About.....Yellow Dock

  Yellow Dock (Rumex crispus) is also known as Curly Dock, Chin-chiao-mai, Sour Dock, Narrow Dock, and Amla Vetasa. This herb is a small, leafy plant that grows wild in Europe and the United States. Closely resembling rhubarb, the green leaves of Yellow Dock are commonly used in salads, while the yellow root has been used as a herbal folk-remedy for hundreds of years. Rumex is an old Latin word for 'lance', referring to the shape of the leaves. Crispus means 'curly' also in reference to the leaf shape. The common name Yellow Dock includes the species Rumex occidentalis, Rumex venosus, Rumex obtusifolius and Rumex sangineus, which are used interchangeably with Rumex crispus.

Ground up and brewed, Yellow Dock root makes a bitter-sweet tea or infusion that has been used by herbalists in the support treatment of a variety of disorders, primarily to treat enlarged liver and to purify the blood. It was also thought a good folk remedy for syphilis, tuberculosis, gum disease and leprosy, but is no longer recommended for any of these serious disorders. Modern herbalists will still occasionally recommend Yellow Dock tea as a treatment for the liver and gallbladder, though its mainly employed in the treatment of skin disorders and digestive ailments. There is virtually no scientific research available to support the use of yellow dock as an effective treatment for psoriasis or acne.

The primary known constituents of this herbs include anthraquinone glycosides (nepodin, emodin, chrysophanol), tannins, resins, oxalates, and trace amounts of iron. Yellow dock is known to contain tannin which, as an astringent, is mildly useful in the treatment of diarrhea and stomach distress, though in large enough doses it may actually cause diarrhea. The root of the plant also contains several anthraquinone glycosides that researchers recognize as being responsible for its undisputed laxative effect.

Past topical applications of this herb included using the crushed leaf to soothe stings from Nettle plants, as a tooth powder for spongy gums, as a gargle for laryngitis, and in salves, poultices or compresses for relief from the symptoms of eczema, hives, itchy skin, scabies and ringworm.

Yellow dock has also had past culinary uses, including eating the greens picked spring or late fall (following the first hard frost) after cooking them as a potherb, in order to improve vision.

Yellow dock is generally considered to be mildly effective as a laxative, and not very effective for much more. Side effects of excess consumption of yellow dock include excessive urination, nausea and diarrhea. The leaves are high in oxalate, which can impair calcium absorption and potentially aggravate kidney stones if overused.

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Last modified: December 12, 2006