Better Nutrition December 2019

uncommonHERBS/GET TO KNOW BOTANICALS
Burdock Root
This time-tested botanical can help ease eczema and psoriasis, detoxify
the liver, combat constipation, and more /// BY KARTA PURKH SINGH KHALSA, DN-C, RH
Ellen Dart, 39, knows the distress of
chronic dermatitis all too well. She had
good skin when she was younger, but
developed chronic skin inflammation as
an adult—in spite of her healthy lifestyle.
“My skin was riddled with inflamed
cystic lesions that were almost like boils,”
she says, “but I was determined to get to
the source of the problems.”
Dart consulted several skin specialists
and made a few attempts at natural
remedies, but nothing was working.
“I knew I needed more, so I thoroughly
explored the basis of inflammatory
skin disease, studied the herbal approach
to treatments, and concluded that my
dermatitis was caused by a liver so
congested and burdened that it wasn’t
breaking down, processing, and eliminating
wastes properly,” says this Boulder,
Colorado, yoga teacher.
“I began taking burdock root and
dandelion root, and within nine months
of beginning this herbal work, the
dermatitis was gone,” continues Dart.
Three years have since passed, and “my
skin quite frankly, is gorgeous—totally
clear and smooth,” says Dart.
A native thistle from Eurasia, burdock
(Arctium lappa) is now firmly established
as a weed in North America. Over the
centuries, it’s become a mainline remedy
in Western and Chinese herbal systems
for a variety of health conditions. The
genus name (Arctium) from the Greek
arktos, or “bear,” is a reference to its seed
pod’s rough burrs. The species, lappa,
comes from “to seize.” Same idea.
This member of the daisy family is
rich in anti-inflammatory flavonoids,
lignins, and bitter glycosides. The root
contains up to 45 percent inulin, a
non-nutritious fiber, plus assorted other
polysaccharides.
Potent Skin Saver
There are many fine herbs for the skin,
but few are better than burdock root, as
Dart’s story perfectly illustrates. Burdock
has a long history of use as a detoxifier
in skin conditions, and it really earns its
stripes when it comes to skin inflammation,
including eczema, psoriasis, and boils.
Did You
Know?
Researchers at Heilongjiang
University of Traditional
Chinese Medicine, in
Harbin, China, believe
that burdock improves
the anti-aging
processes.
Clinicians in Britain consider it to be
specific for eruptions of the head, face,
and neck, for which it’s often combined
with dandelion root, yellow dock root,
red clover flowers, or cleavers.
Diabetes Remedy
The inulin makes burdock valuable in
treating diabetes by grabbing sugars
from the digestive tract and preventing
them from entering the bloodstream. A
2019 paper summarized its antidiabetic
action as regulating glucose homeostasis
and improving oxidative stress. Another
2019 study confirmed that the polysaccharides
in burdock help regulate blood
fats. Bonus: The inulin in burdock also
promotes the growth of beneficial
probiotic bacteria in the intestines.
Other Healing Actions
Burdock root is a general detoxifying
remedy that influences skin, kidneys, and
mucous membranes to remove accumulated
wastes. A 2019 study found that
it can also treat constipation. Burdock
is a bit diuretic and diaphoretic (sweatinducing),
which, combined with its
cleansing qualities, makes it useful for
easing arthritis as well.
Hildegard of Bingen, the medieval
German herbalist, used burdock to treat
cancerous tumors. Today, burdock
is a chief ingredient in the popular Essiac
and Hoxsey formulas, anecdotally
used as cancer remedies. One
study found that arctiin, a lignan
isolated from burdock, prevents
mammary cancer, while other burdock
lignans slowed the growth of
leukemia cells. Research from 2018
has identified arctigenin as another
potential anticancer constituent. And
similar research in 2017 showed that
arctigenin may reduce prostate tumors.
26 • DECEMBER 2019