Burdock

Generality

Botanical outline

Burdock (botanical name Arctium lappa ) is a plant belonging to the family of Composite Tubulifera / Asteraceae (the same as sunflower).

Also known as " large burdock " ( Arctium majius ) or "bardana maggiore" ( Lappa major ) - in English "Greater Burdock" - this herbaceous plant has a natural predisposition to spontaneous growth. In Italy it is widespread throughout the peninsula (including the islands), where it is used to cultivate it for the edibility and phytotherapeutic properties of its roots.

Note: in North America, Australia and other territories characterized by a soil with a high percentage of nitrogen, it acts as a pest plant.

Description

Burdock is a herbaceous plant characterized by a two-year life cycle. It reaches 3 meters in height, has large, alternate, cordiform, pubescent leaves on the lower side and endowed with long petioles.

The roots are fleshy and can reach a depth of one meter.

The burdock blooms from July to September and produces flowers (globular capitula) of violet color, grouped in small clusters.

The fruits are long and compact achenes, with small feathery appendages (pappus).

Use and Active Principles

The parts of the burdock used for herbal and food purposes are the roots and the leaves

Burdock root

In the herbalist field, burdock is used above all the root which, harvested before flowering, is cut transversely and longitudinally before it is dried.

The burdock root is rich in:

Inulin and mucilages (interesting prebiotic fibers)
Acetylenic compounds
Sulfur
pollen
polyacetylenes
sterols
Bitter Guianaeans (sesquiterpene lactones typical of Asteraceae - active ingredients with noteworthy bacteriostatic and fungistatic action).

Burdock seeds contain:

Arctigenin lignans
Arctina
Butiroloctone.

Burdock leaves

Burdock leaves must be harvested the first year of their life cycle and used fresh.

Also rich in inulin, they contain a bitter principle called arctiopicrin, probably responsible for its phytotherapeutic properties.

Leaves and roots of burdock

The leaves and roots of burdock are used to produce an oily macerate, used as a component of some cosmetics, shampoos and hair care products.

Burdock seeds

Burdock seeds are used in traditional Chinese medicine (see below), but are not used in Western phytotherapy.

Indications

When to use burdock?

In a different form depending on the use, the burdock is recommended alone or as a therapeutic adjuvant in different situations:

Topically as macerated, cream, decoction:

For mild bacterial and fungal infections
To reduce the symptoms of rheumatism
To reduce the symptoms of gouty attacks
To strengthen and purify the hair

For internal use, as a decoction, it is useful in people:

Suffering from metabolic disorders (especially type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia)
With biliary lithiasis
Which need to purify the body, for example (in association with large amounts of water) after long periods of pharmacological treatments or food / alcohol abuse

As a food, it is also useful in the subjects' nutritional therapy:

Obese
Stitici, to regulate intestinal function and to improve the composition of bacterial flora.

Property and Effectiveness

Burdock in history and in popular medicine

The healing properties of this plant have been known for a long time, both in the East and in the West.

Dried burdock roots have been used in Asian folk medicine for several centuries as a diuretic, diaphoretic and blood purifying agent.

According to some anecdotal findings, dating back to the 19th century, this medicinal plant was also used by the Ojibwa tribe.

Today burdock is an ingredient used for Essiac tea, used in the alternative treatment of some tumors.

Burdock seeds are used in traditional Chinese medicine (niubangzi), in particular for skin diseases and flu.

A famous historical tale reports that, thanks to the extracts of burdock, the Italian doctor Pena was able to cure an annoying skin disease that had struck King Henry III of Spain.

Nutritional Characteristics of Raw Burdock Root

Raw burdock root pulp
Nutritional values per 100 g
Power		72 kcal
Total carbohydrates		17.3 g
	Simple sugars	2.9 g
Grassi		0.2 g
Protein		1.5 g
fibers		3.3 g
water		- g
Vitamins
Thiamine or B1		0.01 mg	1%
Riboflavin or B2		0.03 mg	3%
Niacin or PP or B3		0.3 mg	2%
Pantothenic acid or B5		0.321 mg	6%
Pyridoxine or B6		0.24 mg	18%
Folic acid		23.0 μg	6%
Choline		- mg	-%
Ascorbic acid or C		3.0 mg	4%
Alpha-tocopherol or E		0.38 mg	2%
Vit. K		1.6 μg
Minerals
Football		41.0 mg	4%
Iron		0.8 mg	6%
Magnesium		38.0 mg	11%
Manganese		0.232 mg	11%
Phosphorus		51.0 mg	7%
Potassium		308.0 mg	7%
Sodium		5.0 mg	0%
Zinc		0.33 mg	3%

What benefits has burdock shown during the studies?

The burdock is endowed with property:

Anti-infective (bacteriostatic and fungistatic)
prebiotic
Regulators of the intestine and intestinal bacterial flora
diuretic
diaphoretic
cleansing
Hypoglycemic
Painkillers for joint discomforts
Colagogues (liver and gall bladder stimulants).

Doses and Mode of Use

How to use burdock?

The appropriate dose of burdock as a treatment depends on various factors, such as user age, health and other subjective conditions.

The root is mainly used to prepare a decoction for internal use, which is prepared by leaving 60 g of dried product for a few hours each liter of water (2 tablespoons per 500 ml); it is then boiled for about ten minutes, filtered and taken three times a day.
By crushing the burdock root and mixing it with a little water, you get a cream to be applied directly to the skin, indicated to treat skin diseases of various kinds.
The leaves are recommended for external use and are indicated for skin diseases such as: boils, acne, herpes, burns, seborrheic dermatoses etc.
If you let the leaves be soaked for a night with water and a little vinegar, you get an excellent remedy against rheumatism.
If prepared in a little water by adding a teaspoon of nettle root and a few drops of almond oil, the burdock decoction is an excellent strengthening hair lotion.
Burdock, thanks to its diuretic and sudorific properties, is considered an excellent depurative.
Popular medicine also attributes laxative, antirheumatic and hepatoprotective properties to this plant.

Side effects

As a food, burdock is considered safe. As for the medicinal doses of the extracts, there is not enough information to establish their safety.

In allergy sufferers, burdock cutaneous application can cause a rash.

Contraindications

When shouldn't burdock be used?

Burdock has no particular contraindications; is to be avoided

In pregnancy and lactation, due to the lack of sufficient data to determine its actual safety.

It is to be avoided also in case of specific allergy, often referred to the whole Asteraceae Family, and in case of haemorrhagic disorders, because it could alter blood coagulation

Pharmacological Interactions

What drugs or foods can change the effect of burdock?

Burdock causes a reduction in blood sugar, so it interferes moderately with the effect of antidiabetic therapy; some antidiabetic drugs are: glimepiride, glyburide, insulin, pioglitazone, rosiglitazone, chlorpropamide, glipizide, tolbutamide, etc.

Furthermore, it can increase the useful coagulation time by emphasizing the action of certain drugs, such as aspirin, clopidogrel, diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen, dalteparin, enoxaparin, heparin, warfarin, etc.

Precautions for Use

What do you need to know before taking the burdock?

It is necessary to keep in mind that natural products such as burdock are not always completely safe and dosages can have important repercussions. It is therefore essential to make sure that you follow all the pertinent indications on the product labels and consult your pharmacist, doctor or other healthcare professional before use.

Since the simultaneous use of synthetic hypoglycemic agents and burdock could cause excessive lowering of the glycaemia, in case of pharmacological therapy against diabetes mellitus, it is necessary to consult the doctor before using it at high doses.

Burdock could increase the risk of bleeding during and after surgery, so it is advisable to stop taking it at least 2 weeks before a planned operation.