Burdock root can be found just about anywhere in Northern Asia and Europe. It has been imported and now grows in the Unites States. Burdock is a part of the daisy family; it is a common weed that carries burrs on it that will stick to animal fur or to your clothes. It grows to be about 3-4 feet tall. It has many purple-colored flowers that will remain in bloom from June to October. The leaves are heart shaped and wavy, and are white on the bottom and green on top. It is the roots of the weed that offers the greatest amount of benefits, which can be black or brownish green in color.

What Are the Burdock Root Benefits?

Burdock root has many benefits on the body. Some of the main benefits include the following:

1. Lower Blood Pressure

The plant contains a high amount of potassium in it, which dilates the arteries, reducing blood pressure. This has a positive effect in preventing heart disease and atherosclerosis.

2. Aid Digestion

Burdock is well known to positively support the digestive system. The root is high in fiber which can help food move through the small and large intestines. In this way, it can stop bloating and can help with constipation. It can reduce the inflammation and eliminate bad bacteria in the gut.

3. Soothe Diabetes

Fiber has the ability to keep dietary sugars from flooding the bloodstream and stimulating insulin. This can, in turn, help those who suffer from diabetes and who can't tolerate wide fluctuations in blood sugar. Burdock root also contains inulin which helps diabetes and lessens cholesterol levels. This helps protect the heart and the rest of the cardiovascular system.

4. Detoxify Liver

The chemicals giving burdock root its bitter taste also maximize the production of bile and other digestive juices, which helps the liver process toxins quicker, which will then be flushed out by the kidneys.

5. Maintain Hormonal Balance

One of the main burdock root benefits is to aid in the liver's metabolism of hormones, such as excessive estrogen. Elevations in estrogen level can be very dangerous to the body and adding burdock root to your herbal remedies can be life-saving.

6. Strengthen Immune System

Burdock root has high levels of vitamin E and vitamin C. Both vitamins are good antioxidants that rid the body of oxygen free radicals. This helps improve the function of the immune system. The antioxidants also help reduce the risk of damage to the body’s cellular structures, including DNA and other organelles.

7. Lighten your skin

Burdock root can help people with various skin conditions, such as dandruff, acne, psoriasis and eczema. It keeps the skin healthy and may stop the immune system from causing skin damage in the abovementioned conditions. Burdock root is high in phytosterols and essential fatty acids, which are very beneficial to the hair and skin. Burdock root also treats inflammatory problems that affect your joints.

8. Other Benefits

• Burdock root tea lessens joint swelling so the pain is relieved in conditions like joint inflammation, arthritic conditions and other problems of the joints.
• It can also be used as a diaphoretic to induce sweating, which flushes toxins out of your body and alleviate your fever.

Precautions When Using Burdock Root

While there are a lot of burdock root benefits, this herb, just like other herbs, can have side effects or interactions with medications, other herbs or other supplements. You should always take burdock root and any other herb after discussing your situation with an herbalist or with your doctor.

Here are some situations in which burdock root should not be taken:

• You should not take it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding as it can adversely affect the unborn child or the breastfed child.
• If you know you are already allergic to chrysanthemums, ragweed or daisies, you may have cross-reactivity with burdock root and may be allergic to it as well.
• If you are already dehydrated, you shouldn't take in burdock root because it is a diuretic that can worsen dehydration.
• Avoid taking too much burdock root as an herbal remedy because its safety hasn't been studied in supplement form. But burdock root is perfectly safe when used as a form of food.
• Burdock root unfortunately looks a lot like deadly nightshade and belladonna so you should definitely know the difference between these herbs if you are preparing them yourself. Rather than take the chance, you can buy burdock root products from reputable companies. Do not collect burdock root from nature.

Interactions You Can Have

There are no research reports of any type of interaction between burdock root and other medications. However, you should talk to your doctor if you decide to take burdock root and also take these medications:

• Water Pills. As burdock root is also a diuretic, it could add to the diuretic effects of water pills so that you can suffer from dehydration.
• Diabetic medications. Burdock root has the potential to lower your blood glucose level so you can suffer from low blood glucose levels when taking burdock root with diabetic medications.
• Blood thinners. Burdock root has the chance of slowing the clotting of blood. So when you take it with blood thinners, you may cause an increased risk of bleeding and bruising.

Risks of Taking Burdock Root

There have been some research studies indicating that if mixed with plants containing atropine, burdock tea can cause poisoning with symptoms of hallucinations, drowsiness, headache, blurry vision, incoherent speech, incoordination, flushing, dry mouth, dry nose, skin rash, disorientation, fever and a lack of sweating. So it is important to know what burdock root looks like and burdock root benefits you can get from taking the herbal remedy.

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