Burdock Root: Benefits, Tea, Side Effects and What the Research Shows

Burdock root is the long, brown taproot of Arctium lappa, a plant in the daisy family that is eaten as a vegetable in parts of Asia and sold in the US as a tea, capsule and ingredient in herbal cleanse blends. Human research on burdock root benefits is limited to a handful of small studies, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) states there is no evidence that it helps cancer, infections, diabetes or other medical conditions. The main safety points are allergy, pregnancy and a history of contaminated teas. Here is what burdock is, what the studies actually measured and what to check before you try it.

Peptide Labs does not sell a standalone burdock root supplement. One product we carry lists burdock inside a blend, described below. This article is general information, not medical advice.

What is burdock root?

Burdock is a large perennial plant native to Europe and northern Asia that now grows worldwide, often as a weed known for its sticky burrs. MSKCC notes that the root has been eaten as food in Asia for centuries and is used in traditional Chinese medicine, where the plant is known as niubang. In Japanese cooking the root is called gobo and is eaten cooked as a vegetable.

Supplements use dried root as loose tea, powder or capsules, and burdock appears in many multi-herb “cleanse” and skin formulas. Traditional uses listed by MSKCC include promoting urination and helping skin conditions, but traditional use is not the same as evidence.

Burdock root as a vegetable

As a food, burdock root is mostly carbohydrate with some fiber and potassium. The figures below come from the USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy database.

Part of the carbohydrate is inulin, the same type of fermentable fiber found in chicory root. Our guide to inulin explains why this fiber can cause gas in some people. A cup of cooked burdock is a vegetable serving, not a supplement, and eating it does not carry the contamination risks discussed below for teas.

Burdock root benefits: what the research shows

Most burdock research is in cells and animals, testing extracts of the root, leaves or seeds. Those studies explain why scientists are curious about compounds such as arctigenin, but they cannot show what happens when a person drinks the tea. The human evidence is small:

• Knee osteoarthritis markers: a 2016 trial in Tabriz, Iran randomly assigned 36 adults aged 50 to 70 to burdock root tea or plain hot water for 42 days, while both groups kept the same pain-relief and glucosamine routine. The tea group had lower inflammatory markers (IL-6 and hs-CRP) and better antioxidant readings in blood. The study did not show changes in joint symptoms in its abstract, and it has not been repeated in a larger group.
• Blood lipids: MSKCC summarizes a small study of burdock tea and lipid metabolism in people with diabetic kidney disease. It was not designed to show health outcomes.
• Skin: one clinical study tested a topical burdock extract on the appearance of wrinkles. That says nothing about swallowing burdock.

There are no good human trials of burdock root for weight loss, “blood cleansing” or liver support, even though it is common in products marketed for those ideas. If a label promises that burdock flushes toxins, read that as marketing. Our guides to liver cleanse supplements and colon cleanse products explain why the body already handles waste through the liver, kidneys and gut.

Burdock root tea and the contamination problem

Burdock root tea is the most common way people try the herb, and it carries the most unusual risk. In 1978, doctors described in JAMA a 26-year-old woman who arrived at an emergency department with blurred vision, a dry mouth, an inability to urinate and confused behavior after drinking packaged burdock root tea from a health food chain. The tea contained atropine-like alkaloids, the compounds found in deadly nightshade (belladonna). A second report of anticholinergic poisoning from commercial burdock tea followed in the 1980s.

A 2017 review in the journal Toxins counted 10 reports of this kind of poisoning from contaminated herbal teas between 1978 and 2013 in the US, Europe and Canada, with burdock root tea among seven tea types involved. The authors think belladonna roots were probably mixed in at harvest, because wild roots can look alike. Contamination appears rare, but it is a good reason to choose products from companies that identify the plant and test each batch. Our guide to third-party tested supplements explains what testing seals cover.

Seek emergency care for blurred vision, a racing heart, flushed dry skin, trouble urinating or confusion after drinking any herbal tea, and bring the package with you.

Burdock root side effects and who should avoid it

• Allergy: burdock is in the daisy family. MSKCC warns that people allergic to chrysanthemums may react to it. Published reports include allergic contact dermatitis and a case of anaphylaxis in a man about an hour after eating boiled burdock.
• Pregnancy: MSKCC advises pregnant women to avoid burdock because root extract stimulated uterine contractions in animal experiments. Ask your prenatal provider about any herbal tea, and about breastfeeding as well, since safety data are lacking.
• Liver: MSKCC lists a case of acute liver injury in a woman who drank a multi-herb liver detox tea that included burdock. With blends it is hard to know which herb is responsible.
• Medicines: interaction data for burdock are thin. If you take diabetes medicines, blood thinners or diuretics, show the label to your pharmacist before adding any herbal product.
• Gas and bloating: the inulin in the root can cause gas in sensitive people.

Burdock in blends: read the whole label

Burdock is often a minor ingredient in formulas built around other herbs. The only product in our store that lists it is InnoSupps Inno Cleanse, a capsule labeled Digestive Aid. Its Supplement Facts list burdock root in a proprietary complex with licorice root extract and slippery elm bark, alongside cascara sagrada, cape aloe, senna and frangula, which are laxative herbs. The label does not show how much burdock is in the complex, directs use for up to 14 days at a time once a month, and asks people who are under 18, pregnant, nursing, managing a medical condition or taking medicines to check with a professional first. If you choose a blend like this, the laxative herbs matter far more than the burdock. Our guides to cascara sagrada and licorice root cover those ingredients.

1. Look for the Latin name Arctium lappa and the plant part (root, leaf or seed).
2. Check whether burdock is a single ingredient or hidden in a proprietary blend with no amount shown.
3. Note any laxative or diuretic herbs in the same product.
4. Prefer brands that test each batch for identity and contaminants.
5. Compare it with related root herbs such as dandelion root, which share the same thin evidence and similar allergy cautions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related reading: milk thistle, another herb sold for the liver, and gotu kola, a traditional herb with its own label cautions.

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting any supplement, especially if you take medicines. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Dandelion Root Benefits: What the Evidence Shows, Tea, Side Effects and Interactions, Liver Cleanse Supplements: What Is Inside, What Research Measured and Safety Risks, Milk Thistle Benefits: What Silymarin Research Shows, Side Effects and Safety.