Know2eat

Dandelion greens

Taraxacum officinale

What dandelion greens has been studied for

2 associations assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 2 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About dandelion greens

The young leaves of the common dandelion, eaten raw when small and cooked once they toughen and sharpen with age. Cultivated varieties sold for salad are milder than foraged wild plants.

Also known as Dandelion leaves, Pissenlit, Cicoria di campo

Kidney & Urinary HealthLiver Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Kidney and urinary function

Kidney & Urinary Health
Insufficient evidence

The French name for dandelion translates as bed-wetter, and the plant has a long folk reputation as a diuretic. One very small uncontrolled study of a leaf extract measured urine output; that is the entire human evidence base, and it says nothing about kidney function.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Liver markers

Liver Health
Insufficient evidence

Dandelion is the archetypal liver-cleansing herb in the supplement aisle, and none of that rests on human research. There are no controlled trials measuring liver enzymes or hepatic fat in people eating dandelion greens, and the liver does not require dietary assistance to do its work.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Dandelion greens

Ask about Dandelion greens

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories45 kcal2%
Protein2.7 g5%
Total fat0.7 g1%
Carbohydrate9.2 g3%
Fibre3.5 g13%
Total sugars0.71 g—
Water85.6 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.17 g1%
Monounsaturated fat0.014 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.306 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.261 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A508 µg56%
Vitamin C35 mg39%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E3.44 mg23%
Vitamin K778 µg649%
Thiamin (B1)0.19 mg16%
Riboflavin (B2)0.26 mg20%
Niacin (B3)0.806 mg5%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.084 mg2%
Vitamin B60.251 mg15%
Folate27 µg7%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline35.3 mg6%
Minerals
Calcium187 mg14%
Iron3.1 mg17%
Magnesium36 mg9%
Phosphorus66 mg5%
Potassium397 mg8%
Sodium76 mg3%
Zinc0.41 mg4%
Copper0.171 mg19%
Manganese0.342 mg15%
Selenium0.5 µg1%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene5854 µg—
Alpha-carotene363 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin13610 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash1.8 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Dandelion greens, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169226).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • boiledReduces bitterness and water-soluble vitamins

    Blanching and discarding the water is the traditional way to tame mature leaves. It removes much of the bitterness along with a share of the folate and vitamin C.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Foraging site matters

    Dandelions growing on verges, in parks and on lawns accumulate whatever has been sprayed or deposited on them, including herbicides, roadside metals and dog urine. Wild-picked leaves are worth sourcing carefully rather than opportunistically.

  • Interaction

    Vitamin K and warfarin

    Dandelion leaf is high in vitamin K. As with other dark greens, the issue for anyone on warfarin is a sudden change in how much is eaten rather than the food itself.

  • Allergy

    Ragweed and mugwort cross-reactivity

    Dandelion is in the daisy family and cross-reacts with ragweed and mugwort pollen. Oral itching after eating the raw leaf is reported in people with those sensitisations.