Yellow Dock
Rumex crispus
Curly dock, a plant whose root and leaves are traditional laxatives and tonics, also used for skin problems and jaundice. Research is in the lab and in rats.
Safety at a glance
- PregnancyNothing recorded
- BreastfeedingNothing recorded
- MedicinesNothing recorded
- Who should avoid itNothing recorded
- AllergiesNothing recorded
- ToxicityNothing recorded
Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.
What is Yellow Dock?
- Plant family
- Polygonaceae, the buckwheat and dock family
- Parts used
- The roots, leaves and fruit
- Genus
- Rumex
- Species
- crispus
Also called
Yellowdock, Curly Dock, Curled Dock, Rumex crispus
Traditionally used for
- Laxative (traditional)
- Skin disorders (traditional)
- Jaundice (traditional)
- Cancerous sores (traditional Native American use)
Traditionally described as
- Lowered blood sugar (in rats)
- Killed cancer cells (in lab studies)
Health topics
Where Yellow Dock appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.
- Constipation
A traditional laxative. Not tested in trials.
- High Blood Sugar
Lowered blood sugar in diabetic rats. Not tested in people.
Traditions that use it
- Native American Ethnobotany
Recorded in Native American medicine for treating cancerous sores.
How it's prepared
Common ways Yellow Dock is prepared or sold. This isn't advice on how to take it; see Safety below.
- Culinary Preparation
The young leaves are eaten in salads and soups, or cooked as a green.[1]Study
- Decoction
Traditionally, it's used as a decoction or tincture.[2]Study
- Tincture
Herbalists use it as a tincture.[3]General reference
What does the research say?
Traditional use
These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.
Yellow dock's roots, leaves and fruit have been used in traditional medicine as a tonic and laxative, to reduce fever, to clear phlegm and calm coughs, and to expel worms. They've also been used for:
- Skin disorders
- Jaundice
- Gut problems
- Diabetes
- Eye infections and sexually transmitted infections
Native American medicine recorded its use for cancerous sores. It contains anthraquinones such as emodin, flavonoids and tannins.[5]Study
Laboratory & animal research
Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.
In diabetic rats, extracts of the leaves and flowers lowered blood sugar over 30 days, and in the lab they slowed the enzyme that breaks down starch into sugar. This hasn't been tested in people.[4]Study
In a 2023 lab study, a fraction of a water extract of the leaves killed cancer cells. This hasn't been tested in people.[5]Study
Sources
- [1] Comparison of the Proximate Composition, Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid, α-Tocopherol and Retinol), Anti-Nutrients (Phytate and Oxalate) and the GC-MS Analysis of the Essential Oil of the Root and Leaf of <i>Rumex crispus</i> L · DOI: 10.3390/plants8030051Peer-reviewed study
- [2] Evaluation of the Bioactivities of Rumex crispus L. Leaves and Root Extracts Using Toxicity, Antimicrobial, and Antiparasitic Assays · DOI: 10.1155/2019/6825297Peer-reviewed study
- [3] Yellow Dock — Herban Herbalist materia medica — Herban Herbalist (herb shop)General reference
- [4] Evaluation of α-Glucosidase Inhibition and Antihyperglycemic Activity of Extracts Obtained from Leaves and Flowers of Rumex crispus L. · DOI: 10.3390/molecules28155760Peer-reviewed study
- [5] Anti-Proliferative and Apoptotic Activities of Rumex crispus · DOI: 10.3390/life14010008Peer-reviewed study
This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.