Papaya - a world class meat tenderizer, natural digestive aid, prevents ulcers, and also a soft contact lense cleaner.Burdock the Safety Factor
No one questioned burdock’s safety until the Journal of the American Medical Association linked it to one case of poisoning that could have proved fatal.
A woman who drank a strong decoction experienced blurred vision, dry mouth, and hallucinations-classic symptoms of atropine poisoning. Burdock does not contain atropine, but a plant that looks similar does-belladonna. Presumably, some belladonna accidentally adulterated the woman’s burdock.
One case of adulteration is not cause for alarm, but if you use burdock, buy it from a reliable source, and if you develop any symptoms of atropine poisoning-dry mouth, blurred vision, and hallucinations-seek emergency medical treatment immediately. The Toxicol0gy of Botanical Medicines identifies burdock as a uterine stimulant. Pregnant women shouldn’t use it.
The Food and Drug Administration lists burdock as an herb of “undefined safety,” but except for that one case of atropine poisoning, it apparently never has caused problems. For otherwise healthy nonpregnant, nonnursing adults, burdock is considered safe in amounts typically recommended.
Burdock should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If burdock causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or diarrhea, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.
Medicine is in the Roots
Burdock’s medicinal root has brown bark and a white, spongy, fibrous interior, which becomes hard when dried. Its stem is multibranched, with long, egg-shaped leaves. Each branch is topped by a bristled “flower,” actually a clump of many purplish flowers, which produces its infamous burrs.
Burdock grows easily from seeds planted in spring. Thin seedlings to o-inch spacing. Burdock prefers moist. rich, deeply cultivated soil and full sun but tolerates poorer soils. Many herbalists mix wood chips and sawdust into burdock beds to keep the soil loose so roots are easier to harvest. Burdock roots deeply, so transplanting is not advised for established plants. Harvest the roots during the fall of the first year or the spring of the second.