Burdock Root Health Benefits
The benefits of burdock root are wide-ranging and sure to impress. Much of the root’s benefits come from its nutrition content.
One cup (approximately 118 grams) of raw burdock root contains about:
•85 calories
•20.5 grams carbohydrates
•1.8 grams protein
•0.2 gram fat
•3.9 grams dietary fiber
•0.3 milligram vitamin B6 (14 percent DV)
•0.3 milligram manganese (14 percent DV)
•44.8 milligrams magnesium (11 percent DV)
•363 milligrams potassium (10 percent DV)
•27.1 micrograms folate (7 percent DV)
•3.5 milligrams vitamin C (6 percent DV)
•60.2 milligrams phosphorus (6 percent DV)
•48.4 milligrams calcium (5 percent DV)
•0.9 milligram iron (5 percent DV)
•0.1 milligram copper (5 percent DV)
It’s clearly a good source of micronutrients, including vitamin B6 and manganese, but there’s more to this traditional root. Here are some of the top ways it can seriously improve your health:
1. Blood Purifier
In traditional herbal texts, burdock root was described as a “blood purifier” or “alterative” and was believed to clear the bloodstream of toxins, reduces inflammation and pain.
Research on traditional medicine indicates that burdock root has active ingredients that have been found to detoxify heavy metals from the blood, improving organ health and the health of the whole body. It also promotes blood circulation to the skin surface, which improves skin health.
2. Lymphatic System Strengthener
Essentially, the lymphatic system is the the body’s inner “drainage system,” a network of blood vessels and lymph nodes that carries fluids from tissues around the body into the blood and vice versa. If you can make your lymphatic system stronger, then you can help your body ward off all kinds of disease and serious health issues.
Burdock root helps induce lymphatic drainage and detoxification. Research suggests that it works as a blood purifier and blood cleanser. This helps strengthen the lymphatic system.
3. Natural Diuretic
Diuretics stimulate the kidneys and help the body get rid of excess fluid, mainly water and sodium. Burdock root is a natural diuretic so through burdock consumption, you can naturally and easily help your body eliminate excess water by increasing urine output.
A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that burdock extract shows promise as a diuretic in humans.
By elevating the rate of urination, burdock root can help remove waste from the blood and body. If you have issues with fluid retention, you should ask your doctor about trying burdock root before resorting to prescription products.
4. Skin Healer
Topical products containing burdock root have offered relief from pesky skin issues for ages. From acne to eczema and psoriasis, burdock root is known to calm and treat these common skin issues.
Consumption of burdock has also helped many people with skin issues through its blood-cleansing and internal cooling abilities.
Scientific studies have even shown that burdock extract can improve the clinical signs of aging skin. One 2008 study found that topical treatment with a natural burdock extract significantly improved the metabolism of the dermal extracellular matrix and led to a visible wrinkle reduction.
For good reason, we’re likely to see burdock root used in new skin care products, especially for mature and dry skin.
5. Defends Against Diabetes
Burdock root contains inulin, a soluble and prebiotic fiber that helps improve digestion and lower blood sugar. That makes it an excellent choice for people trying to naturally manage their blood sugar.
In Europe, the fresh root is used for lowering blood sugar. Its inulin content makes it particularly suitable for diabetes.
Animal studies have also shown burdock root’s ability to decrease the severity of diabetic complications, especially diabetic retinopathy.
6. Helps Combat Cancer
European physicians of the Middle Ages and later used burdock to treat cancerous tumors (as well as skin conditions, venereal disease, and bladder and kidney problems). Many herbalists today say burdock root can stop cancer cells from metastasizing, making it a potential natural cancer treatment.
In fact, animal studies of mammary, colon and pancreatic cancer have shown promise for burdock’s ability to fight against cancer.
One big reason burdock shows promise for naturally fighting cancer is the fact that it contains arctigenin.
Studies explain that arctigenin is a lignan found in certain plants of the Asteraceae family, including greater burdock (Arctium lappa). It has been shown to combat cancer cells by selectively stopping the proliferation of cancer cells and inhibiting the cancer cells’ production of particular proteins (NPAT proteins), hence crippling cancer’s ability to reproduce.
Another study found that arctigenin was a cancer-specific phytochemical that killed human lung cancer cells, human liver cancer cells and human stomach cancer cells. Studies like this are proving what many have believed for years — that burdock root is a seriously effective natural cancer fighter.
7. Improves Arthritis
Burdock root is known for its powerful anti-inflammatory abilities, and it can be in important part of an arthritis diet. A study published in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases relayed that burdock root tea improved inflammatory status and oxidative stress in patients with knee osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease.
Subjects were given three cups of burdock root tea per day for 42 days and were then assessed for inflammatory markers, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. The results showed that burdock root tea can significantly help people suffering from osteoarthritis by lowering inflammatory markers.
8. Helps Treat an Enlarged Spleen
If you suffer from an enlarged spleen, burdock root can help. Studies indicate that the spleen is a vital “guardian” organ that we rely on to keep the body free from infections, viruses and all kinds of dangerous pathogens.
An enlarged spleen is a clear warning sign that the immune system is fighting hard to remove threats from the body but failing to do so because it can’t keep up with high demand.
Your spleen is in constant contact with your blood, so as burdock root cleanses your blood, it also cleanses and protects the spleen. It can help the spleen because it improves blood quality as well as liver health, circulation and fights inflammation.
Improving those four factors has a direct positive effect on spleen health so you definitely want to include burdock in your spleen-healing lineup.
9. Fights Tonsillitis
Burdock root can help get rid of painful tonsillitis. Acute tonsillitis is a type of inflammatory virus that causes tissues within the tonsils to become infected with harmful bacteria. 
Burdock root is used in traditional medicine to relieve tonsillitis because it increases wound healing, decreases inflammation, and helps relieve coughs, sore throats and pain. Although there’s limited evidence on its effects on tonsillitis specifically, research does indicate that burdock is an effective anti-inflammatory agent that’s used traditionally for respiratory infections like influenza and other infections