Burdock can be taken in several different forms--powdered, liquid and even served as a vegetable--but tea is one of the easiest preparations. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, you can get maximum burdock benefits by drinking burdock tea three times a day. You can make burdock root tea by steeping 2 to 6 grams (g) of chopped burdock root in 2 cups of hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. The starchy root has a pronounced flavor that some people prefer with a little honey, sugar or lemon added to it.
Increases Urine Flow
Because burdock is a natural diuretic, it helps increase the flow of urine from your body, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Diuretics are commonly used to treat hypertension and may reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease. Because it's a diuretic, burdock might cause dehydration if you're not careful.
Lowers Blood Sugar
Burdock root tea may play a role in lowering blood sugar levels in the body, which could be useful for people with diabetes or people who are at increased risk for diabetes. MedLine Plus points out that these results cannot be considered conclusive because the studies that report them are small and were not well designed.
Eases PMS Symptoms
Drinking burdock root tea might help relieve some of the irritation that accompanies premenstrual syndrome (PMS) for many women, according to James Duke, Ph.D., an herb expert, cited by writer Amy Mayfield in an article on burdock root for May/June 2005 issue of "The Herb Companion" magazine.
Improves Quality of Life
Burdock root is an ingredient in a few different cancer treatments, including Essiac--which contains rhubarb, sorrel and slippery elm, as well as burdock root. According to MedLine Plus, though a few early studies support burdock as a treatment to improve the quality of life for people with cancer, more research is needed to state conclusively whether burdock is an authentically effective treatment.
Soothes Eczema
Burdock tea may help treat skin irritation, including eczema, but not if you drink it. Soaking a clean cloth in burdock tea--omit any sweeteners or other flavorings--and applying the cloth like a compress directly to the affected skin may soothe skin irritation, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Member Comments