I recently attended a class with Acupuncture Master, Kiiko Matsumoto. You've probably heard me mention her before. She runs a busy and successful acupuncture practice where she treats patients, does research, and frequently travels to teach in all different time zones, all year around. I often wondered what she does to stay healthy. She told us her favorite food is gobō (牛蒡), aka Burdock Root or Arctium lappa. Its called gobō in Japanese, and often prepared as a savory and earthy stir-fried side dish called "Kinpira Gobo" (金平牛蒡). She eats gobō everyday.

This made me curious, so I did some reading. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports, in Japan and Europe, burdock is eaten as a vegetable (much like a carrot). Burdock as a root vegetable possess more potent antioxidant activity than common vegetables and fruits, and has anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, recent studies confirm that burdock has prebiotic properties that could improve health.

Its been used traditionally as a powerful "blood purifier" to clear the bloodstream of toxins, as a diuretic (it makes you pee more), and as a topical remedy for skin problems and burns. In Traditional Chinese medicine, Burdock seeds/fruit (Niu Bang Zi) are commonly used in herbal formulas to clear symptoms of heat; such as sore throat, skin eruptions (rash, carbuncles and boils) and relieve constipation. Animal studies have found that Burdock root has liver protective qualities and helps reverse liver damage. The high fiber content (up to 50% inulin) is great for improving digestion.

As always, please consult with your health care provider before taking any supplements or herbs, especially (in this case) if you are pregnant or nursing, on diuretic medication, taking diabetic medication or on blood-thinners; to avoid complications. If you also have poor digestion, please start out easy and in moderation. When you eat it, its considered safe and is pretty yummy. Burdock root can be found at your local Asian grocery. However, if you have difficulty gathering all the ingredients, you can lightly stir fry thin-sliced (washed and unpeeled) burdock root (no oil) in a pan till golden brown and then let it dry out in the sun for 2 hours. Once it is dried, you can steep in hot water and enjoy the benefits of burdock root as a tea!

Below is a basic Japanese recipe for preparing burdock root. I hope you will give it a try.

Kinpira Gobo (Sauteed Burdock)

Ingredients: (4 servings)

2 (5 1/4 oz) Burdock roots

2 carrots

2 tbsp sesame oil

Sauce: 1 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp sake, 1 2/3 oz soy sauce

toasted sesame seeds

chili pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Wash the burdock roots and carrots well and cut into in to fine strips or shred with a peeler. Rinse briefly with water and drain.

2. Heat sesame oil in a frying pan and stir fry burdock and carrots over high heat.

3. Add all sauce ingredients and cook down until almost all the liquid is evaporated.

4. Serve in small dishes with toasted sesame seeds and chili pepper flakes sprinkled on top to taste and Enjoy!

Sources:

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/burdock

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12218354

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3045362/

http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/b/burdoc87.html