We are used to give flowers as a gift, or to grow them to beautify our garden or balcony. But the flowers are not only beautiful to look at, some can be added to recipes making them even healthier thanks to their anti-aging properties. Let's understand the action of two very common flowers, chamomile and dandelion. However, remember that it is important not to collect flowers on the sides of the roads or in the fields to avoid ingesting pollutants or pesticides. Edible flowers can be either bought ready to eat at the supermarket or collected from your own garden. In this way, you can also be sure of the type of the flower in front of you, in fact, some can be confused. At the beginning, especially if you suffer from allergies, do not overdo the use of flowers in your recipes. Start with small quantities and then, in case, increase a little.
Dandelion
The flowers of the dandelion, taraxacum officinale, have dense petals of a beautiful intense yellow color. We are used to add its leaves with important purifying properties to salads, but flowers should not be forgotten either. The dandelion flowers, in fact, bring more antioxidants than the rest of the plant. These antioxidant substances, including ascorbic acid and flavonoids, have shown useful properties against diabetes and tumors. Not only that, dandelion flowers, thanks to their content in caffeic acid, support the immune system (Wirngo et al, Rev Diabet Stud, 2016).
Chamomile
The common chamomile, scientific name matricaria chamomilla, with its clear and fragrant flowers, is one of the most popular ingredients to prepare calming herbal teas, useful in case of insomnia or abdominal pain. But chamomile flowers are also edible and can be added to salads, soups or even fish dishes, such as seafood salads, to give a special sweet aroma. In addition to the aroma and taste, chamomile flowers also add valuable antioxidants to the dishes to which they are added. In fact, they are characterized by a powerful content in polyphenols and carotenoids. Thanks to these characteristics, chamomile shows anti-aging properties, useful to combat aging processes, and an anti hyperglycemic and anti diabetes action, therefore capable of keeping blood sugar peaks under control (Nowicka et al, Antioxidants, 2019).
