Dandelion is an herb with many uses, so I’ll hit the highlights and then concentrate on why it was added to Eiro Pur.  Preliminary research suggests that dandelion might have anti-inflammatory effects.(1)  Several of the constituents of Dandelion effect inflammation by:  1.   suppressing prostaglandin E2 (similar to the way aspirin does) 2.   suppressing the COX-2 enzyme (just like several prescription drugs)(2)  3.  inhibiting production of the inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. (3)  It improves circulation, stimulates bile secretion, tones the skin, and aids in digestion, but the reason it is in Eiro Pur is its ability to increase a family of enzymes that help detoxify the body, specifically the liver and kidney.  Exactly how it does this would be a lesson in physiology and biochemistry, so let me try and put it into simple terms.

Dandelion increases a family of enzymes called UDP-glcuronosyltranferases (UDPGT’s).  UDPGT’s are a family of enzymes which detoxify many hundreds of compounds by conjugating them to glucuronic acid, renering them both harmless and more water soluble, hence excretable.(4)  This process is called Xenobiotic metabolism.  The detail people can learn more about Xenobiotic metabolism by clicking HERE, but basically what happens is that these enzymes keep breaking down a toxin until it becomes a water soluble conjugate and then can be excreted by the kidney. The Liver makes most of these enzymes and the Kidney removes the inactivated toxins from our body.  Pretty cool, huh, and Dandelion stimulates an increase in these detoxifying enzymes.  By removing these compounds from our bodies, our metabolism works more efficiently, which helps us maintain a more healthy weight.

References:

1.  Mascolo N, Autore G, Capassa G, et al. Biological screening of Italian medicinal plants for anti-inflammatory activity.  Phytother Res 1987:28-9.

2.  Hu C, Kitts DD.  Luteolin and luteolin-7-O-glucoside from Dandelion flower suppress iNOS and COX-2 in RAW264.7 cells.  Mol Cell Biochem 2004;265:107-13.

3.  Seo SW, Koo HN, An HJ, et al.  Taraxacum officinale protects against cholecystokinin-induced acute pancreatitis in rats.  World J Gastroenterol 2005;11:597-9.

4.  Tukey RH, Strassburg CP. Human UDP-glucuronosyltranferases: metabolism, expression, and disease.  Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2000;40:581-616.