In this health info article, we would
like to discuss the benefits and uses of plantain. This is the herb, not
the one that's related to a banana, so this is something that most people
should be able to grow and probably already are growing and don't even realize
it.
Because
it grows wild everywhere and there are several varieties of plantain but the
one that is most talked about is the broadleaf plantain.
And it
looks like this
but the lance leaf plantain should have pretty similar benefits if not exactly the same but the seed that is being sold on stores is for the broadleaf Plantain.
And before we go into all the Plantain health benefits, let us just say, if you choose to buy Plantain seed and start planting it. Try to find a special area where you want just that to grow.
Because it self-seeds all over the
place and can easily overtake a whole garden area. But that's also what
makes it really great is that just about anyone can grow this Broadleaf
Plantain wherever they are.
And Broadleaf
Plantain is so beneficial in many different ways. And we’re
sure if you didn't know until you're seeing its photos that we’re putting up here,
you're probably now going oh that's the thing we’re always trying to eradicate
from our yard just like those dandelions.
So a
lot of times, we find that, those weeds that come up and want to take over
everything. A lot of them have the most health benefits.
Dandelions even ladies' thumbs.
So
first let's talk about the nutrients, and mostly we're going to be talking
about the Broadleaf Plantain leaves. But
the Broadleaf Plantain seeds as well and even the Plantain roots have
their place.
So,
here's a list of the main nutrients of plantain and that is vitamin A, C, K
Zinc, Potassium, and Iron. Again most of what we’re going to be
talking about are the Broadleaf Plantain leaves, but let us focus on the Broadleaf Plantain
seeds for just a little bit.
The plantain seeds contain psyllium, which is really good for digestive health. And out of the plantain plant as a whole, the plantain seeds have been the one that's been most promising for helping to prevent and cure cancer.
But the broadleaf plantain roots are also shown to
be effective against cancer as well.
So,
now let us get on to the list of Plantain benefits and the health
issues.
This
can be good for the first thing we’re listing off is going to be good whether
you take it internally or use it externally and that is as an
Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Fungal and Antibacterial.
Now
the rest of this part of the list is going to apply more if you're
taking plantain internally in the form of a tincture, a tea, or
you're eating it as a vegetable, and so on.
And
plantain going to help with coughs, colds, prevent tumors, protect the liver,
again with digestive health, also for heart health, respiratory health, as a
diuretic, and Broadleaf Plantain is also a great antioxidant.
So,
the health benefits of eating plantain herb will also be described in
this health info article ahead. Because Plantain is good for you and
there are several nutritional benefits of plantain that have been noticed by
the researchers.
And
then externally Broadleaf Plantain can be used in various different
ways. And we’ll go into that in a little bit, but Plantain can help with bug
bites, stings, eczema, burns, scratches, abrasions, even minor cuts.
And
since Broadleaf Plantain is anti-fungal this would also be helpful in
using typically for fungal type infections such as ringworm and more.
And
then it's also said to be really good for drawing things out of the skin such
as splinters and glass shards. So, this natural herb Plantain Skin
benefits can be counted in this way.
Now
let's talk a little bit about Broadleaf Plantain uses the
thing about the plantain.
Plantain
leaf has very little to mild flavor. It is kind of greenish tasting
but not as strong as certain other greens.
And so
it can blend very well, the only issue we have with using plantain is,
those little stringy parts through the leaves. They can be kind of tough.
So you might want to pull those out of the leaves while they're fresh.
Now if you're using the Broadleaf Plantain leaves, either fresh or dried into teas. Those stringy parts aren't going to matter. Because that's something you're going to strain out anyway.
And if you go to
dehydrate the Broadleaf Plantain leaves and you go to crumble
them up, those little stringy parts come out easily.
So, you don't have to pull those out when you're dehydrating them. But when you go to cook with them fresh like adding them to stir-fries or whatever, you might want to usually just grab hold of that stem real tight.
And when you pull
those little stringy parts that go up through the leaf, those will just come
right out they slide right out, and then you can just chop the leaf up and use
it however you want.
You
can add these broadleaf plantain leaves to green smoothies and as
we’ve mentioned the tea, you can make tinctures, or an extract depending on the
strength you're looking at and the type of solvent you're using.
If
you're wanting to just take little bits at a time that's why a lot of times
people will tincture it. You can also powder it up or just flake it up
and use it in capsules and take it as a supplement in that way and then we did
mention the mixed greens blend.
We
don't actually add Broadleaf Plantain leaves to our mixed greens
blend anymore. But it used to be one of the many greens we would throw in
there along with the dandelion greens, the kale, and various things.
Mix
them all together grape leaves, strawberry leaves, so on and nettle, we can't
forget the nettle. That's one of the main ingredients in our mixed greens
blend and then, that's something that will go into just about every meal we
make.
It
will go into soups, it'll go into sauces, it'll go into gravies and casseroles
and so much more. It is a really good way to get some various different
greens that maybe your family or you don't really like the taste of.
Once
they're dehydrated, up like dandelion leaves, can be kind of bitter you
dehydrate these things up, it makes the flavor much milder and is easier to add
to dishes and hide into dishes.
But the number one way we actually use the
plantain leaves is, to dehydrate them up and store them in some jars.
There
we’re going to need to get make some more up. But our infused oil for
going into that salve is right here and one of the main ingredients in this is
the dried plantain as well as some other herbs.
We’ve
used this a lot, this has been great stuff, we put it on scratches and burns
and various different minor skin issues and it worked really well.
You can
use Broadleaf Plantain on acne as well, remember it's antibacterial
so it's really good for any of that stuff, and then the other way we've
used Broadleaf Plantain a couple of different times is just being out
in the garden.
And if
you had never been stung by a honeybee. Honeybees, they'll just leave you
alone, you can walk through them as long as they're busy. And you're
leaving them alone they'll they won't bother you.
But
it's the yellow jackets here that are more likely to sting you just
because. Once we had an experience of being stung by that of with yellow
jackets ones, while we were right there in the garden.
We had
the broadleaf plantain growing right there, we reached down grabbed
the leaf chewed it up, and stuck it on that sting.
And in
that short period of time, we could feel while it took us to do that as we
could feel the sting starting to get more and more painful as soon as we
applied that masticated plantain leaf to that sting immediately the pain
started to reverse itself.
Where within just two minutes of having that poultice on there the sting was. The pain was entirely gone and once we took the poultice off.
So we can
personally testify that it is very effective for wasp stings which would make
us think it would work just as well on any other kind of insect bite or sting
that you may get.
So,
basically what this is, right here is as our best supplement as best as
Neosporin is, that we also use it for other things even just for softening
extra dry skin. We can use it that way too.
So, we
do try to reserve it more for skin ailments and then use our other skin creams.
For just softening our hands, feet, knees, whatever dry skin we need to take care of. Now we’re sure we’re missing a whole lot of other great plantain health benefits then, we just wanted to share a few ideas out there and share also with you, how we use it and give you a few ideas how you can use broadleaf plantain.
And if you're using plantain already share
with us down below your favorite ways to use it.
Do you make a tincture? an extract? do you powder it and use it in capsules? do you make infuse oil infusions like we do? or do you just prefer to use it as a green to add to your stir-fries and soups? and whatever else It is.
You like to make share with us down below so other people can learn from you as
well and any other health benefits of ripe plantain that you know it
has that, we didn't cover here and if you're interested in more herbs and their
benefits and uses and how we use them.
Thanks for reading this health info article, if you have found it informative then kindly share it with your loved ones.
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