WELCOME TO “A HEALTHY YOU,” YOUR COMPREHENSIVE FEATURE FOR KNOWN AND UNKNOWN INFORMATION ON NATURAL HEALING AND GOOD FOOD & NUTRITION…
Burdock root, scientifically referred to as arctium lappa, has been used for centuries in Europe, North America and Asia. Burdock is a flowering perennials, and is eaten as a cooked vegetable or made as tea by steeping the root in boiling water. Burdock root contains powerful antioxidants, such as phenolic acids, quercetin and luteolin. Antioxidants are substances that help protect your body from free radicals, which are unstable molecules that damage healthy cells. There are significant levels of Vitamin C and Vitamin E, both of which act as antioxidants in the body to eliminate free radicals, which means that burdock is a major booster of our immune system. These antioxidants have been linked to preventing infections, lowering one’s risk of cancer, supporting proper growth, and repairing the body’s cells and tissues. An article published in “BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine” in 2011 noted that burdock root tea is a promising beverage because of its antioxidant properties and its ability to slow tumor-cell growth.
The easiest way to describe it is, as the small burrs that often get stuck on your trousers or socks when walking in a forest. Those small hooking burrs come from the burdock plant, whose plants, leaves, and stems have significant value as herbal remedies.The root of burdock is perhaps the most valued, as it can be eaten in large quantities as a root vegetable, and is very rich in important fibres. The dried leaves and seeds can also be used to extract burr oil, which has a wide range of medicinal uses.
High toxicity in the blood, or poor dietary habits manifest in skin inflammation, spots, pimples, acne, rashes or discolouration. Many herbalists recommend burdock root supplements for the treatment of skin conditions, as this powerful herb can solve the underlying problems of toxicity or constipation in a fast and efficient way, leading to clearer, healthier skin.
Having a hormone disorder can be destructive and difficult to your life. To avoid that, you should add foods and herbs to your diet that can regulate hormonal activity in the body. Burdock is able to help the liver metabolize certain hormones, like estrogen, which can rebalance the body’s hormone levels. Excess estrogen is the cause of various dangerous or even deadly hormonal disorders, so adding some burdock root to your weekly diet is never a great idea.
The significant levels of insulin in burdock can lower overall blood cholesterol by eliminating it from the body, thereby protecting your cardiovascular system. The presence of insulin in Burdock also contributes to the regulation of Diabetes. The chemicals that give burdock its bitter taste, stimulate bile production and digestive juices in the gut, which helps the liver to rapidly process toxins and flush them from the system. Clearing toxins from the blood is one of the main purposes of the liver, and burdock’s organic compounds and components have been directly linked to improving this function. When the liver works well then skin conditions such as eczema, acne and skin break-outs grow more infrequent and will eventually fade away as long as Burdock stays in the diet on a rotating basis.
Bear in mind that with Burdock ( and all other herbs) there are limited allergies. For long-term use be sure to consult a doctor before adding it to your health regimen. Also, for people using potassium-sparing diuretic therapy, eating too much of this herb (with its significant levels of potassium) may aggravate the system and result in potassium toxicity. As always, everything should be consumed in moderation.