Plantain (Plantago Major) - Use In The Treatment Of Various Diseases

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Plantain is a medicinal plant that lives nearby

By chance, in an American veterinary journal, I read an article about plantain. Its author recommended making a litter for cats and dogs from the leaves of this plant. It is quite possible that the animal will taste a vegetable bed - plantain is very useful for any living organism! I followed the advice of a specialist and, waiting for summer, made our cat Fena a bed of plantain, which she really liked. Being in the thickets of plantain while collecting leaves, I thought that I must definitely study the beneficial properties of this amazing plant.

So, the big plantain (Plantago major L.) belongs to the plantain family Plantaginaceae, which includes many species. It is a perennial herb with large elliptical whole-edged glossy leaves with 3-9 longitudinal arcuate veins. The leaves are collected in a basal rosette, from the center of which a flower arrow, 10-45 cm long, emerges. At the end of the arrow, there are small scarious whitish-purple flowers collected in a cylindrical spike.

Fruits are small rounded boxes containing a large number of small croup-like seeds (up to 60 thousand of them can ripen on one plant). The seeds are dark brown-red in color, odorless and practically tasteless.

The habitat of the plant is the side of roads, paths, in meadows, wastelands, near houses. An interesting feature of the plantain: if the soil in which it grows is moist, the plant lifts its leaves; if the soil is dry, it presses the leaves against it to create a shade that retains moisture.

Medicinal properties of plantain

The seeds can often be far from the plants on which they are ripe. Sticking to the feet of passers-by, to bags or bales of cargo, they end up in the holds of ships, in wagons, cars and airplanes. When unloading, the seeds fall to the ground, germinate, and the plants that have grown from them are often found in new territories with good living conditions. This is how the plantain was brought from Europe to America. The indigenous inhabitants of America - the Indians - call the plantain "The Trace of the White Man" ("planta" - from the Latin. "Sole, foot").

For medicinal purposes, plantain herb, seeds and roots are used. The leaves contain mucus (about 10%), glycosides, flavonoids, bitter and tannins, phytoncides, citric and ascorbic acids, vitamin K, provitamin A, carotene, resin, saponins, proteins, potassium, polysaccharide complex, traces of alkaloids, amino acids, organic acids (salicylic, benzoic), essential oil, enzymes, factor T (increases blood clotting) and others.

The seeds contain fatty oil (up to 22%) and mucus (44%), steroid saponins, oleic acid. The seed coat contains a water-soluble mucus composed of highly branched arabinoxylanic acid.

Plantain preparations have a fairly wide spectrum of therapeutic effects and are used as an analgesic, expectorant, diuretic, diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, anti-sclerotic, wound-healing, antispasmodic, hemostatic, antimicrobial and sedative.

One of the most beneficial properties of this plant is its ability to absorb water and form a viscous gel that can be used to regulate digestion. Due to the lubricating action of mucus, plantain facilitates the movement of the contents of the large intestine, stimulates peristalsis and moisturizes the feces. Psyllium is useful as a dietary aid in people with type II diabetes, it lowers postprandial glucose levels and also helps fight cholesterol.

The cholesterol-lowering effect of psyllium has been proven by many studies in humans, monkeys, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, and hamsters. One of the possible mechanisms of action of plantain is to stimulate the synthesis of bile acids and to divert liver cholesterol for this purpose.

In pharmacies, you can buy a ready-made preparation from the leaves - plantaglucid, which doctors prescribe for the treatment of gastritis and gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.

Diseases for which large plantain is used

Preparation of medicinal products from plantain

1. Infusion of plantain leaves: 1 tablespoon (5 g) of leaves, pour 1 cup boiling water (200 ml), let it brew for 15 minutes, drain. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

2. A decoction of plantain leaves: put 2 tablespoons in an enamel bowl, pour 1 glass of boiling water, close the lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes. Cool at room temperature, drain. Add boiled water to the broth to the original volume (200 ml). Take 0.5 cups 3-4 times a day 10-15 minutes before meals.

3. Fresh juice. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

4. Infusion of seeds. Pour 2 tablespoons of plantain seeds with 1 glass of water, bring to a boil, cook for 10 minutes, strain. Take 1 tablespoon once a day.

Plantain recipes

In spring, young, tender leaves are used to make salads, soups, green cabbage soup, especially useful for patients with gastritis and diabetes.

Soup: a little nettle and sorrel leaves are added to the plantain leaves.

Lettuce: put 100-150 g of plantain leaves and 50 g of nettle leaves in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, drain the water, chop the leaves and add 50-80 g of chopped onions. Season with sour cream (or mayonnaise). Add chopped boiled egg and fresh dill and parsley. The salad can be seasoned with grated horseradish, salt and vinegar (to taste).

Procurement of raw materials. For medicinal purposes, intact green leaves with small remnants of petioles are used, collected before the onset of yellowing or reddening (preferably in the flowering phase, in May-August). The leaves are washed in water and dried in the shade. Store dry leaves in tight packages in a dry, dark place for no more than three years.