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The Potential Health Benefits of Burdock Root

Posted by Daniel Powers on 07-21-2023

Burdock is a plant that’s typically seen as a weed - however, this lowly weed has some surprising health benefits.

Burdock root has been used as a natural herbal remedy in Europe, North America, and Asia for hundreds of years. This herb is said to help with blood circulation, improve skin health, and support overall health and wellness.

This herb is commonly consumed as a burdock tea. If you’re looking for high quality burdock root, click here to see our full lineup of burdock root products here at Starwest Botanicals.

In this article, we will look at the health benefits of burdock root, its safety, and how to add it to your diet.

Burdock Root Overview:

Burdock is a plant in the Asteraceae (i.e. daisy) family. It grows abundantly throughout the world, especially in Asia.

The scientific name for this herb is Arctium lappa L. This plant is called Niubang in Chinese, gobo in Japanese, and repejnik in Russia. Burdock has been cultivated throughout Asia as both a root vegetable and as a traditional herbal medicinal plant, it is still popular to this day.

The burdock plant has wide green leaves and a characteristic purple thistle “flower” that grows out of the top of the plant. It has a large tap root which can grow up to several feet long.

Burdock root is rich in a variety of different nutrients, including proteins, potassium, calcium, and folate. It’s also a rich source of various phytochemicals, including arctiin, luteolin, and quercetin rhamnosid.

From a folk medicine perspective, burdock leaves, seeds, and roots have traditionally been used in European and Asian traditional herbal medicine. However, the root is the primary medicinal part of the plant.

Potential Health Benefits of Burdock Root:

Burdock root is said to benefit the body in a variety of different ways. Below is a review of the top traditional and research-backed health benefits of burdock.

1. Chock Full of Antioxidants

Burdock root contains powerful antioxidants like quercetin, luteolin, and phenolic acids that are thought to be beneficial for the body,

Antioxidants are beneficial because they scavenge free radicals within the body cells and prevent or reduce the damage caused by oxidation. The protective effect of antioxidants continues to be studied around the world - they are thought to be important for anti-aging.

If you’re looking to add more antioxidants to your diet, then consider adding burdock root to your diet.

2. May Work As an Alterative

In traditional herbal medicine, burdock was seen as an alterative, that is, a herb that helps to restore the normal function of the body. This concept is popular in traditional herbal medicine - though this concept is difficult to explain via modern medicine.

In a modern sense, it’s thought that burdock contains phytochemicals that work to detoxify the blood. This may help to increase overall health and wellness.

3. Skin Health

Burdock root is also thought to be a beneficial herb for skin health.

One small clinical trial found that burdock may be able to help reduce acne.

It’s said that burdock can also help to reduce red patches of skin, however, this is anecdotal and hasn’t been proven via clinical research.

If you’re looking for a natural herb for supporting healthy skin, consider trying burdock!

4. Other Benefits:

One study found that burdock may help with knee health. A small clinical trial found that taking burdock daily helped to reduce pain scores. It’s thought that this is due to burdock’s ability to help balance inflammation within the body.

Another study looked at the benefits of burdock root tea. The researchers found that burdock helped to support healthy blood pressure levels and healthy cholesterol levels. The researchers weren’t sure about the mechanism of action.

While these various other health benefits of burdock root are interesting, human trials are needed to corroborate these findings.

How To Add Burdock Root To Your Daily Routine:

Adding burdock root to your diet is a good idea because it can support overall health and help with digestion. The easiest way to eat burdock root is by drinking it as tea. It tastes good and is good for your body.

At Starwest Botanicals, we have a variety of different forms of burdock root available for purchase, including:

Taking burdock root tea is a great way to help support your overall health.

You can drink burdock root tea anytime because it doesn't have caffeine. But be careful not to have it right before bed because it can make you pee more. You don't want to wake up multiple times throughout the night to go to the bathroom as this will disturb your sleep.

You can also wildharvest burdock if you see it growing nearby. However, remember to only harvest from a trustworthy source (stay away from anything growing near a roadside).

Is Burdock Root Safe?

According to the Botanical Safety Handbook, the leading resource on herb safety, burdock root is a generally well-tolerated herb for most individuals.

However, if you have allergies to plants in the Asteraceae (i.e. daisy) family of plants, be careful before consuming burdock.

Remember to always talk to your healthcare provider and follow their advice when it comes to adding a new herb to your routine. For the best results, make sure to buy from a reliable source that tests for purity.

In Closing

Burdock root is a generally well-tolerated herb with a wide variety of potential health benefits.

Research shows that burdock root may provide a variety of benefits, especially as a source of antioxidants. As an added bonus, burdock root is also rich in various beneficial plant chemicals.

Burdock root is worth considering if you are looking for natural support in any of these areas.

Here at Starwest, we offer a variety of burdock products and wholesale pricing. Whether you’re looking for dried burdock root or burdock root tea, we have you covered with our certified organic burdock root products.

Have you tried burdock before? What's your favorite way to add this beneficial herb to your diet?

Author Bio:

Daniel has a master's degree in herbal science from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. He's the founder of The Botanical Institute, where he writes about the health benefits of herbs.