Contents
What it is
Burdock is the root of a biennial in the daisy family. It is native to Eurasia and is eaten as a vegetable mainly in Korea and Japan — in the West it is usually treated as a weed. The root is long and slim and can run close to a metre. It is crisp but fibrous, with a distinctive earthy aroma. Most of that aroma sits just under the skin, so it is scraped with the back of a knife rather than peeled. Cut surfaces brown fast, so slices go into vinegared water before being braised, stir-fried, or rolled into gimbap.
Scientific name Arctium lappa
Cut burdock and it browns quickly — a sign of how many polyphenols it holds. But the more interesting compound is inulin.
Inulin is a polysaccharide of linked fructose units that human digestive enzymes cannot break down. It travels intact to the colon, where bifidobacteria and other beneficial species consume it. It is the textbook prebiotic.
Key benefits
- Strong evidence
Inulin increases beneficial bacteria
Inulin is the classic prebiotic, and studies repeatedly find an increased proportion of bifidobacteria after intake. Fermentation produces short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate, which fuel the cells lining the colon.[1]
- Nutrition data
Fibre supports bowel movement and fullness
3.3 g per 100 g is high for a vegetable, and its firm texture means real chewing. At 72 kcal it is undemanding for a root vegetable.
- Nutrition data
Polyphenols contribute antioxidant activity
It is rich in chlorogenic acid and related polyphenols — the same compounds responsible for the browning. They concentrate near the skin, so peeling thoroughly costs you.
- Nutrition data
Potassium helps excrete sodium
308 mg per 100 g. Soy-braised burdock pushes sodium up, so to keep the potassium advantage, season it lightly.
How to eat it well
- Scrape the skin with the back of a knife rather than peeling. Polyphenols concentrate there.
- Soaking in vinegar water reduces browning but leaches polyphenols too. Browning is not a quality problem, so keep the soak brief.
- Drinking it as tea delivers only what dissolves in the water; if you want the fibre, eat the root.
- Stir-frying or frying beats braising where sodium is concerned.
- If it is new to you, start small. Inulin produces a lot of gas in some people.
How to read the grades
Each benefit carries a label showing how far research on people supports it. Grades differ between items even within the same ingredient.
- Nutrition data
- A fact verifiable from food composition databases or health authorities. This is a different kind of statement from a clinical effect.
- Strong evidence
- Consistently confirmed across randomised controlled trials or meta-analyses.
- Moderate evidence
- Human studies exist, but effect sizes are small or results are mixed.
- Early research
- Cell or animal work, or small preliminary studies.
- Not established
- Commonly claimed, but not confirmed in studies on people.
What to watch out for
- Inulin is high in FODMAPs. With irritable bowel syndrome, expect significant bloating and gas.
- With Asteraceae allergy (ragweed, mugwort), you may react to burdock too.
- If you restrict potassium for kidney disease, check your intake.
- Foraging wild burdock root is not advised; it can be confused with toxic plants.
- Some commercial burdock teas are roasted to the point of scorching — avoid the very dark ones.
Nutrition
Approximate values per 100 g edible portion.
- Calories
- 72 kcal4%
- Carbohydrates
- 17.3 g6%
- Fiber
- 3.3 g12%
- Protein
- 1.5 g3%
- Potassium
- 308 mg7%
- Magnesium
- 38 mg9%
- Folate
- 23 µg6%
- Calcium
- 41 mg3%
Percentages are of the US FDA Daily Value for adults and children 4 and over. National reference intakes differ by sex and age.
Calculate this alongside other ingredients →
Key nutrients
By health concern
Sources
The databases and health authorities this article's nutrition figures and health statements draw on.
- 1Effect of chicory-derived inulin-type fructans on abundance of Bifidobacterium and on bowel function: a systematic review with meta-analysesMeta-analysisLe Bastard Q, et al. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2023PMID 35833477
- 2MFDS Food Composition Database · 식품안전나라Food composition database
- 3USDA FoodData CentralFood composition database
- 4PubMedResearch literature
