Rosacea – a chronic inflammatory skin condition – causes facial redness and flushing, which tends to worsen over time. Other symptoms include spidery-looking blood vessels, skin bumps, watery eyes, burning and stinging sensations and a permanently reddened, bulbous nose. Rosacea is neither contagious nor medically dangerous, but can nonetheless cause emotional stress and embarrassment. Although there is no cure, you can manage or reverse your symptoms with medications. Your physician might recommend antibiotics, topical ointments or pulsed light treatments. Herbalists have long advised burdock root to alleviate rosacea. Consult your doctor before using burdock root.
Constituents
Burdock – botanically known as Arctium lappa – is a perennial plant native to Europe and Asia, where people cultivate and eat it as a root vegetable. Presently naturalized to the United States, burdock grows as a weed in meadows and roadsides. The roots consist of roughly 50 percent inulin, a fructo-oligosaccharide carbohydrate plant fiber. Burdock root also contains polyphenolic compounds such as caffeic, linoleic, acetic and chlorogenic acids, along with tannins, mucilage – also found in mallow and slippery elm – pectin, the antioxidant flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol and the anti-inflammatory agent beta-sitosterol. Volatile oils in burdock contain the lignans lappatin, arctiin and arctigenin, also present in the forsythia plant.
Effects
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center credits the arctiin and arctigenin in burdock with anti-inflammatory properties, and reports that one study found that topical applications of burdock resulted in significant skin benefits. These include visible reduction of wrinkles and improvements in the extracellular matrix. In addition, the research center reports that burdock has antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant properties in test tubes. Burdock's content of the viscous plant fiber mucilage may also help it alleviate rosacea. According to MSKCC, mucilage has soothing and protective effects on skin and mucous membranes.
Research
In a study published in 2008 in "Journal of Ethnopharmacology," researchers found that arctigenin at a dosage of 100 milligrams per kilogram decreased laboratory-induced swelling in the paws of rats by inhibiting the release and production of inflammatory mediators such as arachidonic acid. The team noted that the anti-inflammatory results might also have been achieved by arctigenin's free radical-scavenging activity.
Usage and Considerations
To make burdock root tea, pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 tsp. of burdock root and steep for 30 minutes, then strain and cool. You can apply burdock tea topically in a compress. Skin Care Guide reports that you can also benefit from burdock root's anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effects by drinking the tea. Burdock root also comes in capsule form. Drugs.com notes that the traditional dosage for burdock root is 2 grams per day. Although burdock is safe when used as a food, there has been skin irritation reported. If you are allergic to chrysanthemum or other members of the aster family, don't use burdock. You should also avoid burdock if you are sensitive to inulin. MSKCC warns of findings showing some burdock samples contaminated with belladonna alkaloids, or atropine. Purchase only burdock certified against contamination. Don't use burdock if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Always consult your doctor before using burdock.
References
- Drugs.com: Complete Burdock Information
- National Rosacea Society: All About Rosacea
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Burdock
- "Journal of Ethnopharmacology"; Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Arctigenin From Forsythiae Fructus; Hyo Sook Kang et al.; March 2008
- Skin Care Guide: Rosacea Natural Treatment Burdock
- PubMed Health: Rosacea
Member Comments