Know2eat

Burdock root

Arctium lappa

What burdock root has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

  • 1 Limited
  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About burdock root

A long, slender, dark-skinned taproot eaten widely in Japan as gobo, usually shredded and braised. It discolours quickly once cut and is traditionally soaked in acidulated water.

Also known as Gobo, Greater burdock, Niubang

Gut & Digestive HealthLiver Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Gut microbiome

Gut & Digestive Health
Limited evidence

Inulin-type fructans reliably increase bifidobacteria in human trials, and burdock is a concentrated dietary source. The trials used purified inulin rather than the vegetable, so the read-across is an assumption rather than a finding.

What may be going on: Inulin escapes digestion in the small intestine and is fermented selectively by bifidobacteria and other saccharolytic species in the colon.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Liver markers

Liver Health
Insufficient evidence

Burdock root appears in a great many traditional blood-purifying and liver preparations and is marketed on that history. Human trials measuring liver enzymes after burdock are essentially absent.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Burdock root

Ask about Burdock root

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories72 kcal4%
Protein1.53 g3%
Total fat0.15 g0%
Carbohydrate17.3 g6%
Fibre3.3 g12%
Total sugars2.9 g—
Water80.1 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.025 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.037 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.059 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.056 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C3 mg3%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.38 mg3%
Vitamin K1.6 µg1%
Thiamin (B1)0.01 mg1%
Riboflavin (B2)0.03 mg2%
Niacin (B3)0.3 mg2%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.321 mg6%
Vitamin B60.24 mg14%
Folate23 µg6%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline11.7 mg2%
Minerals
Calcium41 mg3%
Iron0.8 mg4%
Magnesium38 mg9%
Phosphorus51 mg4%
Potassium308 mg7%
Sodium5 mg0%
Zinc0.33 mg3%
Copper0.077 mg9%
Manganese0.232 mg10%
Selenium0.7 µg1%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.89 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Burdock root, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169974).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • soakedPreserves colour and polyphenols

    Soaking cut burdock in acidulated water slows the polyphenol oxidase browning reaction. It also leaches some of the same polyphenols into the water, so the effect is on appearance more than on content.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Avoid

    Adulterated burdock root teas

    Anticholinergic poisonings have been traced to burdock root tea contaminated with belladonna root, which the dried material resembles. The vegetable bought as gobo is not the concern; loose herbal root products of unclear origin are.

  • Too much

    Inulin and gut symptoms

    Burdock is one of the most inulin-dense foods available. That fibre is fermented rapidly, and a large first serving reliably produces wind and bloating, especially for people with irritable bowel syndrome.

  • Allergy

    Daisy-family sensitisation

    Burdock is in the Asteraceae family with ragweed, mugwort and chamomile. Contact dermatitis and, rarely, systemic reactions have been reported in people sensitised to that group.