Dandelion is used as a food, mainly in salads and soups. The roasted root and its extract have been used as a coffee substitute. It can be added to foodstuffs in small quantities, with a possible limitation of an active principle.
Dandelion is a well-known traditional herbal remedy, and is stated to possess diuretic, laxative, cholagogue and antirheumatic properties. It has been used for cholecystitis, gallstones, jaundice, atonic dyspepsia with constipation, muscularrheumatism, oliguria, and specifically for cholecystitis and dyspepsia. The German Commission approved use of root and herb for disturbance of bile flow, stimulation of diuresis, loss of appetite and dyspepsia.
