What does burdock look like and where does it grow? Burdock: description, beneficial properties and scope of application

Burdock (burdock)- a medicinal plant, a representative of the Astrov family. Burdock has a branched root, which sometimes reaches fifteen meters, as well as a straight stem and large leaves (see photo). Burdock is often considered a weed, although this is far from true. The Mediterranean is considered to be the birthplace of the plant. Few people know that burdock is a good honey plant: from about one hectare of burdock you can collect about half a ton of honey.

Medicinal properties

The medicinal properties of burdock are due to its composition. Burdock contains biologically active substances, such as ascorbic and caffeic acid, bitterness, tannins, resins, mineral salts and others. Burdock root contains essential and fatty oils, mucus, which determines the effect of its use.

For medicinal purposes, it is better to use burdock that is one year old: it is at this time that it accumulates the maximum of useful substances and has a fleshy stem. After the first year, all the beneficial substances of burdock go to the formation of the above-ground part. Since the root is mainly used for medical needs, burdock should be harvested in the first year. The root is thoroughly cleaned from the soil, cut off from the above-ground part, cut into small pieces and dried. Burdock root should be dried in a dry place, the room should be ventilated. Dried burdock root can be stored for up to five years, the leaves of the plant can be used for one year.

Burdock root stimulates the secretion of enzymes by the pancreas. For the treatment of hepatitis, cholecystitis and liver diseases, it is recommended to use burdock juice. In addition, the plant is a mild laxative and can be used for constipation. To relieve constipation, take an infusion of burdock seeds. For the decoction you will need 20 grams of seeds, which are poured with boiling water and left to brew for an hour. Just 1-2 tablespoons of the product, which is consumed 3-4 times a day, relieves constipation.

Burdock is also used to combat seasonal vitamin deficiency. For this, a herbal mixture is prepared, which includes stinging nettle, rose hips, black currants, and dried burdock root. You need to take 1 tbsp of each herb. spoon and pour a glass of boiling water over the collection. The mixture is kept in a water bath for 20 minutes. Then the broth is filtered and taken half a glass in the morning and evening.

Burdock root relieves joint pain and is used for gout. Burdock contains substances that prevent the deposition of salts in the body. The low calorie content of burdock allows it to be used in dietary nutrition. The calorie content of the product is 72 kilocalories per 100 grams.

Burdock can be used for diabetes. The plant contains the substance inulin, which improves blood composition and effectively improves metabolism. Burdock is used for mercury vapor intoxication and bites from poisonous animals.

For diseases of the pancreas It is recommended to take an infusion of burdock root. To prepare the decoction you will need 1 tbsp. l. crushed burdock root, which is poured with boiling water and infused for 2 hours, after which the infusion is boiled for 15 minutes and taken throughout the day.

Use in cooking

In cooking, burdock is used in the national cuisine of various countries. For example, in Japan, a side dish is prepared from burdock root, which is served with meat or fish. Burdock is also used to make soups. Young shoots of burdock are added to soups. Before adding to the soup, the leaves are scalded with boiling water and then finely chopped. The crushed leaves are mixed with finely chopped green onions.

Caucasian cuisine uses burdock leaves as a salad additive. Salads with fresh burdock leaves are usually seasoned with homemade sour cream.

Burdock root in dough is considered a healthy and tasty dish. This dish turns out very tasty and crispy. Burdock root flour is used in combination with wheat flour to make flatbreads. Burdock root is also used in culinary recipes for dessert dishes. Such a dish is burdock root jam. The root of the plant is peeled and cut into small pieces, and one lemon is crushed at the same time. Lemon is mixed with the root, sugar and water are added. The resulting mixture is boiled for two hours. Burdock jam has an interesting taste; it can be used as a separate dish or as a filling for sweet pastries.

Burdock root is also great for making coffee. In order to prepare this drink, you need to thoroughly wash the burdock roots, dry them in a dry place, and then dry them in the oven. The finished roots must be crushed using a coffee grinder.

Benefits of burdock and treatment

The benefits of burdock are well known in Eastern folk medicine. When taken orally, burdock has a choleretic effect, helps with stone formation. A decoction of burdock is used for gallstone disease. The use of burdock is recommended for gastritis and kidney inflammation. Externally it helps against purulent wounds and skin diseases.

In folklore All parts of this plant are used in dicine; even burdock seeds have medicinal properties. Preparations from burdock seeds are effective for boils, acne, and eczema. To treat burns, a mixture is used that is obtained from crushed burdock leaves and butter.

Burdock is often prepared in the form of oil. For the recipe you will need 75 grams of burdock root and a bottle of vegetable oil. The mixture is infused for one day, and then simmered over low heat for fifteen minutes. After heating, burdock oil must be strained. The resulting oil is used in cosmetology: it is used for dandruff, to strengthen hair, stimulate its growth. The oil is applied to the hair roots as a mask for 20 minutes, then thoroughly washed off with shampoo. The maximum effect of using the oil will be noticeable with regular use.

Harm of burdock and contraindications

Burdock can cause harm to the body due to individual intolerance, breastfeeding, and pregnancy.

We often hear people say about someone: "You're screwed". This expression means that a person hung his ears like burdock leaves, trusted someone and made a mistake, made a fool of himself. Indeed, the leaves of the large burdock are huge, they are perhaps the largest among all plants in the European part of Russia. And many gardeners willingly use this feature.

More than once I myself plucked the largest leaves from the burdock plants that grew lushly on the slope of the neighboring reclamation ditch in order to protect with them from the bright sun the seedlings of zucchini, squash and other plants that had just been planted in the open ground. Of course, everyone knows that it is best to plant tender seedlings in cloudy weather, but if the weather is sunny and the seedlings are overgrown, then you still need to plant them. It's better to do this in the evening. Everything is extremely simple: you plant the seedlings, water them abundantly, and then from the south side, from where the bright sun will shine at noon, insert a long petiole of a burdock leaf into the soil with a slight slope towards the planted plant (if the soil is dense, you can make a hole with a stick to the diameter petiole). And a protective green screen – a burdock leaf – will stand next to the seedlings. Then the burdock leaf, deprived of nutritious juices, will begin to lose turgor and lean towards the seedlings, covering them with a kind of umbrella. You will only need to check all these “umbrellas” in the morning so that they do not crush the seedlings. In a day or two, when the young plants have taken root, you can remove this dried cover.

This is the first small benefit that gardeners can derive from the usual, and sometimes annoying burdock(everyone is familiar with its prickly balls containing achenes, which, after ripening, cling to clothing and are removed after walks in nature only after much effort). It is no coincidence that a saying appeared among the people: “He stuck like a burr”. In addition, the Latin name of burdock is lappa– means "cling". But burdock is not so simple, he has many others useful properties, which will be discussed.

Features of the plant

Burdock (Arctium lappa) is a biennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. Its other names are also popularly known: burdock, burdock, burdock. It grows everywhere in our country, it can be found near housing in villages, on garbage bins, near roads, in gardens, in vegetable gardens, along streams, in fields and on the edges of forests. In the first year, this plant forms basal leaves on long petioles, and in the second year it produces a tall, branched stem (up to 120 cm and above). The main feature of burdock is its long tap root, which penetrates into the soil to a depth of 60 cm and deeper (depending on the quality and looseness of the soil). The leaves of burdock are also noteworthy, especially the basal ones - they are large, ovoid in shape, up to half a meter long, and the leaves formed on the stem decrease in size as they approach the top of the plant. They are all green on top, and the lower part of the leaves is grey-tomentose. There is pubescence on both stems and branches.

Burdock flowers are tubular, they are collected in large spherical baskets of red-violet color, and are placed on peduncles on the stem and branches. Burdock blooms in June-July, seeds ripen in August-September. After ripening, the achenes cling to the clothes of people passing by, to the fur of animals and are transferred to new places, and this is how burdock reproduces. After the seeds ripen in the second year of life, the large burdock dies, and its seeds that find themselves in favorable conditions begin a new two-year life.

Medicinal properties of burdock

Burdock has long been used in folk medicine. Almost all parts of this plant were used for medicinal purposes: the root, leaves and tops with flowers were harvested.

Procurement of raw materials

Root Herbalists recommend harvesting plants in the first year of life, when they are most powerful. They are dug up in the fall. If you did not have time to dig them up in the fall, then you can do this in the spring - in the second year of the burdock’s life, but only before the first leaves appear on it. The roots are dug out carefully, trying not to damage the surface skin, carefully cleaned of soil (do not wash), cut into pieces and dried at a temperature of 40 ° C in country attics, where the temperature is quite high during the day, or at home. The leaves and flowering crown of the burdock are harvested during flowering and also dried in the shade in a ventilated room.

At all burdock root It was used not only as a medicine. It turned out that it is quite applicable in cooking. It was and is now consumed in boiled, fried, baked form. Add to borscht and soups instead of potatoes, carrots, parsley. True, you can’t take any roots, but only from plants in their first year of life. Young shoots of burdock, peeled, are also used in cooking, and young leaves are used in salads and cabbage soup. It is known that in Japan, whose residents very widely and skillfully use many plants for culinary purposes, now one of the types of burdock is specially grown in garden beds.

But the main glory of this burdock was brought by it medicinal properties. In my younger years, while working in the garden, I sometimes got bruises. On the advice of an elderly neighbor, I looked for burdock plants, tore off its leaves and applied them with the bottom, felt side, to the bruised area. Then he wrapped it in cloth and secured it on his leg with rubber bands or a bandage and walked like this all day or made a bandage like this at night. Burdock helped relieve pain and eliminate swelling. One friend who had arthritis applied the same bandages to her sore joints—her arms and legs.

A burdock root Largely used and used for rheumatism of the joints, gout, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, constipation. Preparations from the root help cleanse blood vessels, have diuretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, diaphoretic properties, and they reduce uric acid in the blood.

Beneficial properties of burdock large due to its rich and valuable chemical composition. Burdock roots contain mucus, essential oil, fatty oil consisting of palmitic and stearic acids, as well as inulin, tannins and bitter substances, glycosides, alkaloids, resins, protein, starch, sugar, mineral salts, vitamins C, group B, E, D, carotene. Due to the content of polysaccharides in the plant, glycogen deposition in the liver increases and the insulin-producing function of the pancreas improves.

Use of burdock root in official medicine

Burdock roots large in the form of decoctions and infusions is taken as a diuretic, choleretic and diaphoretic. Its preparations are also effective when used externally in the treatment of seborrhea, acne, eczema, itching and furunculosis.

Burdock root is included in diaphoretic preparations, complex preparations for the treatment of gout and metabolic arthritis. Burdock oil is also used in cosmetology to strengthen hair during baldness.

Decoction of burdock roots

To obtain it, you need to place one tablespoon of dry burdock roots (10 g) in an enamel bowl and pour one glass of boiling water (200 ml). Then close the container with a lid and place in a water bath for half an hour, stirring the liquid frequently. After removing from the heat, cool the broth for 10 minutes, strain, and squeeze out the remaining root raw material. Bring the resulting volume of decoction to the original volume with boiled water (200 ml). This decoction can be stored in a cool place for no more than a day.

In folk medicine, the range of use of preparations of roots and other parts of burdock is much wider.

For example, an infusion of burdock roots is used for the presence of stones in the kidneys and bladder, as well as for gastritis, stomach ulcers and some other diseases.

Infusion of burdock roots

To prepare it, one teaspoon (about 5 g) of dry crushed root is placed in a thermos and poured with half a liter of boiling water. Leave overnight. Then the resulting infusion is drunk hot during the day. If you don’t have a thermos, the container with the root filled with boiling water should be carefully wrapped overnight. Only before use the liquid will have to be heated. Thermos is still better.

Decoction of burdock

It is used for baths and compresses for joint pain, as well as for arthritis, arthrosis, and rheumatism. This decoction is prepared from one tablespoon of dry crushed burdock roots and two glasses of water. The roots are poured with water and boiled over low heat for half an hour, and then filtered.

Women can use this decoction to strengthen their hair and improve its appearance. Before going to bed for several months, the decoction should be rubbed into the skin of the hair. They do this in two days. And then the hair will become thicker and silkier

Burdock seed infusion

Traditional healers advise taking it for constipation. The seeds are collected as they ripen and can be stored for three years. To prepare this infusion, you need to take 20 g of burdock seeds and pour a glass of boiling water (200 ml) over them. After this, leave for 20 minutes and strain. Take the infusion 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day.

Burdock juice

It is obtained from burdock leaves picked in May. They are washed, dried and immediately passed through a meat grinder, and then the juice is squeezed out through gauze. It should be taken before meals, one tablespoon. The course of treatment is two weeks with a week break: take the juice for one week, and then take a week break and take it again for a week. For chronic hepatitis, an annual course of treatment is recommended.

This juice from fresh young leaves, mixed with crushed leaves, is applied to purulent wounds, ulcers, burns, bedsores, tumors, and cuts.

Burdock fruit infusion

To obtain an infusion, burdock fruits along with the pericarp, dried in the shade, are ground into powder and then two tablespoons of the powder are poured with half a liter of boiling water and left overnight. Drink a glass of infusion in the morning on an empty stomach, and in the evening - drink the same volume of infusion before meals.

Infusion of burdock leaves

It is prepared from two tablespoons of dry crushed burdock leaves. They are placed in a bowl and poured with half a liter of boiling water and left overnight. Then you need to strain the infusion and drink 3/4 glass three times a day a quarter of an hour before meals or an hour after meals.

This infusion is taken in the treatment of hepatic and renal edema, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis and kidney stones, as well as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, prostatitis.

Burr oil

It is produced by industry and sold in pharmacies and stores. This oil helps with burns, wounds, frostbite, and hair loss.

You can prepare this oil at home. To do this, you need to infuse crushed burdock roots in olive oil for two weeks.

Burdock ointment

Take 25 g of leaves and 25 g of burdock roots and chop them. Then pour them into a bowl and boil for 20 minutes in 100 ml of water. Then thoroughly grind everything in 100 g of butter. This ointment can be used in the prevention and treatment of baldness, burns, and frostbite.

Contraindications

Like many other herbal preparations, it is not recommended to use burdock and preparations made from it during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Individual intolerance to this plant is also possible. Consult your doctor.

E. Valentinov

Arctium lappa
Taxon: Aster family ( Asteraceae)
Other names: burdock, burdock
English: Burdock, Edible Burdock, Lappa, Beggar's Buttons, Gobo

Botanical name of the genus Arctium comes from the Greek word arctos- bear; species - lappa- from Greek iavcin- take, cling, grab.

Botanical description of burdock

A large biennial herbaceous plant, 60-180 cm high. The root is fleshy, taproot, poorly branched, spindle-shaped, up to 60 cm long, in the first year of life it is succulent, and in the second it becomes flabby and hollow inside. In the first year, burdock forms basal leaves, in the second - a powerful, erect, ribbed, reddish, strongly branched in the upper part, slightly glandular stem. The leaves are petiolate, gradually becoming smaller towards the top of the stem, broadly heart-shaped, ovate, toothed, with sparse short hairs or glabrous above, grayish-tomentose below. The lower leaves are large, up to 50 cm in length and width. The flowers are collected in spherical baskets with a diameter of 3-3.5 cm, arranged in the form of a shield or corymbose panicle at the ends of the stem and its branches. The involucre of the baskets is bare, green, and consists of imbricated linear, gradually pointed, hard, hooked-curved leaves. The general bed of the basket is slightly convex, densely planted with rigid, linear-subulate bracts. All flowers are tubular, bisexual, with a lilac-purple corolla. Cup in the form of a tuft. There are 5 stamens, the anthers are fused into a tube with arrow-shaped appendages. Pistil with lower single-locular ovary. The fruits of burdock are oblong, bare, ribbed, spotted achenes, 5-7 mm long, with a tuft of multi-row yellowish-white, hard, easily falling hairs. The pappus is 2 times shorter than the achenes.
Burdock blooms in June-August. The fruits ripen in September-October.

Where does burdock grow?

Large burdock grows as a weed near homes, in vacant lots, near roads, sometimes in forest clearings, among shrubs throughout the steppe and forest-steppe zones of the European part of Russia, in the Urals, partly in Western Siberia and in the south of the Far East (including Sakhalin), in the Caucasus.
Typically grows in waste, abandoned and disturbed areas rich in nitrogen. It grows along the banks of rivers and streams, occasionally in crops.

Collection and preparation of burdock

The medicinal raw materials are the leaves, thorns and roots of burdock.
Roots (pharmacy name Radix Bardanae) plants of the first year are dug up at the end of April - beginning of May, when the burdock does not yet have stems, but leaves have appeared, or in September-October, after the leaves have dried. Flabby and woody roots are unsuitable for medicinal purposes. The succulent roots are dried in the sun, after which the soil is removed from them by hand. Under no circumstances should you remove the skin from them - it contains many useful substances. Dry without much delay, cutting lengthwise into pieces of 10-15 cm, dry in dryers or ovens at a temperature of 40 ° C.
Burdock leaves are collected in July-August, dried in the shade, in a draft; seeds - as they ripen. The shelf life of roots when properly stored is up to 5 years, seeds - 3 years, leaves - 1 year.

Chemical composition of burdock

The roots of the plant contain up to 45% inulin polysaccharide, 12.3% protein, essential oil (up to 0.2%), fatty oil, palmitic, stearic acids, sitosterol and stigmasterol, tannins and bitter substances. Burdock roots contain about 2.5% protein, 0.14% fat, 14.5% carbohydrates, 1.17% ash.
Inulin is not digested by digestive enzymes in the human body and belongs to the group of dietary fibers. In this regard, it is used in medicine as a substitute for starch and sugar in diabetes mellitus.
The lignan glycoside arctiin, which is hydrolyzed into arctihepin and glucose, was found in burdock seeds; a large amount of fatty oil, which contains glycerides of linoleic and oleic acids. The leaves contain tannins, mucus, and essential oils. The leaves contain about 3.5% protein, 1.8% fat, 19.4% carbohydrates, 8.8% ash.
Without exaggeration, burdock can be called the ginseng of central Russia.

Pharmacological properties of burdock

Burdock preparations stimulate tissue regeneration, have antibacterial and antidiabetic effects, normalize blood composition, stomach and intestinal functions. The roots are used as a remedy for, as well as a diaphoretic for colds, as well as restoring metabolism for joint rheumatism, and also externally for the treatment of skin diseases. Burdock roots are the best remedy for restoring metabolic processes in the body.

Use of burdock in medicine

In folk medicine, burdock roots are used in the form of infusion, decoction, tincture, burdock oil for gout, rheumatism, some skin diseases, and also as a diaphoretic. Externally - for eczema, ulcers, skin rashes, purulent wounds, furunculosis, sciatica and radiculitis.
Infusion and decoction of burdock roots are used for eczema and metabolic disorders.
Burdock leaves are used as a choleretic agent, as well as for burns and wounds. The juice of the leaves is used for removal, for scabies, and heals wounds well. To treat hemorrhoids and intestinal polyposis, take an infusion or decoction of the herb.

Wash your hair with a decoction of burdock root twice a week to strengthen and improve hair growth. For this purpose, use a decoction of burdock roots in almond or olive oil, the so-called Burr oil, as well as ointment mixed halfway with fat and kept in the oven (oven) for several hours.
Burdock oil is used externally as a means to strengthen and grow hair, and for skin diseases (eczema, acne, furunculosis).
To wash pustules on the face, as well as against hair loss, use a decoction of burdock and tartar; a tablespoon of each herb per glass of water.
To treat radiculitis, wash fresh burdock leaves with water, boil dry leaves with boiling water and apply a layer of 5-6 leaves to the sore spot, cover with compress paper on top, apply a warm bandage (tied with a warm scarf).
Burdock oil has a good effect on hair, it becomes stronger, stops falling out, and grows better. It is advisable to lubricate dry hair with burdock oil to maintain shine and elasticity. To do this, you need to insert a cotton wool into the teeth of the comb, soak it with burdock oil, and then comb your hair, starting from the ends. Hair fat decomposes quite quickly, so it is recommended to do this at night, and in the morning remove any remaining fat with a dry towel. Lubricating them with burdock oil also helps improve eyelash growth.
For weak, thinning hair, mix 1 tbsp. l. burdock oil, raw yolk, 1 tsp. honey, 2 tsp. grated onion juice, 2 tsp. liquid soap. Apply this mixture to the scalp, tie it with oilcloth, wrap it in warm material and after 1-2 hours wash your hair with liquid soap.
When treating gingivitis, it is recommended to add a little salt to the juice of crushed burdock seeds and prepare an ointment. After 2-3 lubrications, recovery occurs.
There is evidence that burdock preparations are effective in the treatment of malignant neoplasms. The lignan aglycone arctigenin exhibited antitumor activity in experiments.
Recent studies have shown that burdock seed extract.

Medicinal preparations of burdock

Burr oil prepare as follows: pour 200 ml of sunflower, olive, almond or peach oil into 75 g of crushed fresh leaves, leave for 24 hours, boil for 15 minutes, strain.

Infusion of burdock leaves: pour 0.6 liters of boiling water over 60 g of leaves, leave for 4 hours, drink 200 ml 3 times a day for peptic ulcers, kidney and liver stones.

Burdock root infusion: grind 40 g of dry roots, leave for 2 hours in a thermos in 300 ml of boiling water. Drink 100 ml 3 times after meals for urolithiasis and cholelithiasis, diabetes, ulcers, gastritis, hemorrhoids, rheumatism, eczema, furunculosis.

Burdock root infusion: pour 400 ml of boiling water 1 tsp. chopped root, leave for 12 hours, strain. Drink 1/2 cup of warm infusion 4 times a day 0.5 hours before meals.

Burdock root decoction: Brew 1 cup boiling water 1 tbsp. l. raw materials and heat in a water bath for 0.5 hours. Take 1/2 cup orally 2-3 times a day. For external use - for hair loss, for strengthening hair, better growth, for dandruff, itching, it is recommended to rub burdock decoction into the roots of the hair or rinse your hair with it after washing.

Burdock root decoction: pour 200 ml of boiling water 1 tsp. chopped root, boil for 5-10 minutes over low heat, cool and strain. Drink 1 tbsp. l. decoction 3-4 times a day.

Fresh leaves lubricate with sour cream and apply to erysipelas of the skin. Fresh burdock leaves in the form of a paste are applied to burns.

Burdock root ointment: leave 40 g of fresh roots in 100 ml of sunflower oil for 24 hours, boil for 15 minutes. Lubricate wounds, ulcers, burns.

Decoction of herbal mixtures Helps well with dandruff, oily scalp, itching:
1.Mix equal parts of burdock root and willow bark. Brew 1 liter of boiling water 4 tbsp. l. mixture, heat in a water bath for 0.5 hours, cool and strain.
2. Mix equal parts of burdock root and calamus root. Brew 1 liter of boiling water 6 tbsp. l. mixture, heat in a water bath for 0.5 hours, cool and strain.
You need to rub a warm decoction of one of these mixtures into the scalp 2-3 times a week or rinse your hair after washing as long as it is needed.

Use of burdock on the farm

Used as a vegetable in the Middle Ages, burdock is now widely used in Japan, Korea, Italy, Brazil and Portugal. The roots, which grow up to 1 meter long and 2 cm in diameter, and the stems before flowering are eaten. It tastes like an artichoke.
In cooking, burdock is used to prepare salads, vinaigrettes, borscht, and soups. The roots are used baked, fried (pre-boil in salted water), raw as a potato substitute, flour is made from them and mixed with wheat or rye (mixed in double quantity) to make flat cakes.

Burdock in Korean: cut green (not red) sprouts no more than 30 cm high, with leaves that have not yet blossomed (500 g), soak overnight in cold water to remove odor, boil in salted water, peel the stems, cut into slices, fry, then add soy sauce, sprinkle with crushed sunflower seeds, add garlic, onion and simmer until tender.

A little history

Burdock is an Asian plant; it appeared in Rus' after the Tatar-Mongol invasion, having traveled several thousand kilometers on horse tails and woolen blankets of Tatar yurts. And only at the beginning of the 19th century. Burdock migrated to Western Europe with the convoys of the Russian army pursuing Napoleon.

Used Books

1. Maznev N.I. Encyclopedia of medicinal plants. 3rd ed. -M.: Martin, 2004
2. Yuzepchuk S.V., Sergievskaya E.V. Lopukh - Arctium / Flora of the USSR. - M.-L.: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1962. - T. XXVII.
3. Botanical-pharmacognostic dictionary: Reference. allowance / Ed. K. F. Blinova and G. P. Yakovlev. - M.: Higher School, 1990
4. Zick SM, Sen A., Feng Y., Green J., Olatunde S., Boon H. “Trial of essiac to ascertain its effect in women with breast cancer (TEA-BC)” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2006 12:10 (971-980)
5. Reid. BE Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts"ao, 1977
6. Bown D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. RHS, 1995
7. Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

Photos and illustrations of burdock

Great burdock (burdock)- a folk remedy for disorders of the liver and gall bladder, gastritis and colitis, hemorrhoids, rheumatism, various skin diseases, diabetes, gout. The medicinal properties of the root of the medicinal plant are widely used in traditional medicine treatment recipes, the drug of the same name, dietary supplement NSP Berdok (Burdock) and as part of E-tea capsules.

Latin name: Arctium lappa.

English name: Burdock.

Family: Compositae - Asteraceae.

Common names: burdock, burdock, burdock, burdock root, grandfather, burdock.

Pharmacy name: burdock root - Bardanae radix.

Large burdock parts used: In folk medicine, all parts of burdock are used, in official medicine - mainly two-year-old roots.

Large burdock (burdock).

Botanical description: large burdock is a large herbaceous biennial plant from the Asteraceae family, up to 1.5 m high, with a straight, hard, ribbed, dirty green, pubescent stem. In the first year, large burdock develops only basal leaves, and in the second year it produces stems, blooms, and dies after the fruits ripen. The root is long (up to 60 cm), thick, taproot. The leaves are large, alternate, broadly ovate, long-petiolate, green above, grey-tomentose below. The inflorescences are spherical baskets that form a pineal-shaped panicle at the top. The flowers are small, purple-violet. The fruits of large burdock are achenes with a short tuft. The crest is short, its bristles are unequal, rough, multi-row, free to the base, falling, the attachment area is straight. After the basket with burdock seeds ripens, they easily cling to animal fur (or human clothing). In this way, the seeds are dispersed over considerable distances.

Habitat: Burdock can often be found along roadsides, near fences, walls and embankments, in vacant lots and pastures, as well as along the banks of streams throughout Ukraine.

Collection and preparation: Greater burdock roots are harvested in September - October from plants of the 1st and 2nd year of life or in the spring, before the leaves bloom, peeled, washed, cut into pieces and dried in the shade or in a dryer at a temperature of 50-60 ° C. Store in wooden containers for up to 5 years. The leaves are dried in the usual way. Store for 1 year.

Chemical composition: In the roots of burdock, the polysaccharide inulin (up to 45%), proteins (about 12.34%), essential oil (up to 0.17%), fat-like substances, palmitic, stearic acids, mucus, tannins, bitter and protein substances, sitosterol were found , resinous and other substances. The leaves contain essential oil, mucus, tannins, and ascorbic acid up to 350 mg%.

Photo of burdock (burdock)

Beneficial, medicinal properties of burdock root

Burdock root (burdock) included in drugs, dietary supplement NSP Burdock (Burdock), E-tea in capsules manufactured in the USA according to the international GMP quality standard for medicines.

Burdock root in the preparation (food supplement) Burdock NSP in capsules.

Preparations of burdock root have a diuretic, choleretic, diaphoretic and moderate analgesic effect, stimulate the formation of pancreatic enzymes, are a mild laxative, and improve skin condition. They have antimicrobial, antiseptic and disinfectant properties, eliminate itching and relieve allergies. Positive results were noted with the external use of burdock root preparations for seborrhea, acne, eczema, itching, and furunculosis.

Preparations from burdock are a good anti-inflammatory, wound healing, and antidiabetic agent. They normalize metabolism and, thanks to inulin, improve the leukocyte composition of the blood, enhance hair growth, and are a therapeutic and preventive remedy against stone formation and salt deposition.

Photo of burdock root

Burdock in folk medicine

Recipe for herbal tea from burdock root: 2 heaped teaspoons of chopped root are poured into 1/2 liter of cold water, after 5 hours quickly heated to a boil, boiled for 1 minute and filtered. Dosage: 3 times a day, 1 cup of tea.

Burdock root tea can also be used to treat skin rashes - moisten, wash or wrap.

Dosage forms from burdock

Root tincture. Wash the burdock roots, remove the film and pass through a meat grinder. Place the resulting mass in a liter jar halfway and fill it to the top with vodka. Close the jar tightly and put it in a dark place for a week. Stir daily. Make compresses with this tincture for joint pain and osteochondrosis.
Decoction (for external use). Pour 1 tablespoon of chopped burdock root into a glass of water and boil for 10 minutes. Leave covered for 1 hour. Used as lotions, compresses and rinses.
Infusion of burdock leaves. Used for neurodermatitis, eczema - 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of dry leaves with 1 cup of boiling water in a thermos and leave for 2 hours. Drink 1/3 cup 2 times a day, and also make lotions or wipe the affected areas of the skin.
Root infusion helps with metabolic disorders, gout, osteochondrosis, urolithiasis and cholelithiasis.
Recipe 1. Place two tablespoons of crushed root in a thermos and pour a glass of boiling water. Leave for 1 hour, strain. Drink 1/2 cup of infusion 3 times a day before meals.
Recipe 2. Pour two tablespoons of dry crushed burdock root into 3 glasses of water at room temperature, leave for 2-3 hours, then boil for 15 minutes. Drink the infusion warm, 1/2 cup 2 times a day after meals.

Self-medication is dangerous! Before treating at home, consult your doctor.

Traditional recipes for treating burdock

Abscess. Chew fresh annual burdock root on an empty stomach while still hungry and apply the chewed mass to painful areas for a day. To quickly and successfully complete the treatment process, it is recommended to take burdock infusion - 1 tbsp. Brew a spoonful of dried roots with a glass of boiling water and leave overnight; Drink a whole glass in the morning after chewing the fresh root. This recipe is applicable for abscesses, boils, boils, inflamed hardening on the body, swelling of dark moles, and herpes.
Vitamin deficiency, improved metabolism. Mix 2 liters of burdock juice, 0.5 liters of cognac, 1 liter of plantain juice, 1 liter of honey. Mix everything, keep in a cool place, the composition will last for a whole year. Drink 1 tbsp. spoon 2-3 times a day 40 minutes before meals.
Allergy. Burdock root, fresh or dry, pour 20 g into 0.5 liters of boiling milk, simmer in a water bath for 2 hours, without bringing to a boil, with the lid open. Leave for 2 hours, strain. Give your child 50 g to drink 5-6 times a day, regardless of meals.
Atheroma. Pass the burdock root through a meat grinder, mix with hot pork fat or homemade butter. Leave for 3 days, squeeze out and apply the ointment to the sore spot.
Arthritis of the joints. 2 tbsp. spoons of crushed burdock roots pour 300 g of water and boil for 20 minutes. Leave for 1 hour. Take the infusion daily, 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.
Arthritis of the joints. To treat arthritis, cut June burdock to get a full bowl. Place the chopped burdock on a sheet and lie on the leaves for 2 hours during the day, covered. The next day, rub the sore joints with a mixture - 100 g of honey per 100 g of alcohol - and lie under the blanket for 4 hours. So, alternating methods of warming up, treat for 4 days.
Arthrosis of the joints. Decoction of dried burdock roots: 2 tbsp. spoons of crushed roots are poured with 3 glasses of water at room temperature, left for 2 hours, then boiled for 10-15 minutes, filtered. The decoction can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Drink half a glass warmed 3 times a day after meals.
Arthrosis of the joints. Burdock root powder 0.5-1 grams per dose 3 times a day after meals.
Arthrosis of the joints. Wrap the sore joint with burdock leaves and secure with an elastic bandage. Leave the bandage overnight.
Joint diseases. Wash the burdock leaves, dry them, chop them finely and fill a glass jar tightly with them. Close the jar with a nylon lid and place in the sun. The leaves in the jar should turn into a mush with an unpleasant odor. As soon as mold appears, the medicine is ready. Use this mixture to apply bandages to sore joints. The pain subsides after the first time.
Joint pain X. Pour 30-40 grams of dry burdock seeds into 0.5 liters of vodka or 70% alcohol, leave for 2 weeks in a dark place, shaking often, strain. Moisten a gauze napkin folded in 3 layers in the tincture and apply it to the sore spot, wrap it with a woolen scarf or scarf (do not use polyethylene or compress paper, tissue necrosis may occur).
Varicose veins. Wrap your legs in a sterile bandage and apply pre-warmed (you can apply to a hot kettle) burdock leaves with the inner (bottom) side to the sore veins. Secure with an elastic bandage.
Gastritis. Pour 1 teaspoon of chopped burdock roots. 1 cup boiling water, leave for 12 hours, strain. Drink 1/2 glass before meals 4 times a day.
Haemorrhoids. Pour 3 liters of boiling water into a liter jar of burdock cones, bring to a boil, remove from heat, leave until cool to body temperature, pour into a bowl and sit in it for 15-20 minutes. Perform the procedure 5 times a day. The infusion can be used several times. preheating it to body temperature.
Hypertension. 2 tbsp. spoons of dry burdock rhizomes, ground into powder, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water or 2 tbsp. spoons of fresh burdock rhizomes pour 0.5 liters of cold boiled water, leave overnight. Drink 3/4 cup infusion 3 times a day 10-15 minutes before meals or an hour after meals.
Toenail fungus. Take a fresh leaf of large burdock, wipe it, break the veins on the back side with a hammer and roll with a rolling pin. Place your foot on the sheet, wrap the ends of the sheet around your fingers and bandage it. Apply the compress morning and evening for at least 3 weeks.
Scrofula. Pour 15 grams of large burdock roots into 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes, cool, strain. Drink the decoction without restrictions, use it to wash diseased areas of the skin.
Cholelithiasis. 3 tbsp. spoons of crushed dried burdock root pour 0.5 liters of cold water in the evening, leave until morning, then boil for 10 minutes and strain immediately. Drink warm in 3 doses a day after meals.
Cholelithiasis. 2 tbsp. spoons of crushed dry burdock leaves, brew 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave overnight and drink 3/4 cup 3 times a day 10-15 minutes before meals or an hour after meals.
Cholelithiasis
Cholelithiasis. This recipe is for crushing gallstones and also helps with gout. Grind fresh burdock leaves in a meat grinder to make 0.5 liters, add 0.5 liters of honey and 0.5 liters of vodka. Store the resulting mixture at room temperature in a dark place. Take tincture 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day on an empty stomach.
Wound healing. Pour 50 grams of chopped fresh burdock root into 1 glass of sunflower oil and leave for 24 hours in a warm place, then cook for 15 minutes over low heat and strain. Use the oil to apply to wounds that do not heal for a long time.
Wound healing. Wash the burdock leaf, crush it and apply to the wound every 2-3 hours. After 7-10 days the wound will heal.
Cardiac ischemia. 2 tbsp. spoons of dry burdock rhizomes, ground into powder, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water or 2 tbsp. spoons of fresh burdock rhizomes pour 0.5 liters of cold boiled water, leave overnight. Drink 3/4 glass 3 times a day 10-15 minutes before meals or an hour after meals.
Colitis with constipation and intestinal atony. Pour 1 teaspoon of burdock roots into 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave for 8 hours, strain. Drink 100 ml after meals 5 times a day.
Skin fungus. Fill a liter jar of burdock cones with unrefined vegetable oil and hold the mixture in a water bath for 30 minutes, cool, and lubricate the affected areas daily.
Urolithiasis (treatment and prevention). 2 tbsp. spoons of crushed burdock root are poured into 0.5 liters of water, left for 2-3 hours, then boiled for 10 minutes and filtered. Drink warm in 2-3 doses a day after meals.
Stones in the pancreas. 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of dried burdock roots into 0.5 liters of cold water, leave for 2 hours, then boil for 15 minutes and strain immediately. Drink warm a day in 3 doses after meals.
Cyst on the kidney. Add 200 ml of vodka to 700-800 ml of freshly squeezed burdock juice. Shake, put in the refrigerator overnight. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day half an hour before meals, washed down with a small amount of water (not tea or juice) until the tincture runs out. If necessary, repeat treatment.
Cyst on the kidney. Drink a tablespoon of freshly squeezed burdock juice 3 times a day, half an hour before meals, throughout the summer, while the burdocks are growing.
Cyst on the kidney. Brew burdock leaves and drink instead of tea for a month. Depending on how you feel, treatment can be continued.
Cyst on the ovary. Drink fresh juice from burdock leaves daily (scroll through a meat grinder, squeeze, store in the refrigerator) 30 minutes before meals according to the following scheme: the first 2 days, 1 teaspoon 2 times a day, the next two days - 1 teaspoon 3 times per day, all subsequent days 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day. The course of treatment is 1 month.
Colitis of the intestines. Brew and drink ripe burdock seeds. Place a handful of seeds in a thermos and pour 2 cups of boiling water. Leave overnight. Strain and drink 0.5 cups 4 times a day after meals.
Cancer treatment. Pour burdock juice into a three-liter jar, leave until you get 2 layers, top and bottom. Remove the greens and add the same amount of honey instead, approximately 1 liter of honey per 2 liters of juice. Close with a metal lid and bury in the ground for 60 days. Drink 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day.
Mastopathy (antitumor and restorative)
Uterine bleeding. Pour 5 g of dry roots of a 2-year-old plant with 2 cups of boiling water, leave in a thermos for 12 hours, strain. Drink 100 ml infusion 4 times a day. The course of treatment is 1 month, repeat after 10 days.
Uterine fibroids, fibroids. 2 tbsp. Pour two cups of boiling water over spoons of dry crushed burdock leaves, close the lid tightly and leave for 10 hours in a warm place. Strain and drink 100 ml 4 times a day.
Metabolic disease. Pour 15 grams of burdock roots into 1 glass of water, cook for 3-5 minutes, leave for 15-20 minutes, strain. Drink half a glass of infusion 3-4 times a day.
Sciatica neuralgia (sciatica). Apply burdock leaves, previously soaked in urine, to the sore spot for 8-10 hours.
. Take fresh or dry burdock infusion 3/4 cup 3 times a day 10-15 minutes before meals. (2 tablespoons of crushed raw materials, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave).
Baldness in men and women (alopecia). Pour 5 g of fresh, crushed burdock leaves into 200 g of sunflower oil. Leave for 24 hours, boil for 15 minutes, cool and strain. 1-2 hours before washing, rub into scalp.
Baldness in men and women (alopecia). Pour 20 g of burdock roots and 15 thorns into 1 liter of boiling water and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and leave for 2 hours. Rinse your hair with warm infusion 3 times a week. A positive result will be seen in the first month of treatment.
Fainting. Place a crushed burdock leaf on the solar plexus.
Dyspnea. 4 tbsp. spoons of burdock roots pour 1 liter of boiling water, leave for 30-40 minutes, strain. Drink 1/2 glass 3 times a day.
Oncological diseases. Cover the entire body with burdock leaves.
Gastrointestinal tumors. Mix 100 g of grated burdock roots with 100 g of unsalted butter, boil, then add the yolk of a chicken egg and mix thoroughly. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day 10-15 minutes before meals.
Gastrointestinal tumors. Grate fresh burdock root and mix with an equal amount of honey (by volume). Take 1 teaspoon 4-5 times a day.
Testicular tumor in men. Finely chop the burdock root, pour in an equal amount of sour cream, place in a glass container, close with a lid and bury in the ground for 7 days. Apply to a sore spot: pus will flow and healing will occur.
Osteomyelitis. 2 tbsp. spoons of burdock root per 0.5 liters of water, leave for 2 hours; then boil for 10 minutes, strain and drink warm in 3 doses a day after meals. You can add 1 teaspoon of honey to each dose.
Osteochondrosis. In May or September, dig up burdock roots. Wash, remove film and pass through a meat grinder. Place the resulting mass in a liter jar halfway and fill it to the top with vodka. Close the jar tightly and put it in a dark place for a week. Stir daily. With this tincture, make compresses on the sore spot: moisten the cloth and apply to the sore spot, cover with plastic wrap and tie tightly with a towel or warm scarf. Apply the compress at night until the pain goes away.
Osteochondrosis. Pour 15 g of burdock roots into 200 ml of water, boil, leave for 20 minutes, strain. Drink the infusion 1 tbsp. spoon 3-4 times a day.
Osteochondrosis. Pour 30-40 g of dry burdock seeds into 0.5 liters of vodka or 70% alcohol, leave for 2 weeks in a dark place, shaking often, strain. Moisten a gauze napkin folded in 3 layers in the tincture and apply it to the sore spot, wrap it with a woolen scarf or scarf (do not use polyethylene or compress paper, tissue necrosis may occur).
Edema of the liver and kidneys. 2 tbsp. spoons of crushed dry burdock leaves, brew 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave overnight and drink the infusion 3/4 cup 3 times a day 10-15 minutes before meals or an hour after meals.
Edema of the liver and kidneys. Take 2 tbsp. spoons of juice from burdock leaves 3 times a day, immediately before meals.
Salt deposits. Apply burdock leaves with the reverse side to the sore spots.
Blood purification. Pass the burdock leaves through a meat grinder, squeeze out the juice through cheesecloth and mix it with honey in a 1:2 ratio. Keep refrigerated. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day half an hour before meals. Drink for 10 days, break for 10 days. And so three courses.
Pancreatitis - with stones in the pancreas. 1 tbsp. A spoonful of dried burdock roots is poured into 0.5 liters of cold water, left for 2 hours, then boiled for 15 minutes and immediately filtered. Drink warm a day in 3 doses after meals.
Nerve paresis. 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of burdock roots with 1 glass of water, leave for 5-7 minutes, strain. Drink 1/2 glass 3 times a day.
Gout. Grind fresh burdock leaves in a meat grinder to make 0.5 liters, add 0.5 liters of honey and 0.5 liters of vodka. Store the resulting mixture at room temperature in a dark place. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day on an empty stomach.
Gout. Pour 2 teaspoons of finely chopped burdock roots into 1 glass of water and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Drink 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day.
Prostatitis (prostate adenoma). Take 2 tbsp. spoons of juice from burdock leaves 3 times a day, immediately before meals.
Prostatitis (prostate adenoma). 2 tbsp. spoons of burdock leaves or roots pour 1 liter of boiling water, cook for 10 minutes over low heat, leave for 2 hours, strain. Take 50 ml before meals 4 times a day. The course of treatment is 3-4 weeks.
Antitumor and restorative agent. Mix 100 g of grated burdock roots with 100 g of unsalted butter, boil, then add the yolk of a chicken egg and mix thoroughly. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day 10-15 minutes before meals.
Heel spur. Place the leaves (with the inner side) on the heel, bandage it tightly, put on a sock to hold the leaves in place, and wear it day and night. The next day, make a new compress. About five procedures will be required.
Radiculitis. At night, apply a burdock leaf with the fluffy side to the sore spot.
Rheumatoid polyarthritis. Prepare a hot bath (to a tolerable temperature), soak burdock leaves in it, sit the patient in the bath and cover his entire body with hot leaves. Bath time is 20-30 minutes. Carry out the procedure three times a week. The course of treatment is 10-12 baths.
Rheumatism. Before going to bed, wrap sore spots with fresh burdock leaves (fluffy side).
Rheumatism. Soak 12 g of dry roots in warm water, then peel and grate, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. simmer on fire for 15 minutes, without letting it boil, cool, strain. Drink 1 tbsp. spoon 15 minutes before meals 4 times a day. The course of treatment is 1 month.
Rheumatism. 2 tbsp. spoons of ground burdock root, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water (or 2 tablespoons of fresh root, pour cold boiled water). Leave overnight. Drink 3/4 cup infusion 3 times a day 10 minutes before meals.
Rheumatism. Take 45 tablespoons of crushed burdock root, boil in a bucket of water (10 l), cool. In a warm broth, moisten a sheet of such width that it covers the body from the armpits to the ankles of the feet. Wrap the patient tightly with a sheet that is not wrung dry. Place a piece of sheet between your knees so that your legs do not touch. Then wrap the patient in the same way with a dry sheet and a woolen blanket. Secure the sheet and blanket with pins and leave the patient in bed for 1.5-2 hours. If the patient falls asleep, there is no need to wake him up; the sheets are removed after waking up. Treatment is best applied at night, once a day. After 6 days, break for a day. The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks. Together with external applications, you can use a decoction of burdock root (15 g of root per 200 ml of boiling water). Take 1 tbsp. l. 4 times a day before meals.
Erysipelas (erysipelas). Coat burdock leaves with sour cream and apply to areas with erysipelas.
Stimulation of kidney function. Pour 15 g of burdock roots into 200 ml of water, boil, leave for 20 minutes, strain. Drink 1/4 cup 3 times a day. The course of treatment is 1 month.
Anti-dandruff remedy. If you have dry hair, you can get rid of dandruff by rubbing burdock oil into the scalp every other day for a month. Pour 50 g of chopped fresh burdock roots into a glass of sunflower oil, leave for 24 hours, then cook over low heat for 15 minutes, strain.
Stomatitis. Take burdock root powder 1 g 3 times a day.
Stomatitis. Pour 1 teaspoon of dry burdock herb into 1 cup of boiling water, boil in a sealed container for 3-5 minutes, leave for 3 hours, strain. Drink a third of a glass of infusion 15 minutes before meals 3 times a day.
Dry seborrhea of the scalp. 2 tbsp. spoons of crushed dry burdock roots, pour 1.5 cups of boiling water and boil over low heat until the original volume is reduced by half, strain, put in a water bath and add lard. Close tightly and place the mixture in a warm oven for 3-4 hours. Rub the resulting ointment into the scalp 1-2 times a week for several months.
Pulmonary tuberculosis. Take 1 tbsp burdock juice. spoon after eating.
Uterine fibroid. 2 tbsp. spoons of crushed dry burdock leaves, brew 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave overnight and drink 3/4 cup 3 times a day 10-15 minutes before meals or an hour after meals.
Uterine fibroid. Take 2 tbsp. spoons of juice from burdock leaves 3 times a day, immediately before meals.
Furunculosis. Burdock seeds will help with furunculosis (they are located inside the prickly cone). For 3 days, three times a day, 10 pcs. Roll the seeds into bread crumbs and swallow 10-15 minutes before meals. The result is 90 seeds. Boils mature and burst.
Cholecystitis. 2 tbsp. spoons of crushed dry burdock leaves, brew 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave overnight and drink 3/4 cup 3 times a day 10-15 minutes before meals or an hour after meals.
Cholecystitis. Take 2 tbsp. spoons of juice from burdock leaves 3 times a day, immediately before meals.
Boils, boils, styes and hidradenitis. In the fall, prepare large burdock seeds (they are black). Count out 12 pieces and chew them thoroughly.
Eczema. Fill a glass jar with burdock cones (when they are covered with cobwebs), add vodka or moonshine, leave in a dark place for a month. Wipe areas affected by eczema.
Eczema. Pour 15 grams of burdock roots into 1 glass of water, boil for 10 minutes, leave for 2 hours, strain. Drink 1 tablespoon of infusion before meals 4 times a day.
Eczema. Pour 50 grams of dry crushed burdock roots into 1 liter of water, boil for 15 minutes, cool for 10 minutes and strain. Make lotions.
Enuresis. 4 tbsp. spoons of burdock roots pour 1 liter of boiling water, leave for 40-50 minutes, strain. Drink 1/2 glass 3 times a day.
Erythema nodosum. 3 times a day, drink 3/4 cup of aqueous infusion of burdock roots (2 tablespoons of crushed root, fresh or dry, pour: fresh - 0.5 liters of cold boiled water, dry - 0.5 liters of boiling water). If possible, drink burdock leaf juice - 2 tbsp. spoons 3 times a day before meals.
Erythema nodosum. Pour 100 g of fresh burdock root into 500 g of olive oil, add a head of garlic (clings), leave in the sun for one week in a glass container with a well-closed lid. On the eighth day, thoroughly grind the medicinal raw materials and strain through gauze. Rub into affected areas 2 times a day.
Erythema nodosum. Grind 100 g of fresh burdock root in a mortar to a creamy mass, mix with 500 g of pork fat, leave for three days in a warm place, then heat to 70-80 degrees, without boiling, strain, squeeze through gauze folded in three layers. Store in a jar in the refrigerator. Apply to affected areas by vigorous rubbing 2 times a day - morning and evening.
Cervical erosion. Douche with freshly squeezed burdock juice twice a day. The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.
Duodenal ulcer. Juice from burdock roots helps.
Stomach ulcer. In May, as soon as young shoots and leaves of burdock begin to appear, you need to dig up the roots of those plants that have 5 leaves. Rinse without peeling, dry, finely chop and mince. Squeeze the juice and mix it with May honey in a 1:1 ratio. Mix the whole mass thoroughly with a wooden stick and leave in a dark place for a month. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day half an hour before meals, without drinking anything. Improvement occurs after taking 1 liter of infusion.
Ulcer of the gastrointestinal tract and duodenum. Drink juice from the whole burdock plant, 1-2 tbsp. spoons before meals 3-4 times a day.
Stye on the eye. Apply fresh crushed burdock root to the sore spot.

Burdock recipes

Burdock root soup. Boil 200 g of potatoes, 40 g of rice and 150 g of finely chopped burdock roots in 1 liter of meat broth until tender, add 50 g of chopped onion, salt and pepper to taste. Add sour cream before serving.
Roasted burdock roots. Boil well-washed burdock roots in lightly salted water, place in a frying pan heated with fat and fry until golden brown.

Side effects unknown.

Contraindications. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, mental illness.

Name of the plant. Large burdock or burdock.

Latin name. Arctium lappa L.

Family. Compositae - Compositae.

Habitat. Grows in weedy places and between bushes.

Spreading. Found everywhere in Europe, Russia, China.

Description

Burdock (burdock) is a medicinal plant, a representative of the Asteraceae family. Burdock has a branched root, which sometimes reaches fifteen meters, as well as a straight stem and large leaves (see photo). Burdock is often considered a weed, although this is far from true. The Mediterranean is considered to be the birthplace of the plant. Few people know that burdock is a good honey plant: from about one hectare of burdock you can collect about half a ton of honey.

Chemical composition

Burdock roots contain polysaccharides, protein, starch, essential (0.17%) and fatty oils, tannins and bitter substances, organic acids (malic, citric, etc.), resins, mucus, pectins, sterols, glycosides, alkaloids, hydroxycinnamic acids, inulin , sitosterol, stigmasterol, ascorbic acid, vitamins B, E, D, carotenes, minerals and many other useful substances. Mucus, essential oil, tannins, ascorbic acid, vitamins, micro- and macroelements and other biologically active substances were found in the leaves and stems of the plant. Burdock seeds contain essential oils and lignan glycosides (arctiin).

Medicinal and beneficial properties of burdock, application

Preparations from the roots of burdock have wound-healing, diuretic and diaphoretic properties. They are used for certain skin diseases, for inflammatory processes in the mucous membrane of the mouth, throat, upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. The properties of large burdock and tomentose burdock are very similar and almost no different.

The use of burdock herb and treatment with it has a beneficial effect in case of metabolic disorders, improves the function of the pancreas, gall bladder, liver, kidneys, promotes the dissolution and removal of salts and stones, increases diuresis, has a positive effect on wound healing, acts as an anticarcinogenic and diaphoretic agent, promotes cleansing the blood and removing all metabolic waste.

Application

Burdock root infusion : 1 teaspoon (about 5 g) of crushed root is poured into 0.5 liters. boiling water, infuse, wrapped, overnight, in a thermos. Burdock infusion is taken orally hot and drunk throughout the day. The recipe is used in the presence of stones in the kidneys and bladder, for gastritis, stomach ulcers and other diseases. Decoctions for compresses are used for dermatoses and itchy skin rashes.
Burdock is popularly known as an effective local remedy that accelerates hair growth.
Burdock decoction (for external use) is prepared from 1 tablespoon of crushed root in 2 cups of water, boil for 30 minutes and filter. In the evening before bed, every 2 days, for 3-4 months, rub a decoction of burdock root (you can use the same amount of decoction of calamus root) into the scalp, and, as a result, your hair will become thicker, silkier, and fluffier. A decoction of burdock root is used for baths and compresses for arthritis, arthrosis, rheumatism, and joint pain.
Burdock tincture (extract, alcohol infusion) from burdock root is made with vodka in a ratio of 1:10, which is used to lubricate affected areas.
It is recommended to take burdock root in a mixture with other plants for gastritis, hemorrhoids, and gout.
Root decoction(orally) is taken to regulate carbohydrate metabolism, for rickets, benign and malignant neoplasms, and hemorrhages. It has been noted that it has a pronounced ability to inhibit the growth of tumors.
It is recommended to use burdock as a detoxification drug for mercury poisoning, insect bites, and poisonous snakes.
Burdock seed decoction taken for constipation. To do this, boil 20 g of burdock seeds in 200 ml of water, leave for 20 minutes, and filter. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day.
When treating diabetes mellitus, burdock root is combined with bean pods and blueberry leaves (equal parts) and this decoction is taken orally. A decoction of burdock root is successfully taken as a diuretic and cleansing agent, sometimes in combination with plants that have a similar effect.
Hair burdock . To eliminate hair loss, prepare an ointment with a condensed decoction of burdock. A decoction is prepared from 15 g of root and 200 ml of water, boiled in a water bath to half the volume, and then mixed in half with heated internal pork fat.
The casserole, covered tightly with a lid, is placed in the oven for several hours. Then, if not all the water has evaporated from this mass, it is drained. The thickened mass is an excellent remedy for accelerating hair growth.
Burdock root ointment in combination with chamomile flowers, fireweed herb, hoofed grass root, taken equally, has a good therapeutic effect for eczema. Boil a tablespoon of the mixture in 4 glasses of water, then add 1 tablespoon of cow butter and 2 glasses of a strong decoction of hay dust; boil again in a water bath to a thick viscous sticky mass; After straining and squeezing, mix with glycerin in equal parts.
For burns, use an ointment prepared from a condensed decoction of burdock root (4 tablespoons per 1 liter of boiling water), of which 1 part is taken to 4 parts cow butter.
An infusion of burdock roots in almond, vaseline or olive oil called “ Burr oil "(pharmaceutical drug) is used as a remedy against hair loss and accelerates hair growth.
Traditional medicine recommends taking burdock decoction internally and burdock root ointment externally to treat rheumatism.
Burdock juice used for liver problems, to treat various hepatitis and other diseases. In the spring of May, it is useful to prepare juice from burdock leaves to drink. To do this, the leaves need to be washed, passed through a meat grinder and squeezed out the juice, through a cloth napkin - twisted and squeezed in your hands.
The juice is very bitter and should be drunk immediately before meals, 1 tbsp. spoon, i.e. 3 times a day. Drink for 1 week, then take a break for 1 week and treat again for 1 week, etc. Some herbalists recommend drinking up to 1 liter per season. juice, intermittently, of course. The treatment is very effective and is recommended to be done annually.
Fresh burdock juice is also used to treat purulent wounds, burns, cuts, ulcers; you can use crushed leaves instead of juice.
Canning burdock juice You can use alcohol and honey, or just honey. The recipe is this: for half a liter of burdock juice, take 150 ml of alcohol and 150 ml of liquid honey, mix everything well, cover with a lid and put in the refrigerator. Or, dilute with honey 1:1 and also store in the refrigerator. It is advisable to use it as soon as possible. Take, for adults, 1-2 tablespoons, 3 times a day before meals.

In cosmetology

IN cosmetics Mostly burdock root is used, less often the whole plant or leaves.

An infusion of burdock root in almond or olive oil (burdock oil) is used to strengthen hair and for baldness. A decoction serves the same purpose. However, more effective is an infusion of burdock root mixed with fresh nasturtium juice at the rate of 2 tablespoons of juice per 100 g of infusion. The mixture is rubbed 2-3 times a day, followed by rinsing the head with a decoction of burdock roots.
Burdock for wound healing. 75 g of fresh crushed burdock roots are infused for 24 hours in a warm place in 200 ml of sunflower or vaseline oil. After this, the infusion is boiled over low heat for 15 minutes, stirred often, filtered, and drained.
Boil the whole burdock plant and leave for 30 minutes. Wash or rinse hair with hot broth for 5-10 minutes. The procedure strengthens them, makes them silky, shiny, and promotes rapid regrowth.
Pour two tablespoons of dry crushed burdock roots into a glass of boiling water, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, leave until cool and strain. Rub into hair roots 2-3 times a week or rinse hair after washing. The procedure strengthens the hair roots, enhances their growth, and eliminates dandruff. Used for hair loss, oily seborrhea of the scalp. After rubbing, rinse hair with water.
To wash your hair, take 2 tablespoons of dry burdock roots in 0.5 liters of water, boil for 10-15 minutes. First, wash your hair 2-3 times a week, then only once. Recommended in the same cases as in the previous recipe.

Mask to accelerate hair growth

This product perfectly stimulates hair growth, makes it strong and shiny. Pour 2 tablespoons of chopped burdock roots into a glass of water, bring to a boil and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Grind one medium-sized onion on a fine grater and squeeze out the juice. Cool the broth a little and strain. Add the resulting onion juice to it and mix everything well. Cool the mixture to a temperature that is pleasant for the skin and apply the mask, rubbing it into the roots and scalp. Distribute the remainder evenly throughout the hair. Cover the top with a plastic bag or shower cap and wrap with a towel. After 30 minutes, rinse with warm water and shampoo.

Hair strengthening mask

An excellent product for weak, dry and brittle hair. Strengthens the roots, gives hair silkiness and elasticity. Pour 3 tablespoons of crushed dry burdock roots into a glass of boiling water and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. Next, strain the mixture hot and pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into it. To stir thoroughly. Allow to cool and rub the resulting mixture into the hair roots.

Anti-dandruff mask

Dandruff often requires treatment with special products. But with general improvement of the scalp and normalization of metabolic processes, this problem disappears thanks to the protective forces of the body itself. To prepare the decoction, take burdock root, heather grass, nettle grass, and hop fruits in equal quantities (usually 1 tablespoon each). Pour the mixture with 1 liter of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, then leave for 30 minutes. Use to rinse your hair after washing. After such rinsing, do not immediately dry your hair with a hairdryer, but wrap it in a terry towel and keep it warm for 20-30 minutes.

Another useful anti-dandruff composition is burdock root, hop fruits, calamus rhizome. All this can be bought at the pharmacy. Prepare in the same way as the previous decoction.

Harvesting burdock

Burdock root is a thick tap root, up to 60 cm long and about as thick as a person’s arm. When going for burdocks, you definitely need to take a shovel; you won’t be able to just pull out the root. You should not take roots from landfills and garbage dumps, and you should not dig up burdocks near roadways. It is better to take a walk around the neighborhood and find a clean place, not polluted by runoff and waste, somewhere in a meadow or field.

The roots are best from first year plants and are harvested in the fall. You can take it in the spring of the second year, but it is better to do this at the very beginning of the appearance of leaves. The roots dug out of the ground are thoroughly cleaned of soil and small roots, washed in running water, after which they are either immediately used to prepare juice and decoction, or finely chopped and air-dried for further use. The raw materials are dried under a canopy, or in a slightly heated oven or stove. The shelf life of harvested raw materials is 2-3 years.

If it is not possible to prepare the roots yourself, then it does not matter - you can always buy them in a pharmacy in dried form.

Properties of burdock oil

Burdock oil has pronounced cleansing properties. When applied regularly to the roots and shafts of the hair, the surface of the scalp, hair follicles and the hair itself are first cleansed of toxic metabolic products and dead cells. The main work of such cleansing is performed by inulin: it deposits all unnecessary substances on its surface.

Inulin not only cleanses the skin, but also restores its immunity, which helps prevent infectious, inflammatory and oncological diseases on the skin. Cleansed of excess ballast, the skin begins to better absorb the nutrients it needs for metabolism. From burdock oil, skin cells and hair follicles take vitamins and minerals, which activate metabolism, becoming components of enzymes (substances that accelerate all biochemical reactions many times over).

Thus, zinc is involved in the processes of hair and nail growth, skin restoration, and the formation of collagen fibers, which give the skin elasticity. Silicon improves the condition of hair and nails, making them stronger. Selenium protects the skin from any influences and promotes the absorption of the main antioxidant - vitamin E.

Vitamins A and E help improve the condition of skin and hair, B vitamins supply energy necessary for metabolism, and vitamin C strengthens the walls of blood vessels - blood supply is vital for skin cells.

As a result, under the influence of burdock oil, the roots (bulbs, follicles) of the hair are strengthened, the hair begins to grow faster and falls out less often. The structure of the hair itself is also restored: burdock oil glues the split ends of the hair and the scales that have fallen away from the shaft. This is mainly the effect of palmitic and stearic fatty acids. After a course of treatment with burdock oil, hair becomes strong, elastic, vibrant, and its ends do not split. Dry scalp disappears, and along with it dandruff, itching, etc.

Use in cooking

In many countries, burdock is also used as an ingredient for culinary masterpieces. For example, in Japan and Western Europe, burdock is grown as a vegetable. The roots are most often used in dishes - they are considered a delicacy. In addition to various processing (boiling, baking and much more), they are also eaten raw. Desserts made from roots are interesting: marmalade, jam. Roasting burdock roots can make an interesting coffee drink. For all this, the roots of the plant’s first year of life are used. The leaves are also used for salads and soups, but they are first peeled.

Contraindications

No contraindications were noted. But you should limit, or better yet completely exclude, burdock from your diet during pregnancy and lactation.

Video

Sources

http://fitohome.ru/lekarstvennye-rasteniya/lopux-ili-repejnik.html#i-6 https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burdock_big http://xcook.info/product/koren-lopyha- repejnik.html