Burdock Root
What’s New This Month
- Hormone trial: In a 60-woman trial, burdock added to standard drugs shrank the ovaries on scans but did not change hair growth, cycles or weight. 1
- FDA letter: In March 2026 FDA told an online herb seller that its burdock root tincture and other products were sold with illegal disease claims; no resolution is shown. 2
- Europe: A company asked in February 2026 to sell burdock root in the EU as a traditional food; the request is at the first stage of review. 3
- Lead: Nine California notices from October 2024 to May 2026 allege lead in products that contain burdock, mostly sea moss powders and gobo foods. None has been filed since 1 May 2026. Notices are allegations, not lab findings. 4 5
Overview
Burdock root comes from Arctium lappa, a tall plant in the daisy family. The root is eaten as a vegetable called gobo and sold as dried root, tea, tincture and capsules.
Europe’s medicines agency lists burdock root as a traditional herbal medicine, a label based on long use, not trials. 6
Labels claim it purifies the blood and detoxes the body, and supports the liver, skin, joints, blood sugar, immunity and hormones.
How We Researched It
We rate each marketing claim with a modified version of GRADE, the system medical researchers use to say how sure we can be (i.e., high, moderate, low or very low), and check each trial with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, which asks whether a study’s design could skew its results. For burdock root we weighed 63 records and appraised 37, published mostly from October 2022 to October 2026. We also checked 10 regulators and safety databases. NIH has no burdock fact sheet, and we found no Cochrane review.
Research NotesTop three benefits
Liver and Kidney GRADE: Very Low
No trial has tested liver or kidney outcomes. The only case is a liver injury in a woman drinking a six-herb detox tea that included burdock; she recovered after stopping. 21
Bias check: With no trials there is nothing to weigh, and the one case cannot single out burdock.
Skin GRADE: Very Low
No randomized trial exists. The human data are case reports using a formula made from the fruit, not the root. 22
Bias check: Reviews in this area lean on lab and animal work, which may not carry over to people.
Joints GRADE: Very Low
One 36-person knee arthritis trial of 6 g a day of tea for 6 weeks reported less pain and lower inflammation markers than boiled water; it was published three times. 7
Bias check: Only the investigator was blinded, the control was boiled water, and no one has repeated the trial.
Benefit Evaluation
| Claim | Claim Verdict | Research Confidence | Supporting Evidence | Safety Risk | Product Quality | FactStack™ Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liver and Kidney | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
| Skin | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
| Joints | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
| Blood Sugar | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
| Digestive Health | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
| Immune Support | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
| Hormone and Thyroid Support | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
| Energy and Vitality | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
| Cancer, Infection and Disease | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
| Cholesterol, Blood Pressure and Circulation | Doubtful | Very Low | Doubtful | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Warning |
What Sellers Say vs. What Studies Show
| “Purifies the blood and detoxes your body.” | No trial has measured toxin removal, so the claim cannot be tested as worded. |
| “Clinically proven.” | Only five small trials exist. One 36-person knee trial was published three times, and none has been repeated. 7 |
| “Balances hormones.” | In the only recent trial, hair growth, cycles and weight did not change versus placebo. 1 |
| “Lowers cholesterol.” | Small trials found no cholesterol or heart-marker benefit from burdock alone. 8 |
| “It’s natural, so it’s safe.” | Burdock teas tainted with belladonna-like alkaloids caused poisoning, and a severe allergic reaction to boiled burdock has been reported. 9 10 |
| “Pure and third-party tested.” | NSF lists no burdock product, and California notices allege lead in burdock powders. 11 4 |
Trial ParametersIf you try it
| Who | No marketed health benefit is established for any group. |
| Dose | Health Canada: 1.2 to 18 g a day of dried root. Trials tested 460 mg to 6 g a day. 12 |
| Ceiling | Health Canada’s upper bound is 18 g a day of dried root. No source sets an optimal dose. 12 |
| Duration | Stop within the 6 to 16 weeks tested. Stop for blurred vision, dry mouth, trouble urinating, confusion or signs of allergy. |
| Form | Single-ingredient root naming species and plant part. Avoid multi-herb detox blends (a liver-injury case) and sea moss or bladderwrack blends (lead allegations). |
| Ask First | Pregnancy (Health Canada: do not use); breastfeeding; daisy-family allergy; under 18; diabetes; water pills (synthetic diuretics). |
How to Take It
| Pick a plan | Trials used 460 mg a day of powder up to 6 g a day as tea, for 6 to 12 weeks. 1 7 |
| Time of day | Not reported. |
| With food | Not reported. |
| What to expect | Most trials found no change you would feel. One small open trial found fewer repeat bouts of diverticulitis (inflamed gut pouches). 13 |
| How to take | Brew the cut root as a tea, as one trial did: 1.5 g three times a day. 13 |
Works With / Don’t Mix With
✓ Works with
Not reported. We found no supplement shown to add to burdock’s effect.
Burdock as food. Eating burdock (gobo) as a vegetable is a food use we did not review.
⚠ Ask first / don’t mix
Diabetes medicines. Health Canada advises asking a health care provider first if you have diabetes. 12
Water pills (synthetic diuretics). Europe’s medicines agency does not recommend using them together. 6
Daisy-family allergy. People allergic to ragweed, daisies or chrysanthemums should avoid it; a severe allergic reaction has been reported. 10
Manufacturer Recalls & WarningsLast 36 months, newest first
| Date | Maker / Brand | Product | Action | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | Vintage Roots LLC | Root beer syrup containing burdock root | FDA Class II recall H-1177-2026 for an unapproved additive (sassafras bark); not caused by burdock. Terminated. | 14 |
| May 2026 | Feel Good Co.; Akasha Superfoods; Relish Wellness Market; Herb to Body | Sea moss, bladderwrack and burdock root powders | Six California Prop 65 notices, January 2025 to May 2026, allege lead. Notices are allegations, not findings. | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | The Potting Shed (Concord, NH) | Burdock Root Tincture and 22 other products | FDA online advisory letter: sold with illegal disease claims; no resolution shown. | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | A New Life Herbs LLC | Baby Allergy Herbal Supplement (dandelion and burdock root) | FDA Class II recall H-0341-2026: unapproved drug claims and no Supplement Facts label; not caused by burdock. Terminated. | 15 |
| Sep 2025 | Niitakaya USA; Yamasa | Pickled burdock sushi roll; gobo fish cake (foods) | Three California Prop 65 notices, October 2024 to September 2025, allege lead. The pickled burdock case settled in May 2026 (reformulate or warn). Notices are allegations, not findings. | 5 |
Where to Buy
We compare products side-by-side not just on price, but on whether NSF lists the product as NSF/ANSI 173 Contents Certified (an independent lab confirms the label matches the contents), whether it is NSF Certified for Sport, whether USP lists it as USP Verified, and whether the seller says it is manufactured in the USA. We leave out a brand’s products for this supplement when, in the last 36 months, the FDA took action against that brand over this supplement (a Class I or II recall, a warning letter, an import alert or an advisory letter). We also leave out any brand with an FDA Class II recall or warning letter on any product. We also leave out any product named in a California Prop 65 notice or a non-US recall, along with that brand’s products of the same ingredient and form. Brands with other actions stay listed and are marked in the Recall Screen column. Our goal remains to provide you, the Consumer, with the information and data necessary to make an informed purchasing decision. Prices reflected below are static and subject to change.
Ratings above describe the ingredient’s research, not any product listed below.
| # | Retailer | Product | Price | NSF 173 | NSF Sport | USP | Mfg. in USA (per seller) | Recall Screen | Affiliate link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iHerb | NOW Foods, Burdock Root, 430 mg, 100 Veg Capsules | $8.06 | ✓ | ✓* | View on iHerb ↗ | |||
| 2 | iHerb | Nutricost, Burdock Root, 500 mg, 120 Capsules | $11.95 | ✓ | ✓* | View on iHerb ↗ | |||
| 3 | Green's Nutrition | Solaray Burdock Root 100 Caps | $14.29 | ✓ | ✓* | View on Green's Nutrition ↗ |
Sources
1. Taheri et al. Burdock root powder added to metformin and the pill in polycystic ovary syndrome: randomized trial. JBRA Assisted Reproduction, 2026. doi.org/10.5935/1518-0557.20250189
2. The Potting Shed – Online Advisory Letter, ref. 724352. US Food and Drug Administration, 24 Mar 2026. www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/potting-shed-online-advisory-letter
3. Notification on burdock root (Arctium lappa L.) as traditional food, EFSA-Q-2026-00094 (status: Intake). European Food Safety Authority (OpenEFSA), 12 Feb 2026. open.efsa.europa.eu/questions/EFSA-Q-2026-00094
4. Proposition 65 60-day notices 2026-02024 (APAX USA, Feel Good Company Sea Moss Complex), 2026-00355, 2025-05109, 2025-02925, 2025-01341 and 2025-00105 (lead). California Office of the Attorney General, Jan 2025 to May 2026. oag.ca.gov/prop65/60-Day-Notice-2026-02024
5. Proposition 65 60-day notices 2025-03698 (Yama Gobo Zuke pickled burdock; settled 14 May 2026), 2024-04328 and 2024-04808 (gobo foods). California Office of the Attorney General, Oct 2024 to Sep 2025. oag.ca.gov/prop65/60-Day-Notice-2025-03698
6. Arctii radix: herbal monograph and periodic review (call for data 15 Mar to 15 Jun 2026). European Medicines Agency, 2026. www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/arctii-radix
7. Maghsoumi-Norouzabad L et al. Burdock root tea and inflammation in knee osteoarthritis: randomized trial. International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, 2016. doi.org/10.1111/1756-185X.12477
8. Ha et al. Burdock extract with and without exercise and metabolic health: randomized trial. Metabolites, 2022. doi.org/10.3390/metabo12100970
9. Bryson PD et al. Burdock root tea poisoning: case report. JAMA, 1978. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/642161/
10. Sasaki Y et al. Anaphylaxis after eating boiled burdock: case report. International Journal of Dermatology, 2003. doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-4362.2003.01716_2.x
11. NSF/ANSI 173 certified dietary supplements: trade name “burdock” (0 products). NSF International, 3 Oct 2026. info.nsf.org/Certified/Dietary/
12. Burdock – Arctium lappa – Oral: natural health product monograph. Health Canada, 19 Dec 2025. webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/dbImages/744
13. Mizuki A et al. Burdock tea and recurrence of colonic diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding: open-label randomized trial. Scientific Reports, 2019. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-43236-0
14. Recall H-1177-2026, Vintage Roots Root Beer Syrup (Class II). US Food and Drug Administration (openFDA food enforcement), 29 Jul 2026. api.fda.gov/food/enforcement.json?search=recall_number.exact:%22H-1177-2026%22
15. Recall H-0341-2026, A New Life Herbs Baby Allergy Herbal Supplement (Class II). US Food and Drug Administration (openFDA food enforcement), 31 Dec 2025. api.fda.gov/food/enforcement.json?search=recall_number.exact:%22H-0341-2026%22
16. Warning Letters (full-text search “burdock”: 5 letters, 2021 to 2023). US Food and Drug Administration, 3 Oct 2026. www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/compliance-actions-and-activities/warning-letters
17. Import Alert 66-41: unapproved new drugs promoted in the US (Burdock Blend Capsules, 2019). US Food and Drug Administration, 9 Aug 2019. www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_190.html
18. Import Alert 99-22: undeclared major food allergens (Ohori Co. Ltd., Burdock Salada, 2015). US Food and Drug Administration, 11 Dec 2015. www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_561.html
19. CAERS adverse event reports, brand name “burdock” (9 reports, 2008 to Aug 2024). US Food and Drug Administration (openFDA food adverse events), 2008 to 2024. api.fda.gov/food/event.json?search=products.name_brand:burdock&limit=20
20. GRAS Notice Inventory (no burdock notice). US Food and Drug Administration, 3 Oct 2026. www.fda.gov/food/generally-recognized-safe-gras/gras-notice-inventory
21. Niazi et al. Liver injury after a six-herb liver-detox tea: case report. Case Reports in Gastroenterology, 2022. doi.org/10.1159/000526311
22. Yang et al. Immunopharmacological potential of Arctium lappa in immune-mediated skin diseases: review. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2025. doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2025.1660352
