Active Ingredient Burdock (arctium Lappa)

burdock has historically been used to treat a wide variety of ailments, including arthritis, diabetes, and hair loss. it is a principal herbal ingredient in the popular cancer remedies essiac (rhubarb, sorrel, slippery elm) and hoxsey formula (red clover, poke, prickly ash, bloodroot, barberry).

Source:

medlineplus herbs and supplements: burdock (arctium lappa)

Medical Condition	Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
diabetes mellitus without mention of complication	animal research and initial human studies suggest possible blood sugar lowering effects of burdock root or fruit. however, the available human research has not been well designed, and further study is needed before a clear recommendation can be made.	c
malignant neoplasm of female breast	burdock is an ingredient in the popular purported cancer remedy, essiac . preliminary study has shown that burdock may have anti-cancer effects and increase quality of life in cancer patients. more study is needed in this area.	c

*Key to grades
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.