Rumex crispus
- allhealthadvisory
- Jul 20, 2022
- 3 min read
Rumex crispus is the botanical name for yellow dock, also known as curly dock. You might have seen how the tall red spikes spread invasively through fields in the countryside. Tilling the ground that dock grows in just makes more plants grow. Even a tiny shred of root can grow into a whole new plant.
Despite how annoying that may be to farmers, yellow dock is actually very useful.
Yellow dock is so named because it's yellow roots were historically used to make a yellow dye. The roots are also one of the best sources of bioavailable iron.
Do you have high blood iron, or iron deficiency / anemia?
Dock might just become your favorite plant!
It's impossible to get too much iron from food, as long as it isn't added metallic iron, that can result in high blood iron because the body can't use it as well. It's in too much of a chunk-of-rock form.
Iron that plants or animals have already broken down into smaller pieces is much easier for your cells to use.
For those with anemia, the cells of your body will gladly accept the easy-to-use iron.
For those with high iron levels, the body will take in the iron that it doesn't have to work as hard for, and dump out the chunk iron that isn't as easy for it to use.
Isn't that awesome?
Yellow dock is also high in magnesium. Magnesium is the mineral that helps us to relax, which I'm sure most of us could use some more of. Magnesium is also rapidly depleted when we get dehydrated, so dock can help to replenish the magnesium supply for those of us that forget to drink enough water this hot summer. Partly because of it's magnesium content, yellow dock can also be a mild laxative if enough is taken.
Another thing yellow dock can be used for, is flour. Yellow dock is not closely related to burdock, as some might think. Instead, it is in the same plant family as buckwheat, and the flour can be used similarly as buckwheat flour.
In the fall, after the seeds have turned red, they can be harvested. Strip the stems of their seeds, and gently toast the seeds on a cookie sheet in an oven, just enough to dry them thoroughly. Don't bother with trying to separate the husks from the seeds, they are too tiny to be worth it, and the extra fiber from the husks is good for your gut health anyway. Grind the dried seeds in a flour mill as fine as possible and use like buckwheat flour. I must say I have made a delicious dark chocolate cake with them, and the toasted seeds smell reminiscent of caramel.
Dock root is also used for gut health, urinary system support, and as a blood cleanser and liver tonic, mostly because of it's iron and other minerals and constituents.
So what is the best way to use dock?
If using yellow dock for mineral/medicinal purposes, it is good to know that the root is extremely bitter. If you're ok with that, you could make a strong tea of the root and use it as an after-meal bitter that also helps promote digestion.
If you wish to avoid the bitterness, I would suggest to take capsules of dried root. I recommend Nature's Sunshine for herbal supplements because they test every batch for quality and effectiveness and to make sure that they contain the medicinal constituents we seek.
Here's a link to Nature's Sunshine yellow dock root capsules:
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Don't forget to read our disclaimer!
It is important to use several resources to help you identify any wild plants before you decide to harvest or use them. Yellow dock might be easily recognizable, but always double check that you have the correct plant before harvesting it.
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