Burdock: A Wonderful Alterative

Alternative’s are herbs that alter the body’s metabolic processes so that the tissues can best deal with a range of functions from nutrition to elimination, essentially, they promote general health and well-being throughout the body. It is difficult to pin down the exact pharmacognostical effect alternatives have on the body, but as proven in so many herbal
books, you can’t go wrong with these powerful herbs as they work with the body to provide both deep nutrition and excellent cleansing. 

One of Dr. Christopher’s favorite alterative herbs was burdock. This beautiful large leaf biennial plant is commonly considered a weed and an invasive species. Maybe it spreads with such fervor because it knows it can
help us – if we would just use it! All parts of burdock can be used, root, stem, leaves, and seeds, with the root having the most powerful alterative properties. The stalk can be harvested before the flower opens, just strip off the bitter rind then boil the stalk or add it to a salad – it has a delicate flavor like asparagus. 

Dr. Christopher teaches us
that burdock is one of the most powerful blood cleansers in nature but does not nauseate. This may be due to its bitter quality which also stimulates the liver to release bile, which helps with nausea. Dr. Christopher gives many medicinal uses for burdock including rheumatism, cancer, gout, pulmonary affections, catarrh, hemorrhoids, urinary deposits, canker sores, kidney and bladder troubles, colds, fevers, pain, and many skin conditions. A hot fomentation of burdock tea is useful for all types
of skin conditions including large sores, inflammation, eruptions, wounds, and burns (SNH, 66). Using burdock internally is most helpful in clearing up skin conditions from the inside out as the blood stream brings nutrients to and releases toxins from every cell in the body. Often skin conditions occur because the bloodstream and other eliminative channels are clogged up, so the body releases toxins through the skin in order to alleviate the load from other channels and keep the body
running. 

Burdock is fantastic for cleansing and purifying the bloodstream and pairing this powerful alterative with a clean diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds will ensure the most lasting effects from almost any ailment. The following example demonstrates how important it is to eat life giving
foods: 

“While Dr. Christopher served in the army during World War II, a soldier came to him with a bad case of boils under both arms. Dr. Christopher lanced and treated them as usual, but in a week the soldier was back with another crop. He said that he had been plagued with the problem all his life. Dr. Christopher asked him if he wanted to rid his body
of the boils, and he said he did. So Dr. Christopher gave him a prescription for the mess sergeant (not for the druggist): no fried foods, no milk, no meat, no potatoes, no soft drinks, but all fresh fruits and vegetables. Needless to say, the boils promptly cleared up and there was no recurrence. These diseases must be treated by clearing up the bloodstream and keeping it clean” (SNH, 71).

A clean bloodstream will allow us to keep the body functioning and give us the strength to “run and not be weary and walk and not faint.” Make the choice to add as many fresh fruit and vegetables as possible into your diet, and then use alterative herbs such as burdock to fine tune the system. The results are more than worth the effort!

Tara Christopher Eyre is a Master Herbalist and Foot Zone therapist/practitioner. She loves helping people find and continue their path toward health.