Health Benefits
Most of the time, when we go for a walk in nature, we return with small burrs attached to our pants, shoes or socks. Those sticky little seeds are actually Burdock, and were the inspiration for the invention of Velcro!
Apart from teaching us how to effectively attach things together, Burdock is a natural treasure house for health and purifying of the blood, liver, spleen, lymph, kidneys and so much more! Enjoy the long list of benefits of this common, yet potent little plant!
Digestive health
Blood Purifier
Regulates Blood Pressure
Lymphatic System Strengthener
Natural Diuretic
Controls Diabetes
Detoxifies the Liver
Anti – Cancer effects
Helps Treat an Enlarged Spleen
Fight Tonsillitis
Skin Care
Promotes Hormone Balance
Boosts Immunity
Digestive health
The most well-known use of burdock root is as a digestive aid for many reasons. The high concentration of fiber in it helps stimulate the digestive system and moves food smoothly through the bowels, thereby relieving constipation and preventing bloating, cramping, and ulcers. Inulin, a particular type of fiber found in burdock root, is able to reduce inflammation in the gut and eliminate many types of harmful bacteria that can cause diarrhea and gastrointestinal problems and pain.
Blood Purifier
In traditional herbal texts, burdock root is described as a “blood purifier” or “alterative” and was believed to clear the bloodstream of toxins. Burdock root has active ingredients that have been found to detoxify heavy metals from the blood, improving organ health and the health of the whole body. It also promotes blood circulation to the skin surface, which improves skin health.
Regulates Blood Pressure
One of the aspects of burdock root extract that doesn’t get enough attention is its impressive ability to lower blood pressure. The plant’s high concentration of potassium helps relieve tension within the cardiovascular system by relaxing the blood vessels and arteries, thereby helping to prevent atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke.
Lymphatic System Strengthener
Essentially, the lymphatic system is the the body’s inner “drainage system,” a network of blood vessels and lymph nodes that carry fluids from tissues around the body into the blood and vice versa. If you can make your lymphatic system stronger, then you can help your body ward off all kinds of disease and serious health issues. Burdock root helps induce lymphatic drainage and detoxification. As a natural blood cleanser, it has a wonderful effect on the lymphatic system.
Natural Diuretic
Diuretics stimulate the kidneys and help the body get rid of excess fluid, mainly water and sodium. Burdock root is a natural diuretic so through burdock consumption, you can naturally and easily help your body to eliminate excess water by increasing urine output. This is also beneficial for arthritis and other joint related problems and inflammation.
Controls Diabetes
Burdock root contains inulin, a soluble and prebiotic fiber that helps improve digestion and lower blood sugar, making it an excellent choice for people trying to naturally manage their blood sugar.
Detoxifies the Liver
The chemicals that give burdock its bitter taste, also stimulate bile production and digestive juices in the gut, which helps the liver to rapidly process toxins and flush them from the system. Clearing toxins from the blood is one of the main purposes of the liver, and burdock’s organic compounds and components have been directly linked to improving this function.
Liver health is very important for balanced functioning of our body, as it processes and eliminates all of the toxins that we accumulate in our everyday lives. If it gets clogged, the toxins soon start to build up in all of our organs, making the perfect environment for the development of illnesses. Burdock is the perfect helper to keep your liver happy and healthy.
Anti – Cancer effects
European physicians of the Middle Ages and later used burdock to treat cancerous tumors (as well as skin conditions, venereal disease, and bladder and kidney problems). Many herbalists today say burdock root can stop cancer cells from metastasizing, making it a potential natural addition to cancer treatment. In fact, animal studies of mammary, colon and pancreatic cancer have shown promise for burdock’s ability to fight against cancer.
One big reason burdock shows promise for naturally fighting cancer is the fact that it contains arctigenin. Arctigenin is a lignan found in certain plants of the Asteraceae family, including greater burdock (Arctium lappa), which has been shown to combat cancer cells by selectively stopping the proliferation of cancer cells and by inhibiting the cancer cells’ production of particular proteins (NPAT proteins), hence crippling cancer’s ability to reproduce.
Arctigenin is a cancer-specific phytochemical that kills human lung cancer cells, human liver cancer cells and human stomach cancer cells. Studies like this are proving what many have believed for years — that burdock root is a seriously effective natural cancer fighter!
Helps Treat an Enlarged Spleen
If you suffer from an enlarged spleen, burdock root can help. The spleen is a vital “guardian” organ that we rely on to keep the body free from infections, viruses and all kinds of dangerous pathogens. An enlarged spleen is a clear warning sign that the immune system is fighting hard to remove threats from the body but failing to do so because it can’t keep up with high demand.
Your spleen is in constant contact with your blood so as burdock root cleanses your blood, it also cleanses and protects the spleen. It can help the spleen because it improves blood quality as well as liver health, circulation and fights inflammation. Improving those four factors has a direct positive effect on spleen health so you definitely want to include burdock in your spleen-healing lineup.
Fight Tonsillitis
Burdock root can help get rid of painful tonsillitis. Acute tonsillitis is a type of inflammatory virus that causes tissues within the tonsils to become infected with harmful bacteria. Burdock root is helpful to tonsillitis because it increases wound healing, decreases inflammation, and helps to relieve coughs, sore throats and pain.
Skin Care
One of the most common side effects of constipation, high toxicity in the blood, or poor dietary habits is skin inflammation, manifesting as spots, pimples, acne, rashes or discoloration. Many herbalists recommend burdock root supplements and herbs for the treatment of skin conditions, as this powerful herb can solve the underlying problems in a fast and efficient way, leading to clearer, healthier skin.
Promotes Hormone Balance
Having a hormone disorder can be destructive and difficult. To avoid that, you should add foods and herbs to your diet that can regulate hormonal activities in the body. Burdock root extract is able to help the liver metabolize certain hormones, like estrogen, which can rebalance the body’s hormone levels. Excess estrogen is the cause of various dangerous or even deadly hormonal disorders, so adding some burdock root to your weekly diet is never a bad idea!
Boosts Immunity
Burdock has significant levels of vitamin C and vitamin E, both of which act as antioxidants in the body to eliminate free radicals, which means that burdock root is a major booster of our immune system. These antioxidants have been linked to preventing infections, lowering one’s risk of cancer, supporting proper cell growth, and repairing the body’s cells and tissues.
