Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg. · herb
Evidence tier: traditional
Supports liver detoxification and gentle digestive stimulation
Bitter principles (sesquiterpene lactones such as taraxinic acid glucopyranoside) and taraxasterol are thought to stimulate bile secretion and gastric activity, which is the classical bitter cholagogue explanation for the appetite and digestion indications. Inulin is a fermentable fibre. A mild diuretic effect has been measured in rats. All of it is animal and laboratory work. EMA accepts the pharmacology only as 'not considered contradictory to the traditional uses', which is a long way from a demonstrated mechanism in people.
Traditional use only, and the regulator's own words are unusually blunt. The EMA HMPC assessment report on Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg., radix (EMA/HMPC/475725/2020) fills every clinical heading with the same three words. Section 4.2 Clinical efficacy: 'No data available.' Section 4.2.1 Dose response studies: 'No data available.' Section 4.2.2 Clinical studies (case studies and clinical trials): 'No data available.' Section 4.3, special populations: 'No data available.' Section 5.1, toxicological and safety data from clinical trials in humans: 'No data available.' The committee's conclusion follows: 'The well established use cannot be supported, because no clinical studies were found,' and 'None of the data fulfils the requirements to demonstrate a well established medicinal use with recognised efficacy, thus the monograph is restricted to traditional use. The efficacy is plausible on the basis of long standing use and experience.' There is no human trial of dandelion root for anything. What EMA does register, purely on 30 years of use, is narrow and modest: relief of symptoms of mild digestive disorders (feeling of abdominal fullness, flatulence, slow digestion), temporary loss of appetite, and increasing the amount of urine to flush the urinary tract as an adjuvant in minor urinary complaints. The pharmacology that exists is animal and in vitro (bile flow, a weak diuretic index in rats), and the assessment report's own assessor notes that a rat dose 'is not applicable to the set single dose in an adult human'. Safety, honestly: EMA does not support a European Union list entry because genotoxicity data are missing, use in pregnancy and lactation is not recommended, and it is not for under 12s. Allergic contact dermatitis and anaphylaxis are documented via sesquiterpene lactones. One case report describes oxalate nephropathy and digital ischaemia from excessive dandelion tea in a person with impaired renal function.
EMA traditional use, comminuted herbal substance as a decoction: single dose 1 to 5 g in 150 ml water, 2 to 3 times daily. Not for children under 12 years. Not recommended in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Root: before meals for digestive support. Leaf: morning for mild diuretic effect.
Onset: ~14 days
Considered safe at food and tea doses. Mild diuretic effect; caution with diuretic medications. Avoid in bile duct obstruction or gallstones without medical supervision. Rare allergy risk (Asteraceae family).
Pregnancy: avoid
Breastfeeding: avoid
One of the most widely used plants in traditional Western herbal medicine, used for liver support, digestive bitters, and as a general spring tonic since at least the 10th century in Europe and Asia. The entire plant, root, leaf, and flower, has distinct traditional medicinal applications. Used across European, Chinese, and Native American traditions.
Active compounds: sesquiterpene lactones (taraxinic acid glucopyranoside), taraxasterol, inulin
Remedies using Dandelion Root · Browse by body system · Check it against what you take
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.