This is one of my favourite herbs. This amazing plant has been appreciated for thousands of years for its ability to detoxify the blood, cleanse the lymphatic system and nourish the skin…but also if you take the root and boil it, you will be energized.
Burdock (Arcitum Lappa) has been used throughout the world for its blood-purifying, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Native to Asia and Europe, Burdock now grows throughout most of the US (where it’s mainly considered a weed).
This crunchy root is a member of the Asteraceae family (which also includes thistles). Burdock Root is also called :
. Beggar’s Button
. Butterbur
. Edible Burdock
. Gobo (its Japanese name)
. Greater Burdock
. Happy Major
. Lappa
. Niubang (its Chinese name)
. Thorny Burr
. U-eong (its Korean name)
You’ll find Burdock growing in abandoned fields, by roadsides and in moist, nitrogen rich soil throughout the countryside. When dried, Burdock Root’s outer skin becomes thin and crispy, while the inside texture remains tender yet crunchy.
Burdock Root is brownish green and sometimes almost black in colour. It has a fairly strong, earthly and sweet flavour. It’s often used in soups, stews, stir fries and other veggie dishes, especially in Chinese, Japanese and Korean cuisine.
Burdock Root Properties
The main reasons Burdock Root has been so popular for thousands of years across Europe and Asia:
- Antioxidant – Burdock Root neutralizes free-radicals with luteolin, quercetin and phenolic acids, which reduce inflammation and protect your body from oxidative stress.
- Blood Purifier – Herbalists have been using Burdock Root to purify the blood for hundreds of years, it increases blood and lymph circulation helping to remove toxic heavy metals.
- Diaphoretic – (increases sweating) Burdock Root helps your body remove both water-soluble and fat-soluble toxins via perspiration through the skin and sebaceous glands (sweating can remove a lot of toxins).
- Digestive Health – provides your body with non-digestible fibre (inulin) which is a prebiotic – food for good bacteria. Inulin mops up toxins from the gut and encourages gut lubrication, helping you eliminate excess waste while protecting the lining of the gut.
- Diuretic – stimulates the kidneys; helping them process urine and remove waste from the body, preventing fluid retention and balancing blood pressure.
- Liver Health – supports the liver and gallbladder to break down and process fats, it also nourishes a sluggish liver back to vitality (reversing liver damage).
- Lymphatic System – has the sought after property of stimulating the body’s internal cleansing, encouraging a physical deep clean that detoxifies and drains out waste.
- Nutrition – contains slow-release carbohydrates, fibre, plant sterols, tannins and fatty oils, and is high in magnesium and potassium, phosphorus, chromium cobalt, iron, silicon, zinc and sodium.
- Oxygenation – naturally rich in bioavailable iron fluorine; Burdock roots go deep into the earth to gather the magnetic metal crucial for our own blood and breath.
- Scalp Health – Burdock root oil extract is used in Europe to treat the scalp and expunge localized toxins which cause irritation, flaky skin and hair loss.
- Skin Health – is revered in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and other traditional healing systems to support skin health. Phytochemicals called ‘polyacetylenes reduce the bacteria that cause acne, lignans promote youthful elastic skin.
Burdock Root has also been used to treat:
- Arthritis
- Bladder stones
- Colds
- Constipation
- Fever
- Flu
- Fluid retention
- Gout
- Infections
- Intestinal disorders
- Kidney stones
- Rheumatism
- Syphilis
Burdock is a galactagogue (it increases the flow of breastmilk) and eating the root is grounding (neutralizing positive ions) because the roots travel deep into the earth.
It is impossible for you to get sick if your iron level is up to par
Preparing Burdock Root
- Take the Roots and wash all the dirt off with cold water.
- Peel the outer skin off (this is optional, when the skin is left on Burdock Root tastes sweeter.)
- Cut into chunks and preserve them in water to keep them fresh.
- You can add your Burdock root to soups, like stews, and any vegetables dish of your liking.
- You can also add boiling water to steep it and then drink it as an energizing tea.
This electrical plant is still an underrated herb that deserves a lot more attention.
I hope that you have enjoyed this read.
Have a wonderful Christmas! stay safe and eat well.
See you in 2 weeks.
