Burdock – Arctium lappa

Burdock is a handsome biennial plant with large rhubarb-like leaves, found growing wild in waste places and on roadsides. It is an important detoxifying remedy, with a long history of use as a ‘blood cleanser’, drawing toxins from the tissues to the gut and hastening their elimination via the bowels. Its further action on the kidneys aids elimination of toxins and wastes via the urinary tract. It is highly recommended for inflammatory skin and urinary problems, fevers, tonsillitis, skin problems, arthritis and gout. The root is sweet and it has tonic properties.

Burdock is highly nutritious, rich in protein and minerals including zinc, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. It is grown in Japan and has been enjoyed there for thousands of years as a vegetable; it is also collected from the wild to eat by Native American Indians. The root makes a nutritious vegetable and the peeled stalks can be cooked or candied like Angelica.

Today burdock is used particularly for treating skin problems and chronic inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis and gout. It is an effective antibacterial and antifungal herb, excellent for a range of infections. The root is generally the part favoured in Western medicine, while in Asian medicine the seeds are also used.

Burdock’s name derives from a combination of burr, as it has tenacious seeds or burrs that stick to everything that brushes against them and dock, the old English word for plant. In the past young girls would throw the burrs at the object of their affections and if they stuck, it would prove true love. Apparently the Swiss inventor George de Mestral, having observed the stickiness of the burrs, used the technique of ‘biomimicry’ and invented Velcro. 

Since mediaeval times, the whole plant has been respected for its cleansing and antiseptic properties. Apparently Henry VIII was cured of his syphilis with it and it was also used for leprosy. Culpeper recommended it for bites of snakes and mad dogs and recommended placing burdock on the head for uterine prolapse. The mediaeval German herbalist Hildegard of Bingen used burdock to treat cancerous tumours and much later, during the 1930s to 1950s, burdock was an ingredient in a renowned cancer treatment made famous by Harry Hoxsey. According to the doctrine of signatures the hairiness of burdock infers that it stimulates hair growth. Burdock was used in ceremonial rites by the Plains Indians of the United States.

According to Matthew Wood, its brown fur-like burrs meant that it could be classified in Native American Indian medicine as ‘bear medicine’; its Latin name Articum comes from the Greek arctos which means bear. Native American bear medicines generally stimulate the gallbladder, liver, thyroid and adrenal-cortical function, enhancing digestion and metabolism of fats and proteins. A bear’s metabolism depends on these organs for its ability to store fats and proteins while hibernating and then utilises them when active again in the warmer months.

The roots, leaves and seeds of burdock are all bitter, regulating digestion and the function of the liver and pancreas. With its high content of a slow-release carbohydrate called inulin, burdock has a hypoglycaemic action and so may be helpful in the treatment of diabetes. 

It is used to treat symptoms associated with gut toxicity including wind, distension, and indigestion, and works as a mild laxative. It is an effective remedy for bacterial and fungal infections and to help re-establish the normal bacterial population in the gut. The fructo-oligosaccharides (inulin) found in burdock root have a probiotic effect which helps re-establish the intestinal flora following antibiotic use; in fact burdock has both antibacterial and anti-Candida activity. Its mucilaginous fibres absorb toxins from the gut and carry them through the bowel to be eliminated.

By pushing toxins from the tissues into the bloodstream, and then to the gut for elimination, burdock makes an effective detoxifying remedy and so is perfect for the warmer days of spring. Burdock is best taken with a mild laxative to ensure elimination of toxins, otherwise it may cause temporary aggravation of symptoms until toxins are cleared. Burdock has mild diuretic properties, aiding the elimination of toxins via the urine. It can be used for cystitis, water retention, stones and gravel.

You can harvest the young leaf stems in spring, peel off the hard outer peel and chop into 1-2” lengths. Add blanched (to reduce their bitterness) to salads or cook as a vegetable and serve with butter like asparagus or add to soups, stews and casseroles. The roots can be scrubbed and then chopped finely or grated and added to stir-fries or fried separately as a vegetable. They can also be par-boiled and then roasted like parsnips. The taste is mild, quite earthy and sweet; some say burdock tastes a little like potato. Enjoy!

To make a decoction, boil 1 teaspoon of root in 3 cups of water for 30 minutes. Cool. Drink up to 3 cups a day. It has a sweet taste, a bit similar to celery root.