Topical Benefits
- Plantain leaves have antiseptic properties and can be used topically to promote the healing of damaged skin, reduce skin inflammation, stop bleeding, reduce pain and prevent secondary infections of wounds.
- Finally, plantain can be used as an eyewash to help treat conjunctivitis.
What are the benefits of drinking plantain leaf tea?
Packed with tannins, aucubin [an iridoid glycoside], and mucilage, the plantain leaf extract is known to have expectorant and anti-irritant properties as well. The leaves can be made into a tea or tincture, and this is said to help with indigestion, heartburn and ulcers when taking internally.
What is the work of plantain leave?
Despite being considered a weed, the common garden plantain has edible leaves and seeds. It may even provide health benefits, such as improved digestion, enhanced wound healing, and lower inflammation. Furthermore, plantain weed is widely available as a supplement, tea, and skin care product.
Can plantain leaves stop bleeding?
Plantain's Medicinal Uses In Humbart Santillo's Natural Healing with Herbs, plantain is called the bandaid plant, because it helps stop bleeding, supports tissue regeneration, and is naturally antiseptic. Chew or crush the leaves and apply directly to the skin and use a bandaid to keep it in place.
What is the benefit of drinking plantain water?
People use Asian water plantain for conditions such as bladder and urinary tract diseases, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and many others, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Does unripe plantain increase sperm count?
Unripe plantain cooked or roasted has been proven over the years to induce, sustain and maintain erection. It also helps to make semen thick and increases sperm volume. “Roasted plantain fruit is good for men with weak erection and low sperm count. Make a habit of eating one or two roasted plantain daily.
Does plantain draw out infection?
It can draw out and close up pus and infection from dirty wounds and soothes irritated membranes. Plantain is also helpful in bronchial infections and pneumonia.
How do you use plantain leaf for cough?
The fresh leaves can be applied directly three or four times per day to minor injuries, dermatitis, and insect stings. Syrups or tinctures, approximately 1/2 teaspoon (2–3 ml) three times per day, can also be used, particularly to treat a cough.
Can I use plantain peel on my face?
It can be used to treat skin disorders and defects, such as wrinkles, skin allergies, and acne, and can reduce scarring as a result. Rubbing plantain peel against your skin is one way to eliminate wrinkles due to its abilities to tighten and tone the skin.
Is plantain leaf good for lungs?
Plantain is very useful for treating bronchitis as it soothes, softens and hydrates the respiratory system due to its high mucilage content. Prepare it as a tea. Put a teaspoon of plantain in boiling water, let it stand for 10 minutes and then strain.
Can unripe plantain cure blood pressure?
Beneficial For Heart Health Because unripe (green) plantain is potassium-rich, it can help protect you against hypertension and heart attack (through control of blood pressure and the rate of the heartbeat).
Does ripe plantain raise blood sugar?
Nutritional Benefits Because of their high carbohydrate content, you need to monitor your intake of plantain; otherwise, your blood sugars will spike. Comparatively speaking, one cup of plantains is equal to eating 2.5 slices of bread.
Is boiled plantain good for diabetics?
Health Benefits of Plantains Diabetes: In Nigeria, people use plantains as a natural way to manage diabetes. Some studies show they may have a hypoglycemic effect, or help control blood sugar levels, especially unripe plantains. The fiber in plantains could help your blood sugar levels stay steady longer.
How do you use plantain leaf for cough?
The fresh leaves can be applied directly three or four times per day to minor injuries, dermatitis, and insect stings. Syrups or tinctures, approximately 1/2 teaspoon (2–3 ml) three times per day, can also be used, particularly to treat a cough.
Can you eat plantain leaves?
The broadleaf plantain weeds that you find in your yard can be eaten entirely, but the young leaves are the tastiest. Use these raw in any way you would spinach, such as in salads and sandwiches. You can also use the older leaves raw, but they tend to be more bitter and stringy.
What are the benefits of banana leaves?
These polyphenols battle all the free radicals in the body and prevent diseases. Banana leaf is also rich in polyphenol oxidase which is an enzyme to treat Parkinson's disease. Banana leaves also have peculiar anti-bacterial properties that can kill germs in the food and aids proper digestion.
How do you cook plantain leaves?
Cooking Plantain Leaves. Blanch the leaves to soften them. Place the plantain leaves in a wire strainer and lower them into a pot of boiling water. Heat the leaves for 3-5 minutes, then remove them and plunge them into a bath of cold water to stop the cooking process.
Why is plantain tea good for you?
The tea is particularly useful for calming gastrointestinal inflammation and supporting restoration of damaged mucosa , and, because it has both astringent and demulcent properties, plantain is also useful for helping to ease diarrhea. When you put these qualities together, you can see why plantain is often used to support conditions such as IBS, leaky gut or intestinal permeability, colitis, esophagitis, and gastrointestinal ulcers.
What is a plantain leaf?
Plantain leaf (Plantago spp.) is one such wonder “weed” that’s found all over the globe. Two of the most common species, broadleaf plantain (P. major) and ribwort plantain (P. lanceolata), have followed human migration from Europe and Asia and are now naturalized in most temperate and subtropical regions of the world (CABI, 2020a; CABI, 2020b). Plantain is often considered invasive, and thrives in disturbed or compacted soils.
How to make a plantain face mask?
Directions. Place plantain leaf and water in a blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes. Strain out the juice and compost the fibrous plant material (or use it for the Plantain Face Mask recipe below!). Enjoy as-is or on ice!
Is plantain a salve?
Plantain leaf also works well as an infused oil or salve, and can be applied as a wash or compress. Any way you prepare it, plantain is a premier wound-mending herb; it’s high in mucilage and a number of inflammation-modulating compounds (Adom et al., 2017), which give it a moistening, soothing, emollient quality.
Is plantain a diuretic?
Plantain leaf also has diuretic properties, and is sometimes classed as an alterative, an herb that helps promote the elimination of metabolic waste, thus acting to restore general health.
Is plantain good for a dry throat?
Plantain is ideal for an allergic presentation that involves red, dry, or itchy eyes or dry throat with irritated cough. It can also be used for other respiratory tract irritations, such as a dry cough or mucosal irritation from inhaling smoke or dust.
Does plantain help with asthma?
Because of its inflammation-modulating properties, plantain also works well to soothe respiratory allergies and asthma. It contains compounds that help to inhibit mast cell degranulation and histamine release, which is what drives the classic allergy symptoms of redness, irritation, and itching (Najafian et al., 2018).
What is Plantain?
Plantain is a perennial weed with almost worldwide distribution. There are about 250 species. P. lanceolata and P. major are among the most widely distributed, and they grow aggressively. Plantain is wind-pollinated, facilitating its growth where there are no bees and few other plantain plants. P. major produces 13,000 to 15,000 seeds per plant, and the seeds have been reported to remain viable in soil for up to 60 years. P. lanceolata produces 2,500 to 10,000 seeds per plant and has a somewhat shorter seed viability. Plantain seeds can survive passage through the gut of birds and other animals, facilitating their distribution. Plantain, or psyllium seeds, are small (1.5 to 3.5 mm), oval, boat-shaped, dark reddish-brown, odorless, and nearly tasteless. They are coated with mucilage, which aids in their transportation by allowing adhesion to various surfaces.
Why is plantain called English foot?
As such, North American Indians and New Zealand Maori refer to plantain as "Englishman's foot," because it spread from areas of English settlement.
How small are plantains?
Plantain, or psyllium seeds, are small (1.5 to 3.5 mm), oval, boat-shaped, dark reddish-brown, odorless, and nearly tasteless.
How many seeds does a plantain plant have?
Plantain is wind-pollinated, facilitating its growth where there are no bees and few other plantain plants. P. major produces 13,000 to 15,000 seeds per plant, and the seeds have been reported to remain viable in soil for up to 60 years.
Is plantain good for asthma?
In human studies, plantain has been effective for chronic bronchi tis, asthma, cough, and cold. Clinical studies show that psyllium seed is useful as a bulk laxative. Many reports on psyllium have concluded that it can be helpful in treating various hyperlipidemias.
What is the plantain leaf used for?
Herald as a traditional treatment for skin ailments, plantain leaf helps treat sunburns, pink eye and dandruff. If you experience coughs, fevers, bleeding, insect bites, burns and insomnia, ...
What is the medicinal use of plantain?
Culpeper suggested medicinal uses of the plantain leaves in his writings, such as drinking it as a juice for a few days for skin abrasions and pains in the bowels. It stops fluxes and helps with women’s courses when they are too abundant while staunching the also free bleeding wounds. He wrote quite a lot about its uses, including killing worms in the belly or treating old and foul ulcers. ( x)
Why did Alexander the Great take plantain leaves?
Alexander the Great took plantain leaves to ease his headaches. Greek-born, Pedanius Dioscorides suggested plantain leaves for cooling, soothing, softening and healing properties. If a mad dog bit you, he would treat you with plantain poultices.
Why is plantain leaf used for skin care?
Skin Care and Wound Healing. Plantain leaf is a dermatological dream. One reason is that it contains lots of tannins.
Why do plantains grow on every continent?
In nature, plantain leaf can grow virtually on every continent because of its ability to thrive in almost any type of soil and climate. Plantain is one of the world’s most familiar wild vegetables.
What are the compounds in plantain leaves?
( x) ( x) As a result, plantain leaves are: Antibacterial and antiviral. Anti-inflammatory. Antioxidative.
What animal chewed on the plantain?
In the ancient world of India, watching the mongoose fight the cobra, once bitten, the mongoose chewed on the plantain to nullify the venom.
What are the medicinal properties of plantain?
According to studies done into the medicinal properties of plantain leaf, the plant has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, analgesic and immune-boosting properties.
What are the nutrients in plantain?
Plantago is a good source of fiber and also contains various important minerals like zinc, copper, calcium, potassium and magnesium. As well as its mineral content, plantain leaves are home to vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K.
What is Plantago?
Plantago or Plantago major is native to various parts of the world including Europe, Asia and North America. The plant has a long history of use as a medicinal herb and is described in literature dating back hundreds of years. An ancient collection of medicinal texts called Lacnunga (remedies) mentions plantago as one of the mine most important sacred herbs of the time.
How to use plantago leaves on wounds?
You can simply grab a handful of plantago leaves and apply them directly to the wound or injury or you may crush up the leaves and combine them with sufficient coconut oil to soothe larger areas of skin.
What is the medicinal plantago used for?
Way back in the 16th and 17th centuries, plantago was used in Europe to treat a host of issues from boils and dog bites to cold, flu and fever.
How to use Plantago?
One of the most popular and effective ways to use plantago is in the form of a poultice. It is especially effective for treating cuts, burns and bites or rashes caused by poison ivy.
How to keep plantains fresh?
Wash your plantain leaves and keep them in a bowl with a lid. Boil your water then pour it over the leaves. Cover and allow to steep until the container has cooled to the tough. Strain your tea and drink up. You can store in your refrigerator for a week or two.
Why are plantains good for you?
First, the resistant starch acts as a prebiotic, promoting the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon. Second, plantains have a fair amount of fiber, which improves bowel function.
What to do with yellow plantains?
If your plantains have ripened and turned yellow, bake them in aluminum foil and use them in any dish where a slightly sweeter taste is desired. Here are some ways to use plantains: Swap potatoes for plantains in stews and soups. Add chunks of ripe plantain to black bean chili.
Why are plantains bad for diabetes?
This means that blood sugar levels don't go too low or too high. Because plantains don’t digest in the small intestine, they don’t spike blood sugar.
What is the difference between plantains and cavendish bananas?
Plantains belong to the banana family, but they differ greatly from Cavendish bananas, the type commonly eaten raw in the United States and Europe. Cavendish bananas are sometimes known as dessert bananas because of their sweet taste. Plantains are starchier, less sweet and are usually cooked before serving.
How to cook plantains?
How to Prepare Plantains. Plantains can be boiled or baked. To boil, remove the skin, cut into chunks , and cook as you would potatoes.
How much sugar is in a plantain?
Sugar: 14 grams. Things to Watch Out For. Although plantain is a nutritious food, some preparation methods make it less healthy. Many traditional recipes require frying of the plantains. Since plantains easily absorb oil, the calorie and fat count in a serving can quickly increase.
Can plantains increase blood pressure?
But plantains have more potassium than their yellower cousins. Many people don’t consume enough potass ium. High blood pressure has been linked to an excess of sodium and a lack of potassium.
What is plantain weed?
Plantain weed is a plant with edible leaves and seeds that have longstanding medicinal uses.
Where does plantain grow?
Plantain, also known as broadleaf plantain ( Plantago major ), is native to Europe and certain parts of Asia. This perennial plant produces greenish flowers and has large, oval-shaped leaves that can be eaten raw or cooked. Despite sharing its name, plantain weed is unrelated to plantain fruit, which is a type of banana.
What to do if you harvest plantains?
If you harvest plantain weed from your yard, try to avoid plants that have been treated with pesticides, are growing near the road, or are located in areas frequented by pets.
Does plantain weed help with digestive issues?
Several compounds in plantain weed’s seeds and leaves have been shown to alleviate certain digestive issues ( 1. Trusted Source. ). In particular, the seeds contain psyllium, a type of fiber often used as a natural laxative since it absorbs water as it moves through your digestive tract ( 9. Trusted Source.
Is plantain weed a cancer treatment?
That said, plantain weed should not be considered a cancer remedy. Human studies are necessary to evaluate this plant’s anti-inflammatory effects.
Is plantain weed the same as banana?
Despite sharing its name, plantain weed is unrelated to plantain fruit, which is a type of banana. Notably, several types of edible plantain weed belong to the same family as broadleaf plantain. These include: narrowleaf plantain ( Plantago lanceolata) blackseed plantain ( Plantago rugelii)
Is plantain weed edible?
Known for growing everywhere from parking lots to playgrounds, plantain weed is often dismissed as a pervasive garden pest. However, it’s not only edible and readily available but also has been used for centuries in traditional medicine. In fact, plantain weed contains plant compounds that may reduce inflammation, improve digestion, ...
How to control plantains long term?
Since the seeds hang out patiently in the soil for decades, the best way to control plantain long term is to reduce soil compaction.
Why do people put plantains under their feet?
Folklore tells us to place Plantain beneath the feet to ease tiredness , or carry it in the pocket to protect from snakebite. One source says to bind Plantain to the head with a red wool sash to cure headaches.
What is the plantain seed coat?
The seeds of Plantago major are related to Plantago ovata, or psyllium seeds. (These are used in popular fiber supplements.) Their seed coat contains up to 30% mucilage, giving it a gelatinous quality when wet. You can grind up plantain seeds in their husks to use as thickening in recipes, or as part of a hot porridge mix.
How long are broadleaf plantain leaves?
Broadleaf plantain is a perennial, coming back year after year from the roots. Leaves grow in a rosette, close to the ground. Plantain leaves are 1-6 inches in length, broadly lance shaped to egg shaped, and are hairless or sparsely short haired. Each leaf has prominent parallel veins, like celery. If you break a leaf in half, it has strings.
How many species of plantain are there?
Broadleaf plantain (Plantago major) is one of thirty-four Plantago species around the globe – all of them edible and medicinal.
What is a Buckhorn plantain?
Buckhorn plantain (Plantago lanceolata) is another common plantain species. It's also called ribwort or narrow leaf plantain. As the name suggests, this plantain has longer, narrower, lance shaped leaves. It also forms a rosette of leaves with veins from the base to tip.
What animals eat plantains?
Wildlife Eats Plantain, Too! Cardinals, sparrows and other small birds munch on plantain seeds. Many herbivores such as groundhogs, rabbits, deer, cattle, sheep and other mammals eat the leaves and flowering stalks. Caterpillars of buckeye butterflies and several moths eat the leaves.
Why is plantain used?
Cultures around the world have used the plantain leaf to help relieve health ailments for millennia. The plant is one of nine sacred herbs mentioned in the ancient Lacnunga ('Remedies'), a collection of Anglo-Saxon medical texts.
What is the clinical study of plantain leaf?
Clinical Studies of the Plantain Leaf. Modern science is just beginning to study the effects of the plantain leaf, and studies are confirming some of these traditional uses.
Can plantains help with bronchitis?
They recommend the plantain plant for moderate chronic irritative cough, especially for children. Two clinical trials in Bulgaria documented the plantain plants efficacy for chronic bronchitis. [ 6] . It acts as a demulcent, such as pectin and glycerin, which are common ingredients in cough syrups and throat drops.
Does Plantago major help with yeast?
Research conducted by a Brazilian university found that three plants from the Asteraceae family, including the Plantago major, had some degree of activity against harmful organisms, including yeast. They believe this explains its use for many infectious ailments in Brazilian folk medicine. [ 9]
Is plantain leaf good for the respiratory tract?
Due to its long history of use across the globe, and recent confirmation of some of its therapeutic properties, plantain leaf is now used primarily as an herbal remedy for upper respiratory tract health.
What Is Plantain?
What Is It Used for?
- Traditional/Ethnobotanical uses
Plantain has long been associated with agriculture. Certain species have been spread by human colonization, particularly that of Europeans. As such, North American Indians and New Zealand Maori refer to plantain as "Englishman's foot," because it spread from areas of English settlemen… - Miscellaneous uses
The psyllium in plantain has been used as GI therapy, to treat hyperlipidemia, for anticancer effects, and for respiratory treatment. In human studies, plantain has been effective for chronic bronchitis, asthma, cough, and cold. Clinical studies show that psyllium seed is useful as a bulk l…
Interactions
- Patients taking lithium or carbamazepine should avoid coadministration of plantain. Caution patients receiving lithium or carbamazepine to consult their health care provider before using herbal products.
Side Effects
- Adverse events include anaphylaxis, chest congestion, sneezing and watery eyes, occupational asthma, and a situation involving the occurrence of a giant phytobezoar (a gastric concretion composed of vegetable matter) composed of psyllium seed husks.
Toxicology
- The pollen contains allergenic glycoproteins, as well as components that bind IgE. IgE antibodies have been demonstrated. The IgE-mediated sensitization has contributed to seasonal allergy.
Further Information
- Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. Medical Disclaimer