Herb of the Month - Plantain 

Plantain is a common garden herb with healing properties. Although many people refer to plantain as a weed, it’s actually an edible medicinal herb with several health benefits. You can use plantain leaves as a poultice for insect bites, plantain tea to improve digestion or soothe bronchitis, or a healing plantain salve to help wounds heal quickly.

Many of the benefits of plantain herb come from its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Plantain leaf is also a good source of antioxidants, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and minerals such as calcium and potassium.  Far from being an unwelcome weed in your yard, plantain herb should be prized for its medicinal uses.

Why Plantain Is an Herb and Not a Weed

Plantain is called a weed because it is an invasive plant that can quickly take over a garden. However, plantain should be regarded as an herb due to its many health benefits. Plantain is among the edible weeds that are good for you.  You should not confuse plantain with a type of cooking banana that has the same name.

Broadleaf plantain (Plantago major) is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows in most areas of the world. Other names for broadleaf plantain include common plantain, greater plantain and wild plantain. The ribwort plantain is related to Plantago major. It has narrower leaves and is sometimes called narrowleaf plantain.

The plantain plant has broad leaves that grow to around 2-4 inches wide. It is mostly the plantain leaf that contains many of its therapeutic benefits. However, plantain seeds are also used medicinally.

People say that plantain leaves taste similar to spinach or asparagus but with a slightly more bitter taste. Young plantain leaves are said to be the tastiest, whereas the broader and older plantain leaves taste bitter and have a fibrous texture.  Researchers say that plantain compounds are good for wound healing, reducing inflammation, managing diabetes, treating diarrhoea, and killing germs.

Benefits and Uses of Plantain Herb

Let’s look at it in more detail as how we can use common plantain for its many health benefits.

Plantain Weed Can Boost Your Immunity

Wild plantain is an amazingly useful herb that can help in strengthening your immunity.  Various studies have shown that plantain compounds have immune-strengthening properties to fight infection. For example, plantain leaf extract can help boost the number of white blood cells.  One study in the lab found that hot water extracts of plantain leaves have antiviral properties.

You can take a few young plantain leaves to make a medicinal herb tea. Roughly chop the fresh leaves and put in a cup of boiling water, cover, and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Strain and add a teaspoon of raw honey when the tea has cooled down to increase the antimicrobial properties.

Consume the plantain tea to help fight infection whenever you have a cold or the flu.

Plantain Herb has Antimicrobial Properties

Studies have found that plantain leaf extracts have good antimicrobial action. Tests in the lab have shown that compounds in plantain leaves can help to kill off various bacterial and viral pathogens.

You can drink plantain tea as a health tonic to improve your digestive health. Or you can use plantain leaf tea as a cleansing skin tonic.

The astringent and cleansing effect of compounds in common plantain also helps resolve symptoms of diarrhea.

Plantain Herb Benefits Your Gastrointestinal Health Due to it's Anti-Inflammatory Properties

One of the most popular uses for taking plantain leaf tea is to treat gastrointestinal disorders.

A 2017 survey found that herbal weeds such as plantain are good for digestion. Herbal digestive remedies can help to soothe intestinal pain and treat other symptoms of gastric upset.

The astringent and cleansing effect of compounds in common plantain also helps resolve symptoms of diarrhoea. Drink a cup of plantain leaf tea every day if you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, or heartburn.  Studies have shown that if you have abdominal pain from a peptic ulcer, then taking plantain tincture could help treat your ulcer. It is best to use leaf extract for gastric ulcers rather than seed extract.

Plantain Weed Promotes Good Liver Health

You can use plantain leaf to help protect the health and function of your liver.

The anti-inflammatory compounds in Plantago major (plantain) have many protective benefits for your liver. Lab tests have found that administering plantain extracts has many benefits as a liver tonic.

Other studies involving rats found that plantain extracts may protect the liver from injury caused by painkillers.

The best way to help improve your liver function is to consume 1 or 2 glasses of plantain leaf tea every day.

You could also make plantain leaf juice by putting fresh plantain leaves through a juicer, or you could add a few leaves to your green smoothie recipe to get plantain’s protective properties that way.  To help keep your liver healthy, find out about the worst habits that damage your liver's health. E.g. smoking, alcohol, sugar.  Avoiding these habits and consuming proven foods to cleanse your liver will promote good liver health.

Plantain Leaf Is Good for Your Skin

Because plantain is an incredibly useful herb, you can also use plantain tea to cleanse and tone your skin. Studies have shown that the skin benefits of plantain come from a number of antioxidant compounds. Plantain extracts contain anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and healing properties that are good for your skin.

Ribwort plantain (narrowleaf plantain) is also classed as an herb that is good for the skin. Applying plantain to the skin also has astringent, soothing, and moisturizing properties.  Here are a number of ways how plantain can benefit your skin:

Plantain for eczema. Soak some plantain leaves in water until soft and then mash into a pulp. Put the plantain pulp on your itchy red skin to help soothe pain, stop itching, and relieve inflammation.

Plantain for sunburn. Make a cup of plantain tea. Once the liquid has cooled, pour into a spray bottle. Spray the plantain remedy liberally over the irritated skin to help cool skin and relieve pain. 

Plantain for acne. Cleanse your skin regularly with plantain tea to help kill off germs and remove grime. Or you could apply a little plantain tincture directly on the pustule or pimple to help reduce redness and speed up healing.

Plantain for poison ivy or allergic skin reactions. Make a poultice* and apply to the itchy hives or swollen skin until you get relief. Use plantain tea to cleanse the skin after removing the poultice to benefit your skin. Plantain for spider bites and other insect bites. Make a plantain pulp with mashed up leaves and water. Apply the plantain poultice directly to the spider bite to relieve irritation, pain, and swelling.

Plantain Weed May Help Wounds Heal Faster

One of the benefits of using healing herbs such as plantain on your skin is to help promote wound healing.  Studies have shown that plantain leaves are good for speeding up the healing of wounds. Plantain leaves help regenerate skin tissue, reduce inflammation, and have antibacterial properties.

One study on rats found that combining plantain tincture and aloe vera enhanced wounds healing.

You could apply fresh plantain leaves to minor cuts or wounds to promote healing. * Crush a washed plantain leaf to help release the healing compounds.  Place over the minor cut for 10-15 minutes and repeat 3 or 4 times a day. Use the plantain remedy daily until the small wound has healed.

How to Use Plantain Herb for Healing

It is very easy to make your own plantain leaf tea from this medicinal herb.

Because common plantain grows wild in many places, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find fresh leaves.

How to make plantain tea

To make your own health-boosting plantain leaf infusion, this is what you should do:

Wash and roughly chop 1 cup of fresh plantain leaves.

Put in a heatproof bowl that has a lid.

Pour over 4 cups of boiling water, cover, and leave until cold.

Strain the liquid and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

You can drink 1-2 cups of plantain tea daily to benefit from its healing power.

You can also use this tea topically to cleanse your skin, help clear up acne

breakouts, and promote healthy wound healing. 

You can also use the leftover leaves from the plantain tea to apply to pimples,

wounds, insect bites, and sunburn to help your skin heal without scarring.

https://mommypotamus.com/plantain/