Greater burdock

Attributed effects

Cleansing, mildly laxative, diuretic and sudorific, antirheumatic, antiseptic; leaf mildly laxative; seeds fever-reducing, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, lower blood sugar; detoxifying in skin diseases.

Preparation and amount

Root decoction for boils, scaly eczema, acne and fungal infections; tincture for arthritis, digestive complaints and kidney stones; leaf tea before meals; leaf compress and oil for bruises and varicose ulcers; seed decoction for feverish colds.

Attributed effects

Cleansing, tonic, diuretic, induces sweating, promotes bile flow; strengthens the liver, purifies the blood, for skin rashes and hormonal skin problems, improves liver and bile function.

Preparation and amount

Root decoction: 1–2 tsp per cup, 10–12 min, 1–3 cups a day; tincture 10–30 drops 1–3 times a day.

Attributed effects

Cools heat and blood and disperses wind: skin diseases and rashes such as psoriasis, eczema and chronic eruptions; gently drives the pathogen outwards. Cools the liver in liver heat (as in jaundice and hepatitis) and moves stagnation, for example in mastitis. Drains damp heat via the urine in skin problems, swollen lymph nodes, lymphoedema, painful urination and gout. Cools fire from yin deficiency (dry stools, dark urine, dry throat at night, restlessness). Burdock is at the same time a nutritious vegetable (gobo).

Preparation and amount

6–15 g root as a decoction, 2–6 ml tincture (of fresh or dried root) or 1–4 g powdered extract. With yin deficiency, take a decoction rather than a tincture, because alcohol warms. Good dried root is dark outside and white inside; cobweb-like threads in cut root are the fleshy core and not vermin.

Combinations

• With dandelion and Oregon grape root for liver heat and damp heat in liver and gallbladder
• With sarsaparilla and yellow dock for acute rashes, psoriasis and eczema
• With chaste tree and Oregon grape root for acne in teenagers
• With marshmallow root for heat from yin deficiency
• With coix, Chinese skullcap, skullcap and ocotillo as a supplement to the formula er miao san for damp heat in the lower body with swollen lymph nodes, dark scanty urine and chronic diarrhoea with mucus

Attributed effects

The seed (niu bang zi) expels wind-heat in fever and sore throat, helps bring out rashes and measles, reduces swelling of throat and skin and softens the stool in constipation from heat. The root (gobo) is a well-known Japanese food and is used as a blood-purifying remedy.

Preparation and amount

Traditional dosage: 3–9 g a day, the seed crushed.

Combinations

• With sheng ma, mint and kudzu to bring out measles
• With platycodon, jing jie and mint for sore throat

Attributed effects

For headache, backache and pain elsewhere; the root to cleanse the blood and as a diuretic.

Preparation and amount

Bind a leaf on the sore spot; boil the root.

Attributed effects

To cleanse the blood, for rheumatism, 'gravel' and scurvy, for 'weakly females'; a decoction as a wash for leg ulcers and swollen legs.

Preparation and amount

A tea of root or seed; a decoction externally.