Key takeaways

  • Burdock root is a vegetable rich in antioxidants that people often use as a natural remedy. However, there are very few human studies proving its benefits for human health.
  • Early research suggests burdock may help lower blood sugar levels, inhibit the growth of some cancers, and reduce inflammation, but these findings haven’t been proven in humans yet.
  • Burdock is available as a fresh or dried root, tea, powder, or extract, and can be incorporated into food or drink. Talk with a healthcare professional before using it as a supplement.

Burdock is an edible plant that people have used for hundreds of years as a traditional remedy, particularly for skin conditions.

Read on to learn what the research says about the benefits of burdock, as well as its potential risks, and ways to add it to meals.

Burdock root is a vegetable native to Northern Asia and Europe, though it now grows in the United States. The burdock plant’s deep roots are very long and vary in color from beige to brown and nearly black on the outside.

Burdock root has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat a variety of different conditions, from blood disorders to skin conditions.

Burdock root contains multiple potent antioxidants, including quercetin, luteolin, and phenolic acids.

Antioxidants protect cells in the body from damage due to free radicals, which may reduce the risk of several chronic conditions.

A 2022 review of past research notes that animal and test tube studies have found that burdock root may improve blood sugar levels, glucose tolerance, and insulin sensitivity, all of which play a role in diabetes.

Burdock contains fructooligosaccharides and chlorogenic acid, which may be responsible for these effects.

However, this research includes no human clinical trials, so it’s unclear if burdock can have the same effect in real cases of diabetes.

Research has found that burdock has “potent inhibitory effects” on cancer growth, including pancreatic carcinoma, in rats. Another study found burdock root significantly reduced tumor growth in mice with melanoma.

While this sounds promising, though, these studies involved animals rather than humans. Burdock root is not currently recommended for the prevention or treatment of cancer.

Burdock root has traditionally been used to treat a variety of skin conditions. It has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that could protect against skin infections and promote skin healing.

However, there have been very few clinical trials testing whether burdock can reliably treat any skin condition.

Burdock is considered safe to eat, but there is very little research on its risks and side effects as a supplement.

Some potential risks of burdock include:

  • allergic reactions
  • contact dermatitis from handling the plant
  • liver injury, at high doses

If you’re allergic to chrysanthemums or daisies, you may be at an increased risk of having an allergic reaction to burdock root and should avoid it.

Due to limited research on burdock’s safety, children and people who are or could become pregnant shouldn’t consume it. This plant may stimulate uterine contractions.

You should only buy burdock products, including the raw roots, from reputable sellers. Burdock roots resemble those of deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), which are highly toxic, and they often grow in the same environments. It may be easy to mistake one plant for the other.

Supplements are not monitored by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for quality or purity. Always discuss starting any new supplement or complementary therapy with a doctor before trying it, and choose brands that use third-party testing.

There are several forms of burdock root available. These include:

  • fresh burdock root
  • burdock tea
  • dried root powder
  • burdock oil or burdock extract

Incorporating burdock root into your diet can be as simple as learning a few new recipes.

To cook burdock root, you’ll first need to peel it. You can then fry, boil, or sauté it. Recipes you can try include:

Below are answers to some common questions about burdock.

There is a common belief that burdock cleanses the liver or blood. This is not accurate. No herbs or foods directly cleanse the blood or the liver.

However, a 2023 laboratory study found that burdock root reduced the accumulation of fat in liver cells with a fat buildup known as hepatic steatosis. This is a promising finding, but the study only used isolated human cells, so it is not a proven remedy.

Most parts of the burdock plant appear to be safe to eat, but there is little research testing the toxicity of each individual part. When in doubt, stick to burdock roots from reputable sellers.

Burdock root is a versatile plant that can be cooked as food, powdered as a supplement or tea, or processed as an extract or essential oil.

Limited research in test tubes and animals suggests that burdock may have health benefits, but there is little research proving its benefits in humans.

Consult a healthcare professional to decide whether burdock is a good choice for you. If you’re purchasing extracts, oil, or dried powder, always buy from a reliable source that uses third-party testing to ensure purity.