Burdock Medicine
"gobo" by chilebeans is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
Burdock root also known as gobo is used both medicinally and as food. This starchy and slightly sweet root is reminiscent of a mild carrot in flavor and appearance. You may see it listed as an ingredient in several different Asian cuisines and you can find it labeled as gobo in Asian markets. You can also find burdock growing as a weed pretty easily around the Pacific North West and in other areas with enough moisture.
Those velcro-like balls that carry the seeds have been the bane of many a hiker especially those who hike with their dogs. But, if you are interested in digging up those roots, you don’t want the plants that have gone to seed. Those roots will be woody, and full of holes showing that the plant is putting the last of it’s growing energy into its seeds.
But, if you look down, you may be rewarded by a crop of first year burdock. These plants will be hugging the ground and have the same big dock leaves as the two year old plants that have gone to seed. These roots will be juicy, sweet, and ripe for the picking.
When you are ready to dig roots (Fall is the season for root digging), be sure to wear clothes you don’t mind getting muddy in, pack a shovel and gloves, and if you have a few strapping young friends with good grip strength invite them along to help. Root digging can take a bit of persistence especially with the long thick taproots of burdock (think dandelions only larger). Don’t stress about getting the whole root, just dig down as far as seems appropriate for the root you have your eye on, and start working it out of its earthen embrace.
Here is a video to help you get the idea.
Medicinal Properties of Burdock
A quick search on the internet will yield amazing storied of burdock “curing” everything from dermatitis to cancer. You will also see terms like blood cleansing or detoxifying. Before we get really excited, let’s take a moment to refocus. Many different plants have anti-cancer effects but simply adding them into your diet doesn’t create an invisible force field protecting you from all cancers. We need to take these claims realistically. If Burdock cured cancer - we would know about it. Pharmaceutical companies would have found the active compound and found a way to make massive profits off of it.
Also, if your blood needs cleaning, this would be due to something deadly like sepsis a life-threatening infection that has traveled into your blood and is able to spread rapidly to your vital organs. Regular care and maintenance of the contents of your blood occurs constantly through a combined effort between your liver, your kidneys, your spleen, your intestines, and your immune system. Burdock cannot replace this function and cannot be used to cure a case of sepsis. I’m amazed by the fantastic claims I see through advertisement. Imagine a world where they were true!
Okay, back to burdock and what it can and does do well:
Burdock Energetics:
Cooling, balances moisture but is ultimately drying
Burdock Properties:
Alterative, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-mutagenic, Anti-oxidant, Digestive stimulant, Diuretic, Hepatic, Lymphatic, Nutritive
Burdock Uses:
Food, move stagnant lymph, prebiotic, promotes healthy skin, reduces fluid retention, supports liver health
Working with Burdock:
Burdock is used to help your body in elimination working through your digestive tract, your kidneys, your liver, your skin, and in the movement of blood and lymph through your system. The root is half inulin which is a major source of food for your beneficial gut bacteria making it an amazing prebiotic plant. Remember, as long as you have some of those beneficial bacteria in your gut, feeding them the complex carbohydrates they need to thrive will keep you from needing to constantly use a probiotic! Inulin also acts to bind to substances in your gut that your body is working to eliminate helping to carry them on out with your next bowel movement.
In working with your body’s own systems, burdock naturally helps to balance digestion and clear skin troubles. This isn’t an instant fix but one that builds over time. With burdock and other nutritive herbs, the longer you use them, the better they work. The key word to learn is Alterative. An Alterative herb/plant works with your elimination systems giving them a gentle boost. Use of alterative herbs along with a fiber-rich, whole food, plant based diet is the actual effective and non-harmful way we can “detox”.
If your digestion is sluggish, you have areas of swelling, your urine is quite stinky, and you are experiencing acne or rashes, Burdock is a fantastic plant to make friends with.
My absolute favorite way to incorporate burdock into my life is as a decoction mixed with dandelion root. To make this easy, I use an old drip coffee pot. After adding the desired amount of water to my machine, I add 1 Tbsp of a mix of 1/2 burdock and 1/2 roasted dandelion root per cup to the glass carafe. I then turn on the machine and let it run it’s cycle. An hour later, that hot plate has helped extract ample medicine from the roots. I tend to keep turning the hot plate back on through the day and sip off my brew all day long. This only works if I’m in the vicinity of my coffee pot all day of course. If I need to run out and about, I’ll strain my finished brew into a thermos or insulated water bottle and go about my day.
When cooking with burdock, be sure to trim, peel and chop the root just as you would a carrot. The next time you make a stir fry or other veggie rich dish, throw in a handful of chopped burdock root to cook with your other veggies for a tasty treat. Some herbalists enjoy pickling the root and stems of burdock which is another great way to add this abundant and useful plant into your diet.
Growing Burdock
Unless you have a large patch of land to devote to your burdock and the willingness and ability to prevent the plant from spreading everywhere else, I recommend wild harvesting this plant or connecting with a farmer who grows it. Pacific Botanicals based out of Grants Pass does ship fresh burdock root in the Fall. Many other herb farms like Oshala based out of the Apple Gate valley in Oregon also sell dried burdock root year round (as supplies last). As this is an abundant plant that is categorized as a noxious weed in many states, finding a favorite patch of burdock and following ethical harvesting practices should provide you with abundant burdock harvests for years to come.
If you would like to learn even more about Burdock, I highly recommend this video by herbalist Julie James!
To our health!
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