Nature’s made sure to give us everything we need to reach our optimal health. Even in today’s world where we are in constant contact with chemical and environmental toxins, many herbs and foods can support our body to detox naturally. No need to buy costly supplements or exotic fruit juices to detox. In fact, among the best detox herbs probably already grows in your own backyard.
Best edible weeds to detox
Burdock
Burdock is your skin’s best friend. It cleanses, purifies and flushes out toxins through skin, which is especially good acne-prone or oily skin, or any other skin health condition. Like many other edible weeds, burdock increases bile flow, easing digestion and supporting your liver. This wild weed is also excellent to manage blood sugar levels, and thus helping to manage diabetes. Young burdock leaves, stems or roots can be eaten raw, cooked or as a tea, in early spring, before the plant develops its strong bitterness. You can still benefits from the burdock skin benefits later in season by using fresh leaves quickly boiled in water and applied on skin as a poultice.
Dandelion
Dandelion is among the best wild plants for your liver. It helps bile ducts to secrete gastric juices to help with digestion and invigorating the liver. Because of its diuretic activity, dandelion is also a wonderful way to detox the kidneys. As with other edible weeds, it’s best to pick only the new leaves of the young plants as they can become bitter once the plant has flowered. Add young dandelion leaves to your spring salads or use them in a green smoothie.
Golden rod
This plant is very good at flushing the liver, but it also plays a role in the kidney flush as well. Golden rod is excellent to tone renal system, cleanse the urinary tract and prevent gallstones. Golden rod is best brewed in a light tea. Pick some fully bloomed flowers and brew a light tea that you can sweeten with a little raw honey or your favorite natural sweetener to enhance the taste.
Chicory
This plant, well-known for its choleretic and cholagogue properties (that increase the bile production and elimination), also supports the kidneys and intestinal detoxification. Rich in fiber, it gently cleanses the colon while improving digestion. Add young tender leaves to your salads, throw some in your green smoothies or use the root, dried, roasted and pulverized to make a delicious coffee substitution that supports detoxification.
Do you know edible weeds? What wild plant have you tried?