Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale · Lion's Tooth · Taraxacum

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Mild digestive complaints¹ Temporary loss of appetite¹ Minor urinary complaints¹ Lactation support² Lactational mastitis³ Liver enzymes (combination products)^{4, 5}	Daisy-family allergy¹ Biliary obstruction or gallstones¹ Medically restricted fluid intake¹

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a daisy-family plant whose root, leaf, and flower are used traditionally for diuretic, bile-stimulating, and appetite-stimulating effects². The diuretic action may reflect its high potassium content². The European herbal monograph lists mild digestive complaints, temporary loss of appetite, and minor urinary complaints as traditional uses¹, and lactation support and diabetes are purported uses².

Human research is limited to about eight small trials, mostly of multi-ingredient products, in liver function, urinary infection, tonsillitis, and postoperative swelling. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) finds no compelling scientific evidence supporting dandelion for any health condition⁶, and the European monograph rests its indications exclusively on long-standing use¹. In a 2023 comparison in women with lactational mastitis, a dandelion-extract granule and cefdinir did not differ for fever or pain; only the granule raised breastmilk microbial diversity³. Products are sold as teas, capsules, and liquid extracts; see Form comparison².

The biliary caution follows from possible stimulation of bile secretion¹. Memorial Sloan Kettering's monograph asks patients taking water pills to talk with their healthcare provider because dandelion increases urination².

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

33 sources, 23 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources