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Plantain: Herbal Medicine Right Beneath Your Feet
Summer is the season for great excursions: hiking, bicycling and anything that can be done outdoors. It’s also a season during which a variety of skin conditions, bug bites, cuts and bruises run rampant. That is where plantain excels.
Don’t confuse the herb being discussed here with the starchy banana-like fruit that grows prolifically in tropical countries. Plantain, or Plantago major, is a weed that is unfortunately often killed off to give lawns a more uniform look. They are like dandelions in that they grow almost everywhere and have a myriad of medicinal uses.
There are three major types of plantain that can be found almost everywhere: Plantago major, Plantago lanceolata and Plantago media.ÂÂ
Plantain has been used traditionally as medicine for centuries, as far back as the time of the Romans and Greeks. It did not exist in the Western hemisphere until Europeans arrived. The American Indians actually called plantain “the footstep of the white,†because it seemed to appear everywhere Europeans had been. Shakespeare even made reference to the herb in Romeo and Juliet, Act I, Scene II:
Romeo: Your Plantain is for that excellent for.ÂÂ
Benvileo: For what, tea?
Romeo: For your wound.
Plantain leaves have a variety of beneficial properties: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, astringent, detoxifying, expectorant, soothing, vulnerary and cleansing. With such a range of actions, it would be advantageous to learn what this plant looks like in case you ever need its benefits. Step into your back yard, park or you may even find it between the cracks in sidewalks.
The Common Plantain (Plantago major) has oval leaves that have a pointed tip and veins that run from the base of the leaf to the opposite end. The leaves grow radially and each blade is about 4 to 10 inches long and is about two-thirds of the width broad. If the plant flowers, the flowers are purplish-green in color. Once you identify one plant, you’ll start to notice it almost everywhere you go.
Now that you know what plantain looks like, if you happen to be out hiking, camping or enjoying some other outdoor activity and wound yourself in any way, look for the common plantain. Grab a handful of the fresh leaves, crush them in your hand then apply them to your wound. It will help reduce inflammation, kill bacteria, and staunch the bleeding. You can apply the leaves in the same manner for insect bites, burns, allergic rashes or eczema.
Plantain leaves can also be used internally. In fact, traditionally, plantain leaves were primarily used internally. It helps to quell coughs and soothe inflamed mucosa that may have resulted from bronchitis, upper respiratory infection, allergies and sore and irritated mouth and throat. The dried leaves are steeped in boiled water for about 15 minutes to make a tea, which is then allowed to cool before drinking.
Whether you choose to use plantain leaves topically or internally, make sure to harvest them from a location where the land has not been sprayed with chemicals. Applying pesticide laden plantain leaves to an open wound will just lead to infection. You can also purchase plantain leaves from a reliable herbal source such as Frontier.
The next time you venture outside, pay attention to the weeds that seem to pop up everywhere. They may actually be herbs that were traditionally used as medicine, and are now making a comeback through the recommendation of herbal practitioners. Herbal medicine right beneath your feet. Imagine that!
References:
Plantain, Common retrieved from http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/p/placom43.html on 7/6/10
Plantain (Greater or Common) retrieved from http://www.natuurlijkerwijs.com/english/Plantain.htm on 7/6/10
Plantain Leaf retrieved from http://www.florahealth.com/flora/home/C ... inLeaf.htm on 7/6/10