How to Make Burdock Root Tea: The Method, the Dose, and Who Should Avoid It

By Suhail Rivera, founder of Alkaline Herb Shop

To make burdock root tea, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried, cut burdock root to 8 ounces of boiling water, cover the cup, and steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain and drink. Covering the cup matters more than it seems, because it keeps the aromatic oils in the water instead of letting them drift off as steam. That is the whole method. The rest of this guide covers how much to use across a day, what it tastes like, how to choose between loose root and capsules, and who should not drink it at all.

How to make burdock root tea, step by step

1. Measure 1 to 2 teaspoons of cut and sifted burdock root per 8 ounce cup.
2. Boil water and pour it over the root.
3. Cover the cup with a saucer or a lid.
4. Steep 5 to 10 minutes. A longer steep makes it stronger and a little more tannic, not bitter.
5. Strain out the root and drink.

For a larger batch, keep the same ratio and simmer gently on the stove for 10 to 15 minutes if you want a deeper cup, then strain. Burdock holds up well to a longer, gentler brew, because the flavour sits in the root rather than in delicate leaves.

How much burdock root should you use in a day?

This is the question almost no one answers, so here is a real number from a regulator instead of a guess. The European Medicines Agency, which reviews traditional herbal preparations, describes a single serving of burdock root infusion as 2 to 6 grams of the dried root, taken up to three times a day. A rounded teaspoon of the cut root weighs roughly 2 to 3 grams, so the 1 to 2 teaspoons per cup on the bag lands in that range, and up to three cups across a day matches the traditional pattern.

If you take burdock as a capsule instead, our burdock root capsules hold 450 milligrams each, and the label suggests 1 to 3 capsules a day. The same regulator describes the powdered root at 350 milligrams, 3 to 5 times daily, so a few capsules a day sits in a similar range.

One practical note. The regulator suggests not continuing beyond about two weeks, for a specific reason, without checking in with a doctor. As a pleasant daily tea there is no magic number, but more is not better.

What does burdock root tea taste like?

Earthy and lightly sweet, closer to a root vegetable than to a medicinal bitter. If you have tried dandelion root and found it too sharp, burdock is usually the gentler cousin. It pairs naturally with dandelion, and the two were the base of the old British soft drink called dandelion and burdock. Drink it plain, or add a slice of lemon if you like a little brightness. It needs no sweetening to be pleasant.

Does burdock root tea have caffeine?

No. Burdock root is naturally caffeine free, so it works as an evening drink and will not keep you awake.

Loose root or capsules: which should you choose?

Choose the loose, cut and sifted root if you enjoy the ritual of brewing and the earthy taste, and if you want the most root for your money. Choose capsules if you would rather not brew anything, or you dislike the flavour, or you want a fixed amount without measuring. It is the same plant, Arctium lappa, either way. The practical difference is simply that tea is something you sip and a capsule is something you swallow.

What is burdock root?

Burdock is a tall biennial in the daisy family, related to sunflowers and thistles. The root is the part used for tea, dug in the autumn of the first year or the spring of the second. In Japan it is an everyday vegetable called gobo, sliced thin into stir fries and braises. In much of Latin America it is known as bardana. And those hooked burrs on the seed head, the ones that cling to a dog's coat on a walk, are the reason we have Velcro. A Swiss engineer looked at them under a microscope in the 1940s and copied the design.

The root we sell loose is grown and harvested in Poland. It is cut and sifted for brewing rather than for the pan, so it steeps cleanly.

What is burdock traditionally used for, and does the science back it up?

Burdock has a long history in European and Asian herbal traditions. In Europe it is registered as a traditional herbal medicine, and that status is worth understanding, because it is more modest than it sounds. A traditional use registration means a preparation has been used for a long time, at least thirty years, and is considered plausible on the strength of that history. It does not mean the effect has been proven in clinical trials. The regulator is explicit that these registrations rest on tradition, not on modern proof of effectiveness.

Human research on burdock is limited, and where strong trials are missing, the honest answer is that the evidence is thin. So if you drink burdock tea, drink it because you enjoy an earthy, caffeine free root tea. We make no health claims for it, and any benefit you read about elsewhere is best treated as traditional rather than proven.

Who should not drink burdock root tea?

This is the part most guides leave out, and it is the most important one.

• Burdock is in the daisy family, Asteraceae, alongside ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold and echinacea. If you are allergic to any of those, do not drink it. Allergic reactions to burdock, including anaphylaxis, have been reported.
• Do not use it during pregnancy or while nursing.
• It is not recommended for anyone under 18.
• If you take a prescription diuretic, or any prescription medicine, speak to your doctor first.
• Buy burdock from a seller that identity tests its herbs. Dried burdock root can look similar to belladonna root, and historical poisoning cases blamed on burdock tea turned out to be belladonna contamination, not burdock itself. Our loose root and capsules are third party tested for identity, microbials and heavy metals.

How to store burdock root

Keep it tightly closed in a dry place at room temperature, 59 to 86°F. Kept dry and sealed, cut root stays good for a couple of years.

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Suhail Rivera is the founder of Alkaline Herb Shop, which sources and sells the burdock root described in this article.

Source: European Medicines Agency, Community herbal monograph on Arctium lappa L., radix (EMA/HMPC/246763/2009).

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.