Burdock Root

Arctium lappa · Burdock

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Diabetic nephropathy¹ Arterial stiffness² Knee osteoarthritis inflammation¹ Urinary flushing³ Temporary loss of appetite³ Seborrhoeic skin conditions³	Pregnancy¹ Asteraceae family allergy³

Burdock root (Arctium lappa) is a food and traditional Chinese medicine whose polysaccharides act largely through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity⁴. Uses that follow include glycemic and lipid support, where a small diabetic nephropathy study reported improved post-meal glucose and lipid metabolism¹. Vascular health in older women with metabolic syndrome is another. The European Medicines Agency monograph lists traditional use for urinary flushing, temporary appetite loss, and seborrhoeic skin conditions³.

Arterial stiffness improved when burdock extract was added to aqua exercise in a double-blind trial². A systematic review found burdock complex not effective alone for Helicobacter pylori eradication, with benefit alongside conventional therapy⁵. In a 2023 rat model of metabolic syndrome, a dandelion and burdock infusion reduced weight gain, hyperglycemia, and hypertension; no human trial has tested it. Over 18,000 products listing burdock root are sold in the US, mainly as liquids, capsules, and powders; see Form comparison.

Pregnancy is the most consequential exclusion: Memorial Sloan Kettering states burdock may stimulate the uterus and raise premature delivery risk¹. A case report of acute liver injury followed an herbal detox tea containing burdock¹. Health Canada labels ask for a practitioner's advice before use in diabetes⁶.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

33 sources, 26 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources