How to Make a Burdock Tincture

Burdock (Arctium) is a very useful herb that has helped mankind for centuries. This plant goes with other names such as bardana, great bur, lappa, and great burdocks, among others. With its amazing ability to support different body processes such as detoxification, burdock root is a valuable addition to your herbal remedies.

What are the Uses of Burdock?

The roots, leaves, and seeds are often harvested to use as folk medicine. Utilizing this plant helps people with various conditions such as colds, bladder infections, gastrointestinal problems, joint pain, and syphilis. It is also known to help in the treatment of skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and acne.

People who experience high blood pressure also use burdock to help monitor and regulate their blood pressure levels. Additionally, the plant also has positive effects on people with liver disease, atherosclerosis, and anorexia nervosa.

Burdock also contains chemicals that help fight off bacteria and inflammation, making it a good anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory remedy for certain medical conditions.

What is a Burdock Tincture?

Herbal tinctures make use of consumable alcohol, usually vodka, to soak and extract the active medicinal compounds from the herbs. You can use vodka from 40-proof to 200-proof for a burdock tincture. Other alternatives to vodka are ethyl alcohol, pure grain alcohol, or rum.

The burdock tincture makes use of the burdock root since it contains the most medicinal properties compared to other plant parts. You can make burdock tincture with either fresh or dried root, whichever is readily available to you.

If opting for a fresh burdock root tincture during spring, choose roots that have seen the springtime twice already. Second-year roots are larger and mostly hold a lot of benefits that the roots have nurtured during their first growing season. For a fall harvest, on the other hand, it is best to get first-year roots because they have all the stored medicinal and nutritional components that they have stacked up for themselves during the summer.

How to Make Homemade Burdock Tincture

Burdock tincture is available in physical stores and online. But why buy when you can make your own, right? In making a homemade burdock tincture, you can use both fresh and dried burdock roots.

For Fresh Burdock Roots

Harvest the roots and wash them. Make sure that the roots are clean. Finely chop the roots to release their juice. Fill the jar with 1/3 to ½ of the chopped fresh burdock roots. Cover the herb with vodka to the very top of the jar. Make sure that the roots are completely covered.

If using a metal lid, put parchment paper between the jar and the lid before closing. This is to protect the herb and the metal lid from corrosion.

Place the jar in a cool, dry, and dark place. Shake it once or twice daily to ensure that the herbs are all soaked. Let it infuse for at least a month up to 4 months if you want. Strain the tincture using a cheesecloth into a clean, dark-colored jar for storing.

For Dried Burdock Root Tincture

Ingredients:

• Dried Burdock (I specifically use Arctium lappa in this recipe)
• Vodka

Steps:

1. Fill ¼ to 1/3 of the jar with dried burdock roots.
2. Pour the vodka up to the top of the jar. The roots need to be totally covered by the alcohol.
3. Cover the jar with a lid. If using a metal lid, put parchment paper between the jar and the lid before closing to protect the tincture and the lid from corrosion.
4. Store the jar in a cool, dry, and dark place. Shake it daily to ensure that the herbs are all soaked. Let the mixture stay for at least a month or longer. Afterward, strain the tincture and transfer the liquid to a dark-colored jar for a longer shelf-life. Make sure to discard the used roots and do not reuse them again.

How to Store and Use the Tincture

Store the tincture in a cool, dark place. Typically, herbal tinctures last a long time for up to a year or two when made correctly. Before storing, it is best to label the container with the name of the herb and how it is prepared along with the date of preparation.

To use the tincture, the recommended dose is 2 to 4ml a day. You can administer it sublingually. Fill a medicine dropper with the tincture and drop it under your tongue. You may also drink the tincture or mix it with your food and tea. But take note, do not use more than the recommended dose of 4mL.

There is also not enough scientific data to support this dosage claim. Most often, the dosage is based on various factors such as age, health, and medical condition. Hence, it is best to consult with your physician prior to using a burdock tincture.

Warnings and Cautions Before Using

Though burdock is generally safe to use for most people, there are instances when people are poisoned for using it. This occurs when people scavenge for burdock in the wild without knowing its source. Some burdock plants have been contaminated with plants like the deadly nightshade or the belladonna root. These herbs contain atropine, which is a poisonous chemical that is harmful to humans.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid using burdock root tincture because there is not enough information regarding its safety and effect.

Children should also not use a tincture prepared with vodka or other alcoholic drinks. To make a tincture that is fit for children, using apple cider vinegar is recommended as a replacement for alcohol. Do not use non-consumable alcohol such as isopropyl or methyl alcohol when making tinctures.

People with bleeding disorders or those who will undergo surgery need to refrain from taking this. Burdock might slow down blood clotting, which will increase the risk of bleeding.

Those with allergies to ragweed and other related plants like daisies and marigolds should also not use this tincture.

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