Plantain
Plantain is one of the many plants that is easily found with no poisonous look alikes that can be used for food and medicine. Most common, Plantago major, can be seen growing with a rosette of leaves from the base of the plant. It has broad, deeply veined leaves that usually comes in at 5. It is shaped like the soles of your foot with dense clusters of tiny green flowers on spikes. Plantago lanceolata is the next common variety with more narrow leaves and tiny yellow green flowers. Plantago psyllium is a popular laxative used in a OTC product called Metamucil.
Psyllium seeds swell up to 10 times to its original size when mixed with water. It becomes mucilaginous and absorbs toxins from the bowels. A hardy, adaptable plant you can find often in the cracks of the road, growing in meadows, lawns and in your backyard. One of its identifying feature is its stringy strong fibers when the leaves are pulled out of its stems.
What it contains :
- Mucilage – 30% of psyllium seed coat is a soluble fiber
- Iridoids such as aucubin which increases uric acid secretion
- Flavonoids including apigenin which is an anti inflammatory
- Astringent tannins that help stop bleeding and promote wound healing
- Allantoin similar to comfrey plant in treating bruises and broken bones
The whole plant is edible with 32 plantago species around the world. Plantain can be taken internally as a diuretic, expectorant and anti mucus. It neautarlizes stomach acid that can help aid with stomach ulcers. A research conducted in India showed a reduction in the symptom of colds and cough, relieving pain and wheezing caused by bronchial problems. It is a known neutralizer of poison and toxic elements.
I can tell you multiple stories on how I used this special herb/weed. One of them is when we went motorcycle riding in the middle of nowhere. For some reason, bees get into his vest and stings him. And the plant that I can find is always plantain. So I used a pocket knife, as the head of the bee is still attached to his skin. Then crushed plantain leaves, mixed it with some water (or saliva), until it got mushy with some juices. Applied it on his skin and on our merry way. This gets him with awe all the time. That is why we appreciate herbs and weeds as it is always there in the most inopportune time.
