Yellow Dock - Rumex crispus

Yellow dock, Rumex crispus, aka curly dock, is popular in many places in the world. It is edible and some people make crunchy flour from the seeds. It is used for inflammation of the nasal passages, as a laxative, for flatulence, for wounds, for liver support, and as an antibacterial. Its use as a laxative is well-supported because it contains anthraquinones, which work as stimulant laxatives. Other secondary metabolites are flavonoids, steroids, and proanthocyanidins. Flavonoids and proanthocyanidins are strongly antioxidant and healthful.

The ethanolic extract (tincture) is antibacterial against K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, V. cholera, B. subtilis, S. aureus, S. pyogenes, and B. cerus. It is antifungal against T. tonsurans, T. mucoides, P. aurantiogriseum, P. chrysogenum, C. glabrata, and C. albincans. It is antiparasitic against malaria, and African sleeping sickness. It is a potential anticancer against some cervical cancers.¹

Tincture Dosing: 10 drops 3 times daily. You can increase to as much as 40 drops but do so slowly.

Side Effects: If consumed in excess it can cause diarrhea, nausea, cramps, urination, and low potassium and calcium. It can cause allergy in persons allergic to ragweed.

Contraindications: Do not take if pregnant or breast feeding. Do not take with digoxin. Do not take it if you have kidney stones. Do not take diuretics (water pills) with yellow dock as it can cause low potassium. Consult your doctor if you are taking warfarin. 

¹Evaluation of the Bioactivities of Rumex crispus L. Leaves and Root Extracts Using Toxicity, Antimicrobial, and Antiparasitic Assays, Oladayo Amed Idris, Olubunmi Abosede Wintola, Anthony Jide Afolayan. First published: 30 October 2019 https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/6825297