Plantain
PLAINTAIN: A Weed for Cure
I am part of a wonderful group on Facebook called Gwen’s Nest: Chick Chat. There is so much good information shared between all these women about women’s health issues, children’s and more. I kept seeing Plantain coming up as a cure for various issues mentioned. This is an herb I’m not real familiar with so the research begins. Plantain is one of the five healthiest ‘backyard’ weeds.
Per Rosemary Gladstar: “I suspect plantain takes second place, just behind dandelion, in the category of ‘most common and most useful weed’, It grows everywhere; in lawns and empty lots, in cracks in sidewalks, on highways and pathways, on the beach, in meadows, in backyards, and in wild places. Few plants we tend in our gardens are as dependable or as useful as plantain.”
I’ve seen this “weed” so much and always digging it out and throwing it away. Never again! This is my new best plant friend. I’m so excited to find that Plantaindraws toxicity from the body. It’s been a remedy for blood poisoning for many years and is considered an alternative treatment a blood purifier because of its rich nutrients that stimulate the liver and cleanse the blood. It’s used for poor digestion and assimiliation, hepatitis, jaundice, skin eruptions and what is referred to as eruptive personalities or termed as too much heat in the body.
The leaves can be chopped then mashed and placed on areas as a poultice or made into a tea and placed on the affected area. It’s great for drawing out boils, easing sting of insects, drawing out deep infections and other disruptive skin issues. I also read that it can draw out splinters by soaking a cloth in hot plantain tea and placing over the splinter for 20 to 30 minutes. The poultice is more affective by adding a tablespoon or 2 of sea salt to the tea or poultice. If you are in a situation where you are out and about, you can chew the leaves to make a paste and use as a poultice.
As a tea, it can help to stanch heavy menstrual bleeding. It’s great along but by adding yarrow and nettle, it is even more effective for this purpose. You can also chop up Plantain and put it in your salads. You want to pick the leaves while they are young. Plantain has a bit of a bitter taste to them.
Side Effects:
People who are using any kind of insulin need to know that plantain seeds can lower the blood sugar and should avoid the use of Plantain.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should always consult your physician before taking any kind of herbal remedy.
Note: For plantain power drinks, poultice making and Plantain salve, see Rosemary Gladstar’s book Medicinal Herbs, A Beginner’s Guide. I love this book and it’s a great guide to many herbs and plants we think of as a weed.
