Burdock
Quick Facts
- What it is: Burdock is the root of Arctium lappa, eaten as a vegetable in East Asia and used in American folk herbalism for skin complaints.
- Main uses: Long-running skin complaints such as eczema and boils, Acne, Knee osteoarthritis pain, Fibre for gut bacteria
- Active ingredients: Inulin, Arctiin, Arctigenin, Chlorogenic acid and other caffeoylquinic acids, Polyacetylenes, Sesquiterpene lactones
- Forms: Fresh root as food, Dried cut root for tea, Teabags, Powder and capsules, Tincture, Burdock oil for the scalp
- Time to effect: Weeks, if anything at all
- Side effects: Usually mild gas or rash; the real risk is contaminated root.
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What is Burdock?
Burdock is the root of Arctium lappa, a tall weed with hooked burrs. The root is eaten as a vegetable in Japan and Korea, where it is called gobo. American folk and Eclectic herbalists used the dried root as a "blood purifier" for skin trouble.
The honest verdict first: human evidence for burdock as a medicine is thin. Most claims rest on tradition, test-tube work and animal studies. A few tiny human trials exist, and they settle very little.
Long use in a tradition is not proof that a remedy works. It is also not proof that it is safe. That caution applies to everything on this page, so it is said once here.
The root is the part used in Western herbalism. The seed is a separate product with its own uses. The leaf has been used on the skin.
How does Burdock work?
No one has shown how burdock acts in the human body. The ideas below come from lab dishes and animals, not from people.
Burdock root is rich in inulin, a soft fibre. Gut bacteria feed on fibre of this kind. Whether burdock root shifts the gut in a useful way has not been tested properly in people.
In test tubes, burdock extracts mop up free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage cells. In animals, the lignan arctigenin lowers markers of swelling. These findings do not tell you what a cup of tea will do.
In lab tests, burdock extracts slow the growth of some bacteria. Whether that happens on human skin or in the gut is not established.
Folk healers called burdock an alterative. That old word meant something thought to clean the blood over time. The body does not work that way, and no "blood cleansing" effect has been shown.
What forms does Burdock come in?
Burdock is sold both as a food and as a supplement.
Fresh root turns up in Asian groceries as gobo. It is scrubbed, sliced and cooked like a vegetable.
Dried cut root is sold loose for tea. Teabags and ground root powder are common too.
Tinctures are alcohol extracts of the root. Capsules usually hold dried powdered root.
Seed products are a different thing. They are sold under the Chinese name niu bang zi, mainly for sore throat in that tradition.
Burdock also appears in blended "cleansing" teas, such as Essiac. In a blend you cannot tell how much burdock you are getting.
Burdock oil is root extract soaked into a carrier oil for scalp use. It is not an essential oil.
Where it comes from:
Burdock has a long record in more than one tradition. Eclectic physicians in 1800s America listed it as an alterative for so-called bad blood.
They gave root decoctions for eczema, boils, psoriasis and rheumatism. Leaf poultices were laid on sores, burns and swollen joints.
European herbals from the 1600s named burdock for gout, fever and skin disease. Culpeper and others wrote it up in those terms.
In Japan and Korea the root has been a garden vegetable for centuries. Chinese medicine used the seed rather than the root, for fever and sore throat.
These uses were written down by the healers of the day. They were not tested in trials, and the writers did not track harm in any formal way.
Who should avoid Burdock?
- Do not dig and use wild burdock root yourself. Its root looks like the root of deadly nightshade (belladonna), and contaminated burdock tea has caused poisoning.
- Do not use if you are pregnant. Traditional sources and animal work suggest it may stir up the womb.
- Avoid while breastfeeding, because there is no safety information.
- Do not use if you are allergic to ragweed, daisies, chrysanthemums or marigolds. Burdock is in the same plant family.
- Do not take burdock with warfarin or any other blood thinner unless your doctor has agreed to it.
- Do not take burdock with lithium.
- Do not use it alongside diabetes medicine without telling your doctor, as your blood sugar may drop too low.
- Avoid it if you are dehydrated or already take a water pill (diuretic), unless your doctor says otherwise.
- Stop at least two weeks before any planned surgery, and tell your surgeon you have used it.
- Do not give burdock to children as a medicine.
- Do not use burdock instead of treatment your doctor has prescribed for a skin condition, arthritis or diabetes.
When should you see a doctor?
Stop burdock and get urgent medical help if you have a dry mouth, blurred vision, a racing heart, flushed skin or confusion. These can mean the root was contaminated with belladonna.
Call emergency services if your lips, tongue or throat swell, or you struggle to breathe. That is a severe allergic reaction.
Stop and see a doctor if you get a spreading rash, hives, or symptoms of low blood sugar such as shaking and sweating.
See a doctor rather than waiting if a skin problem is weeping, painful or comes with fever. Book a check if joint pain or thirst keeps getting worse.
Is Burdock legal where you live?
In the United States burdock root is both a food and a dietary supplement. The FDA has not approved it to treat any disease.
In the UK and EU it is sold as a food and as a food supplement. No burdock product holds a traditional herbal registration for a medical claim.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
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