As the home of the ancient Ayurvedic tradition, Indians are quite familiar with a number of herbs and shrubs that have medicinal value as they have been used in herbal treatments for thousands of years. But obviously, ancient Indian civilizations weren’t the only ones using plants to remedy illnesses; other cultures also had access to several important plants that displayed a number of therapeutic properties. As these plants aren’t native to India, they aren’t very popular here. But now we are in a position when we can utilize the folk wisdom from other cultures to improve our health.

One such plant that is relatively unknown in India is the burdock plant. Burdock is an underground tuber that is native to Northern Europe and parts of Siberia, where it has been grown as a vegetable and for its medicinal value for hundreds of years. The most important part of the burdock plant is the Burdock Root Extract, which is filled with important and essential nutrients for your body.

What is the nutritional content of burdock?

Burdock is stuffed with a variety of important nutrients and minerals which your body needs to keep fit. The primary nutritional content of burdock is carbohydrates, fatty oils, sterols, tannins and volatile oils. Burdock’s medicinal value mainly arises from its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, the sources of which are potent anti-oxidants like phenolic acid, quercetin and luteolin.

This extremely rich nutrition profile is responsible for burdock’s amazing health benefits, some of which are listed below:-

1. It radically improves digestion and helps in weight loss

Burdock finds a lot of use as an aid for digestion and for generally improving the health of the digestive system. Burdock contains a form of natural dietary fiber known as inulin, which helps in facilitating the movement of food through the alimentary canal. Also, as it is rich in fiber, it is quite filling and helps to lower the appetite, which is useful for people who are looking to lose weight. It doesn’t hurt that it carries a lot of nutrition but is very low on calories – 100 g of burdock will give you just 72 calories.

2. It improves blood circulation and lowers cholesterol

Burdock contains a large number of essential nutrients, but most importantly it has a healthy dose of potassium in it (100 g of burdock root can satisfy 5-6% of your daily potassium needs). Potassium is an incredibly important electrolyte for the body for two reasons – first, it competes with the sodium in the body and saves it from the harmful effects of sodium in the body, and secondly, it is a vaso-dilator. This means that potassium helps in the proper contraction and relaxation of the blood vessels, resulting in better blood circulation throughout the body.

Burdock is also referred to as a prebiotic, which means that it helps in lowering the bad cholesterol in blood and prevents the blockage of arteries. It is also well-known to be a blood purifier as it rids the blood of harmful toxins.

3. Its anti-oxidant content improves the body’s immunity

As stated before, burdock is chock full of useful anti-oxidants. In addition to those mentioned above, it also has smaller amounts of folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E and many others. As a result, consumption of burdock can greatly improve the immunity of the body to pathogens and harmful infections.

Moreover, anti-oxidants are also helpful in limiting oxidative stress and the harmful effects of free radicals. Free radicals are responsible for a number of serious diseases like cancer and neurological problems and by nullifying their threat, burdock can keep them at bay.

As with any other food, there are several precautions about burdock that you should be aware of before you start consuming it. Pregnant or nursing women should refrain from using it, and so should people suffering from dehydration and bleeding disorders. Patients of diabetes too shouldn’t take burdock without consultation with their physicians. Consume it in moderation and you will reap its benefits!

To learn more about burdock root extract, click here.