Herbalists revere Burdock as, perhaps, nature's best "blood purifier" that helps to rid the body of deleterious toxins and clear congestion from the circulatory, lymphatic, respiratory and urinary systems. It is said to soothe the aches and pains of arthritis, alleviate excess water weight and help to keep the skin clear and healthy. As a matter of fact, it is believed to help keep the entire body clear and healthy!
Disclaimer:
The information presented herein by Vitamin Depot Online.com isintended for educational purposes only. These statements have not beenevaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat orprevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using anysupplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own healthcare provider.
History:
Burdock is a stout, handsome, biennial that is native to Asia andEurope, but is now widespread throughout the world (it was introducedto the United States by European settlers). The plant isalternately despised as a weed and cherished as a healing herb.Burdock may be found along fences, walls, roadsides, in waste placesand also around populated areas, and it thrives in moist,neutral-to-alkaline soil in sun or light shade. This relative ofthe sunflower has a furrowed, pithy stem that bears woolly branches,green, hairy leaves (gray underneath) and reddish-purple flowerclusters, growing to a height of five feet. The root is long andfleshy, highly nutritious and is used (along with the seeds and leaves)as an important factor in herbal medicine. The botanical genus, Arctium, is derived from the Greek word, arktos,meaning "bear," a reference to the roughness of the plant's burs.Burdock has been used throughout the world by many different culturesfor centuries as a nutritious, strengthening food, as well as animportant medicinal herb that cleanses the blood and generally improvesoverall health. The famed seventeenth-century English herbalist,Nicholas Culpepper, recommended its use to counter the toxic effects ofa "mad dog bite," and in North America, the settlers and NativeAmericans used it as a food and all-important medicinal herb. TheMenominee and Micmac tribes utilized it for skin sores, while theCherokees used it for a variety of ailments. There are variousspecies of Burdock that are all used similarly in traditional Europeanand Oriental medicines (employed in Traditional Chinese Medicine/TCMfor coughs, colds, sore throats, tonsillitis, measles, sores andabscesses); but, perhaps the best-known cultivar is Arctium lappa, or "Gobo," which is the Japanese word for Burdock. Native Hawaiians credit Burdock (known as "Gobo")with an ability to increase strength and endurance, and when faced withan arduous task to perform, they have been known to repeat the popularexpression, "I need Gobo." Burdock is a very versatileplant, and because it is so nutritious, it is used in manycuisines. The Japanese and Chinese call it a strengthening food(the root) that is included in stir-fries, vegetable and meat dishes,salads and soups (it is an ingredient is the very popular "miso "broth). Some of the constituents in Burdock include fixed andvolatile oils (including a root oil, bur oil), starch, mucilage, abitter principle, inulin, resin, tannic acid, iron, chromium,manganese, copper, zinc, B-vitamins and vitamin E.
Beneficial Uses:
Burdock may be nature's best blood purifier and "alterative," which hasnumerous beneficial effects on the body, helping to alleviate manyailments, and gradually and favorably alter the course of an ailment orcondition.As an "alterative," Burdock is considered an agent thatstimulates the efficient removal of waste products, and it is said tocleanse and eliminate long-term impurities from the blood very rapidlythrough its action on both the liver and kidneys. It helps to clear theblood of harmful acids due to calcification deposits, and overburdenedblood is a major factor behind arthritis, fevers, infections and skindiseases.
Asa diaphoretic and diuretic, Burdock promotes sweating, which helps torelease toxins through the skin and also promotes increased urine,further eliminating toxins via the kidneys and bladder. The increasedflow of urine relieves both the kidney and lymphatic system and hasmany beneficial effects. It rids the body of excess water weight,relieves swelling around joints and alleviates edema. This makes itvery useful for inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatism, arthritis,gout
(by flushing uric acid from the kidneys), scrofula and swellings of the neck and throat.
Burdock is thought to help heal a damaged liver andprotect it from further damage. It is also thought to promote theflow and release of bile, which not only helps to cleanse the liver,but it also aids the digestive process. The mucilage, "bitter"and inulin contents in Burdock also help to support good digestion, aswell as soothe the digestive tract and help many stomach conditions.
Japanese researchers have isolated a substance in Burdock Root, namedthe "B-factor," that is said to reduce cell mutation. There isalso a dietary fiber in Burdock seed, called "arctiin," that may slowor stop the growth of malignant disease in the breast in its earlystages and may also have similar benefits against colon and pancreaticmalignancies.
In cases of diabetes,recent research has shown Burdock Root's blood-sugar-lowering effectsin laboratory animals. The action works by filling the intestineswith the fiber, "arctiin," which thus prevents the absorption of sugarsinto the bloodstream. This same action also appears to preventthe absorption of toxic compounds from food (further supporting theherb's use as an effective blood cleanser).
Whentaken internally, Burdock is said to relieve skin diseases andinflammatory conditions due to chronic toxicity, notably eczema,psoriasis, acne, leprosy, boils and sores. It is also thought tobe helpful in other diseases caused by toxicity in the blood, includingsyphilis and gonorrhea.
When usedexternally, Burdock continues many of its same beneficial effects onthe skin. Used in poultices, it is employed to relieve boils,carbuncles, canker sores, eczema, psoriasis, skin cancers, bug bites,sores, poison oak, poison ivy, swellings, leprosy, burns, wounds andhemorrhoids. The bur oil in the root is said to help strengthenand beautify hair, stop scalp itching and dandruff, and combat hairloss. In addition, poultices are thought to relieve the swelling andpain caused by arthritis, rheumatism, sciatica, lumbago and otherbackaches.
Burdock containspolyacetylenes that are believed to have antibacterial, antifungal andantimicrobial properties. Japanese herbalists use it to controlinfection and claim that it kills Streptococcus bacteria and many disease-causing fungi. In addition, it is thought to kill ringworm.
Burdockis said to neutralize and eliminate poisons in the system, and it hasbeen used historically as an antidote for acute poisoning.
Recommended Dosage:
Take two (2) capsules, two (2) to three (3) times each day with water at mealtimes.
Contraindications:
Large amounts (many times the recommended dosage) of Burdock may causeuterine stimulation; therefore, it is always advisable for pregnantwomen to consult a physician before taking it. Do not takeBurdock without talking to your doctor first if you are taking diabeticmedicine (examples: insulin, Glucophage(R) metformin, DiaBeta(R)Glynase(R) glyburide).
Capsule Size:
We use only 100% Gluten-free, Vegetable Cellulose, size "00" capsules for all of our encapsulated products. (click here for size comparison) Each capsule contains approximately 600 mgs of powdered herb material.
- Burdock Root - Botanical Extract 4:1 -- Approximately 600 mgs each
