root and leaf are used differently. In the EU, the root is registered as a traditional remedy for digestive complaints, loss of appetite and urine flow, the leaf only for urine flow. 1 2

Root tea (decoction)

The EU root monograph lists 1 to 5 g dried root boiled in 150 mL water, 2 to 3 times daily, for adolescents and adults. 1

Leaf tea (infusion)

The EU leaf monograph lists 4 to 10 g dried leaf as an infusion, 3 times daily. 2

Tinctures and liquid extracts

The monographs describe root tincture (1:5 in 45% ethanol, 5 to 10 mL three times daily), root liquid extract (1:1 in 30% ethanol, 2 to 8 mL) and leaf liquid extract (1:1 in 25% ethanol, 4 to 10 mL). These contain alcohol. 1 2

Fresh juice

Pressed juice from fresh root or fresh leaves is also described as a traditional preparation. 1 2

Capsules and powders

Sold as dietary supplements and often combined with other herbs in liver or detox products. Such supplements are not necessarily identical in type or amount to the traditional medicinal preparations. 3 4

Herbal medicine or food supplement?

In the EU, a dandelion product can be a registered traditional herbal medicinal product, which must follow the monograph on preparation, dose, warnings and duration. If symptoms last longer than two weeks, the monographs advise seeing a doctor. 1 2

Dandelion in food supplements is sold under food law. There are no authorised health claims for dandelion, which is why liver products often add choline, a nutrient that does have an approved claim for normal liver function. 4

In the US, herbal supplements are not approved by the FDA before they are sold, and manufacturers are responsible for their safety and labeling. 5

What to look for on the label

Check which plant part is used (root, leaf or whole plant), whether the product is a dry herb or an extract, the extraction solvent and ratio, and whether it contains other herbs. The EU monographs define preparations this way, and their doses apply only to those preparations. 1 2

Combination products make it impossible to tell which ingredient does what, and German consumer advice warns that concentrated or impure plant substances can interact with medicines. 4 6

Sources

  1. European Union herbal monograph on Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg., radix (EMA/HMPC/475726/2020) European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), 2021
  2. Community herbal monograph on Taraxacum officinale Weber ex Wigg., folium (EMA/HMPC/579636/2008) European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), 2009
  3. Dandelion (About Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products) Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 2023
  4. Detox: überflüssig oder doch gesünder durch Entgiftung? Verbraucherzentrale (Klartext Nahrungsergänzung), 2026
  5. Dandelion NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 2024