Benefits of burdock root
Burdock root as an herbal remedy offers a variety of health benefits. This herb
has been known for its healing properties for many centuries and was
commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat numerous illnesses.
About Burdock Root
The burdock is a plant found in the continents of Europe and Asia. It is easy to
find and identify, as it generally grows along fences and roads. In Asia, the
taproot of young burdock plant is harvested and eaten as a root vegetable. It
has a gummy consistency and is sweet to the taste. It is rich in calcium,
chlorogenic acid, flavonoids, iron, inulin, lactone, mucilage, polyacetylenes,
potassium, resin, tannin, and taraxosterol.
Traditional Uses for Burdock Root
In folk medicine, the seeds of the burdock were compressed to make a mixture
that provided relief for measles, arthritis, tonsillitis, throat pain, and viruses like
the common cold. Burdock root can also be used to treat gout, rheumatism,
ulcers, acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Folk herbalists use it to treat snake bites
and those that are afflicted with rabies. They also used dried burdock as a
diuretic, diaphoretic, and a blood purifying agent. It purifies the blood by getting
rid of dangerous toxins.
Remedy for Scalp Problems
The burdock root oil extract, or Bur oil, is used in Europe as a scalp treatment
to help treat dandruff and prevent hair loss. Since the burdock oil is rich in
phytosterols and essential fatty acids, it is also said to improve hair strength,
shine, and body by helping maintain a healthy scalp and promote hair growth. It
combines an immediate relieving effect with nutritional support for normal
functions of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles.
Burn Treatment
The leaves of the burdock can be used for pain management and to help
speed up recovery time in burn patients. It is said to impede bacterial growth
and acts as a barrier against moisture.
Cancer Benefits
Today, burdock root is used in oncology for its cancer-curing properties,
particularly in Russia and India. Many herbalists say burdock root can stop
cancer cells from metastasizing. Preliminary research has demonstrated that
burdock root has certain protective properties that may explain its cancer
benefits.
‘Poor-Man's Potato’ or Burdock Root as a Natural “Blood Purifier”
If you happen to go through the field in the countryside in the cotton pants or
skirt you are sure to spend another half of an hour in taking prickly little balls
out of your clothes. These are prickly heads of a Burdock, and the fact they
are so easily catching on to your clothing is the perfect mechanism of seed
dispersal, you are sure to carry them to some distance. Or do you remember
how you throw at one another those heads in your childhood. Burdock is as old
as Earth. No wonder this plant has been used for different purposes for
centuries.
Biological Description
Official (botanical) name of the Burdock is Arctium lappa L. (Great burdock) or
Fructus Arctii.
Other names are: Arctium Radix, Arctium minus, Bardana, Beggar's Buttons,
Clotbur, Gobo, Personata, Thorny Burr and others.
How it does it look? The Plant has nice wavy green leaves that are pretty long,
about 45 cm when growing. The leaves are ovate and underneath they are
woolly. Plant has prickly heads of purple flowers – burrs – that are catching to
almost everything starting from your clothing to animals’ fur. Remember those
intestinal hairballs in your dog after running through burdocks...:)
Growing
Great burdock (Arctium lappa) is native to Europe and Asia, it also is
naturalized throughout North America. It is also widespread weed in New
Zealand and England (though rarely in Scotland). World famous and valued by
herbalists worldwide burdock has plenty of medicinal treasures. The plant is
mainly cultivated for its sweet-tasting root, though other parts are also used for
medical and other purposes. The plant does not need special conditions for
growing; its favorite places are on waste ground and about old buildings, by
roadsides and in fairly damp places.
Parts Used
As Burdock has many medicinal qualities all its parts are used in many herbal
remedies: the leaves (mainly for tea), the burrs, the seed, the stem and the
root.
The seeds (or flower-heads) are collected when ripe – this is during the latter
part of the summer or in autumn. They are shaken out of the head and dried
by spreading them out on paper in the sun. The leaves should be harvested
before or during early flowering. The roots should be unearthed in September
or October of the first year, or as alternative in the following spring when the
flowers appear. The root is sweet to the taste and has a gummy consistency.
- in herbal tea (2 - 6 grams for a cup three to five times per day);
- in oil (for your hair - regularly, after washing);
- in the form of fresh or dried root (the second one - steep 2 - 6 grams in
boiling water for 10 - 15 minutes and then strain and drink three times a day);
- in tincture (2 - 8 mL three times per day);
- in fluid extract ((1:1): 2 - 8 mL three times a day);
- in decoctions (liquid made by boiling down the herb in water).
Action
Such a wide rang of useful properties are explained by the amount of treasures
in Burdock root. Burdock root contains high amounts of inulin (27-45% ) and
mucilage (up to 75% of the root is carbohydrate in the form of fructo-oligo-
saccharides (FOS) including inulin), essential oil with 66 identified components
(0.06-0.18%), vitamins (B1, B6, B12, and E), polyphenols including caffeic acid
(1.9-3.65%), antibacterial polyacetylenes, sitosterol and stigmasterol, different
powerful flavonoid-type antioxidants, trace minerals (phosphorous, sodium,
chromium, cobalt, iron, potassium, magnesium, silicon, zinc), etc.
Health Benefits
High amounts of inulin and mucilage of the root give splendid soothing effects
on the gastro-intestinal tract. And inulin itself provides a helpful sugar for
diabetics and hypoglycemics because it does not elicit fast insulin production; it
also has the ability to slightly lower blood sugar.
Useful effect in improving digestive functions is also very popular with Burdock
root due to its bitter properties.
Vitamins and minerals are irreplaceable in treating and preventing acne.
Some chemicals of the root promote the loss of water from the body, that can
be a useful in treating fever and swelling, as it increases the production of both
urine and sweat. No wonder it has long considered by Chinese and European
herbalists to have a "lightly warming, moistening effect". It is one of the best
natural “blood purifier” in the herbal system. It is classified as an alterative,
diuretic and diaphoretic. As a diuretic it clears the bloodstream of toxins (due to
the above mentioned mechanism). More over, it purifies the blood without side
effects. The detoxification of the body has its consequences in all the useful
effects of the burdock. That is why it is so difficult to separate the benefits into
plain list. It all goes like everything comes due to the ability to flush impurities
from the body.
In a few studies on animals the root appeared to prevent liver damage that was
caused by alcohol, medications or chemicals. It may be explained by the
antioxidants in the burdock that protect body cells from damage caused by
oxidation (but the exact mechanism of action is not yet known). Polyacetylenes
are the traditionally known anti-microbial firs aid. Polyacetylenes inhibit the
growth of bacteria and fungi and this prevents the infection penetration,
especially useful in skin. Also it prevents colds, flu and cystitis. Its antibacterial
and antifungal effects are helpful remedies in athlete's foot, dandruff, diaper
rash, acne eczema, and others.
Burdock besides other benefits can in some way increase circulation to the
skin, helping to detoxify the epidermal tissues. It is good in treating different
skin conditions including psoriasis and acne.
Burdock root oil extract, also called Bur oil, when regularly used helps restore
and maintain healthy scalp and hair. It also helps to improve scalp conditions
and relieve scalp irritation.